Wimble"don't"

Rating: 4/10 (5 October 2004)

Wimbledon can mostly be looked at as a combination of all the other movies that, with failing plots and dry sports story lines, have come and gone before. Think 'Notting Hill' meets 'The Mighty Ducks' and you've, somewhat, got Wimbledon (with the exception that Wimbledon is a tennis movie rather than a hockey movie).
The story starts off with Peter Colt (Paul Bettany), a once popular tennis player who has now dropped his rank down to 119th. Peter is attending his last Wimbledon before he retires, but the odds of winning don't look too good for him. Struggling to keep up with the competition, Peter is in desperate need of a miracle. Luckily one arrives  Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), a thriving women's tennis player who is at the top of her game. The two meet when Peter accidentally stumbles into Lizzie's hotel room while she is in the shower. Surprise, surprise it was love at first sight for Peter. The two begin to secretly engage in a romance, which have some advantages and disadvantages. Peter is suddenly rocketing to the top of the tennis world again, while Lizzie is left in the dust. Her once competitive personality and unstoppable skills are now lessening and leaving her helpless on the court. When the secret gets out about Lizzie and Peter, Lizzie's father, Dennis Bradbury (Same Neill), is furious. Lizzie must make a decision between two loves: the guy or the game.
Actor Paul Bettany can mostly be noted for his performances in movies such as Master and Commander, A Knight's Tale, and A Beautiful Mind. His character in Wimbledon differs greatly from the others he's played in that in this film, he gets to play the heartthrob. Kirsten Dunst is probably best known for the motion pictures she's played in, like Bring It On and Spiderman 1 & 2. Like Bettany, the character she portrays is much different from those in previous movies. In Wimbledon, Dunst gets to be a little more 'grown up' than before.
The two actors made a charming couple in this film, but the movie itself left much to desire. It's plot was somewhat unrealistic, and moved slow at times. It had the typical plot of a sappy love movie and you already knew in the first five minutes how it was going to end. 'Guy meets girl, guy falls for girl, some conflict occurs to keep the two apart, but they come together and live happily ever after. The End.' I will say that they did do a good job of staying partly focused on tennis and didn't forget that the title of the movie is the name of a tennis tournament, and not 'Here's Another One of Those Movies That You Can't Seem to Get Away From!' I like the fact that Dunst gets to play an older, more adult woman rather than her normal movie roles. Also, the movie itself had comic relief throughout it, which kept me somewhat interested.
Wimbledon is one of those movies where if you like impractical plots and happy endings or if you're just a tennis fan, it's right up your alley. I give this movie a rating of three out of five stars.