Product: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Rating: 4.0
Bella Tuscany, Bella Diane.
Tuscany is perhaps my favorite place on Earth, and I've been a fan of Diane Lane at least since Lonesome Dove, so when I heard she was starring in the film version of Frances Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun," I said, "I'm there!" Lane--in her first film as the sole over-the-title star--gives her usual lovely, fresh and graceful performance in a genial and charming film. Mayes gave writer-director Audrey Wells total permission to create a plot where the original book had none; while Wells plays fast and free with the details of Mayes' life (for example, Mayes already had a second husband when she bought Bramasole), Mayes certainly doesn't seem to mind, so we shouldn't either. Wells' plot has a lot of humor, a little heartbreak, a wisecracking lesbian best friend (Sandra Oh), a flamboyant English actress (Lindsay Duncan), an enigmatic old man (Mario Monicelli), and a pair of incredibly adorable teenage lovers, along with a childbirth, fields of glowing sunflowers and many sumptuous Italian meals. Basically, "Under the Tuscan Sun" is a charming, pretty movie about charming, pretty people doing charming, pretty things. That doesn't make a masterpiece, but it does make an extremely pleasant way to pass two hours. (Note: Lindsay Duncan also appeared in the TV version of "A Year in Provence." Wouldn't you LOVE to have her agent?)