Overall, a cute movie

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2004)

Wimbledon is a cute story where cute people fall in love, make great love, than have an inevitable and predictable fight in the middle of it all.
Even though this movie follows the formula's of most romantic comedies, it is saved by above-average chemistry with its leads, (Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany) and the tennis aspect it is focused around. The romance between Dunst and Bettany works because they share the commonality of their sport, which helps to ignite their relationship.
If you're not a lover of cute sappy moments like barefooted walks in the park or 10 mile jogs resulting in a big cuddle-fest, than at least see this movie for its realistic tennis scenes. These scenes (which were really shot at Wimbledon) are extremely well done, especially those of Bettany's matches, where you can hear his comical inner thoughts before he serves the ball. The scenes reflect the pressure and intimidation that every tennis player must feel once he steps out onto the court.
While Wimbledon is certainly not the best romantic comedy, I left the theater smiling rather than gagging. And for me, that's a good thing.