Best Tennis Film Ever?

Rating: 7/10 (16 October 2004)

As several critics have noted, this film is especially good at conveying the drama of a Grand Slam tennis tournament. Paul Bethany is quite credible as a journeyman British player in his final tennis tournament who suddenly begins beating much higher ranking players. Among the great strengths of the movie is the fact that it takes place on the grounds of the All English Tennis Club and that the action is announced by real TV personalities (and former players): John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Mary Carillo. Since I did not know whether Bethany would eventually win or lose the tournament, I thought the director did an excellent job of maintaining tension throughout the final match. It is true that the love affair between Bethany and the rising American star, played by Kirsten Dunst, is altogether predictable. Nevertheless, the chemistry between them is convincing. Sam Neill does his usual good job as Dunst's interfering father-manager, and the actors portraying Bethany's parents absolutely shine. Bethany's agent -- who's also Dunst's agent as well as the agent of Bethany's opponent in the finals -- may be a stock character but he's also fairly amusing. Saying it's the best tennis film ever may not seem like much but I've never seen a baseball, football or basketball movie that I thought was any good at all.