Wimbledon

Plot synopsis:
Peter Colt, a British professional tennis player in his thirties whose ranking has slipped from 11th to 119th in the world, has never really had to fight for anything, as his wealthy family allowed him to easily pursue his tennis ambitions. Though he earns a wildcard spot to the Wimbledon tournament, he feels it's time to admit he's getting too old to compete with fitter up-and-coming younger players and intends, after this last Wimbledon, to take a job with a prestigious tennis club.
As Wimbledon begins, he bumps into Lizzie Bradbury, the American rising star of female tennis. They fall in love and her interest in him changes his entire perception, even giving him the strength to win again. As their love grows, Peter's game becomes better and better. Lizzie's overprotective father-manager Dennis Bradbury is determined to nip their relationship in the bud, believing it detrimental to her career. One day, Dennis comes to Peter’s old flat and yells at him for spoiling his daughter's game. She overhears this and decides to leave him and focus on her game.
The night before their semi-final matches, Peter sneaks into Lizzie’s hotel room and persuades her to have sex. The next day, he performs quite well and wins in straight sets but Lizzie loses. Lizzie angrily breaks up with Peter, saying his selfishness made her lose, and decides to immediately return to the U.S. to train.
Peter has to play the final match against Jake Hammond, an arrogant American star, but finds himself outclassed. At the airport, Lizzie watches an interview on TV in which Peter apologizes and declares his love for her. She returns to Wimbledon.
As Lizzie reaches the stadium, Peter has lost two sets and is behind in the third. When the game is suspended due to rain, Lizzie appears in the dressing room and forgives him. She tells him the secret of Jake’s tricky serves and Peter recovers to win the title (3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(6), 6–4). He and Lizzie get married, and with his support, Lizzie goes on to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon twice, ultimately achieving her dreams. In the last scene, Peter is with their youngest child, a boy, watching Lizzie and their eldest child, a girl, playing tennis together on a neighborhood court in New York City.

Tags: romantic, entertaining

Review:
Now with the prime of his life behind him, ranked number 119, Peter decides to throw in the towel and play his last ever Wimbledon tournament before gracefully bowing out of the gentleman's sport for good and going to work at a tennis club tending to clucky old ladies.
Be sure to keep an eye out for Bettany, who is more used to taking the back-seat supporting role in films (A knights tale, a beautiful mind etc...) but after Wimbledon, he has proven himself a more than capable and lovable leading-man.Kirsten delivers a some-what aggressive performance as Lizzie.
I think a lot of people who see the movie and are disappointed  with the so called lack of Tennis scenes are forgetting the movie is  also about the romance between the two tennis players (Paul Bettany and  Kirsten Dunst.) I loved the movie, I thought it was quirky, romantic  and fun.
Well it's actually got a few twists which are quite unexpected and although it does tread typical ground, the turns are enough to keep you guessing as to the outcome and keep you hooked.Neat the finals this really does come out and I was very surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat for some of the points, and indeed some of the matches.It's very funny too, and Paul Bettany shows a particular talent for timing, comedy and looks on camera.
It's Bettany that really carries this movie backed by strong performances by Kirsten Dunst, Sam Neill and some smaller British filled roles for Bettany's characters family.Bettany is totally believable from playing the tennis matches through to the romantic moments.
Neither is true.The picture is sharp and vibrant through the movie, clear and bright and very colour rich, it retains this look through even the more complex of special effects match shots.Extras Presented: Audio commentary with Richard Loncraine and Paul Bettany, 'Welcome To The Club' featurette, 'Ball Control' featurette, 'Coach A Rising Star' featurette, 'Wimbledon: A Look Inside' featurette, Trailers The featurettes are about how the tennis was filmed, how the actors were trained, looks inside Wimbledon itself, and some further looks into the movie.
Paul Bettany makes for a good romantic lead in the Grant mold without the latter's sometimes annoying cloying and also is convincing as a tennis player at the tail end of his career.
The basic story has been done - washed up pro finds romance with upcoming new star and gets his second wind - but that doesn't mean that it can't be done again, and done well.Paul Bettany was excellent and I was much happier to see him than Hugh Grant, and Kirsten Dunst played the competitive brat well.The script had some genuinely funny moments, with Jon Favreau stealing some of the best lines.We all know how the movie will turn out at the end, but this does nothing to detract from it on the whole.
Primarily a star vehicle for Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman, Bring It On) and rising star Paul Bettany (Master and Commander, A Beautiful Mind), the storyline is the stereotypic budding romance between Dunst who is the up and coming tennis star, and Bettany, the aging midline star who is trying for one last shot at being champion at Wimbledon.
The tennis scenes are somewhat fun with the stars putting their all in the physical matches, but the tennis balls are almost too perfect as the special effects become too obvious.Bettany is destined for more substantial roles and Dunst won't be hurt by this lightweight comedy/drama.
If you have ever seen a film starring Hugh Grant as the lead, you know now what Wimbledon is essentially like and how it is acted because Paul Bettany's tennis-playing character Peter is exactly like a Hugh Grant character--confused, witty and extremely English.
I go to great pains to point this out for the unsuspecting viewer who might think by renting Wimbledon they are about about to have unleashed upon them something as charming as 'Love Actually' or something as achingly funny as 'Four Weddings', when in fact all they'll get is all the charm and wit of a Zimbabwean politician.That Richard (Richard III) Loncraine directed this slap-in-the-face-with-a-wet-fish piece of drivel bears mentioning only as a contrast to what the difference between a good script and a bad one can mean to a director.Yoda says, 'Like the plague you should avoid this'Ugh..
I love Wimbledon (the tournament), I like Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, but I could find nothing about this movie to like.
"Wimbledon" is a charming love-conquers-all romantic comedy set in the highly competitive world of professional tennis.Peter Colt is an aging player who has slipped to 119 in the world rankings; it is for this reason that he plans to hang up his racket after what he believes will be his swan song appearance at Wimbledon.
The problem is that, as Peter's game improves as a result of the romance, Lizzie's seems to be getting worse, a fact which threatens to put a serious strain on the young couple's burgeoning relationship.Although the story itself is rather innocuous and silly, Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst do achieve a genuine rapport on screen.
And director Richard Loncraine manages to generate some genuine suspense in the final showdown between Peter and the odds-on favorite he isn't expected to beat."Wimbledon" is pure Cinderella romantic fantasy crossed with a David and Goliath, underdog-takes-on-the-reigning-champ sports story.
This movie was better of what I expected, it was interesting and entertaining.I had seen Paul Bettany in " Gangster No. 1 (2000)" and I was surprised that he could do a romantic comedy so well too, he had a good chemistry with the beautiful Kirsten Dunst who is always good in this kind of movies.
Peter Colt is playing his last tournament at Wimbledon and there he will meet Lizzie a young tennis player with a great future with whom he will begin a romance behind her father's back ..........I recommend watching it if you like romantic comedy movies..
While Bettany give another excellent and solid performance as the charming Peter Colt, audiences have to tolerate Dunst, whose whiny voice and uncoordinated serve is so laughable that tennis buffs will be forced to yell at linesmen on screen and threaten the umpire to call this film out of the bounds and forfeit the audience's money.
It's formulaic as I expected but that didn't necessarily detract from it because sometimes it's nice to know that there is going to be a happy ending.The film is successful because of Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, who are both so charming and so sweet that you feel the sugar rush as soon as the film starts.
Paul Bettany is a "Hugh Grant" figure par excellence (if they film Hugh's life story he could get the part, with a little hair dye) and his love interest Kirsten Dunst is sweet to look at.
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..
And so it goes.The love affair between Wimbledon wanabees Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst 'Spider Man 2') and Peter Colt (Paul Bettany, 'Master and Commander') is as lame as some of the competitors who fatefully twist ankles and wrists giving berths to lucky rivals.
This is a real fun movie to watch when you want to cheer, cry, and just feel great - lots of love, and lots and lots of tennis - all the actors are right for their roles with Bettany outstanding as the recalcitrant over-the-hill journeyman player who get a second lease of life when he fall in love with fellow tennis pro, Kirsten Dunst.
It is a passable rom-com starring an actor who is rather unsuited to the genre.Paul Bettany plays Peter Colt, a has been British tennis player about to call it a day.
He has a wildcard for Wimbledon and at his hotel he encounters rising American tennis star Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) who is coached by her father (Sam Neill.)What starts as flirting ends up being a bit more serious, the upside being Peter starts to win, he gains the attention of the British public and his agent (Jon Favreau.)It is a likeable film but it is rather bland and also by the numbers with very little comedy..
Overall I felt this was quite a good film that subtly redefined the mould of the British 'chick-flick' romantic comedy/drama.It almost lost me in the first few scenes when Robert Lindsay was introduced as the tennis club manager with stereotypical skinny moustache to let you know he is a bit of a sleaze, but work through that and the underlying sub plot of this being Peter Colt's last chance to not be one of the barely remembered, did not quite make it tennis club pro's works quite well.The Lizzie Bradbury character of the female lead also veered away from the stereotype for that role, although cute and very sexy her character is not particularly nice and it took me a while to get attached to her.
Paul Bettany worked well with a script that was clearly written for Hugh to the point that in the early shower scene if you shut your eyes (which I would highly recommend any red blooded male not to do) you would think it was him playing Peter Colt.I firmly expected a twist at the end which did not come, to the extent that the ending was quite a surprise, enough said without invoking spoilers.Also top marks to the old and new British character actors in the lesser parts who always bring an ironic smile to a local in this brand of movie..
He meets Lizzie (Kirsten Dunst), a major tennis star, when both are at Wimbledon.I only watched this because I somehow got the impression it was written by Richard Curtis.
Colt, from a well-off family, has just accepted a job as a tennis director at a country club, a nice retirement from the sport which will begin after his completes Wimbledon, his final tournament.Adding to Peter's problems are his parents, who have grown estranged to the point where Dad sets up shop in a treehouse, and his brother, who cheerfully wagers against him in the first round as if he were counting on the outcome to pay his mortgage.
Cinderella may win, or she may be valiant in defeat, but in this movie, the result is a logical one, and not the product of dumb luck or revenge-inducing superhuman strength (an incident where a ballboy is struck flips the bird at that idea).All in all, a truly great film and an excellent example of what can be achieved in a true drama that doesn't rely on gratuitous sexuality or special effects to pacify a dumbed-down audience, but which rather treats the viewer as intelligent and able to appreciate a good story, without making it so complex that only a tennis pro could follow it..
The strength of "Wimbledon" was in two areas: (1) the good chemistry between the lead performers Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany and (2) the lively tennis action sequences staged on the famed Wimbledon tennis courts in London.The romantic scenes between the two tennis players, Peter and Lizzie, as performed by Dunst and Bettany, were touching and sincere.
I loved how the movie gets into Peter Colt's mind during playtime, how they incorporated real life information with the movie's fiction, and how it adapted the "matrix-like" slow motion, making the match play exciting.If you are into romantic comedies, then this one is for you too.Go watch it with an open mind..
In an age where this country has seen the likes of 9/11 and where death appears everywhere from the TV to the newspaper to magazines, this movie arises out of the ashes to bring some hope, happiness, and smiles to one's face while watching it.Sure, this movie is a formula movie that came from Hollywood, much of it being predictable, but seeing that sequels and re-makes are dominating Hollywood these days, this movie provided what I was seeking, a good heart-felt movie.Kirsten Dunce and Paul Bettany had some excellent cinematic moments during this movie and I thought some of the camera angles were really fascinating to watch as it followed the ball on the court.
As it is, to this non-tennis-playing viewer, the tennis scenes seem convincing enough and since the majority of the story is set off-court, I think the film's producers made the right decision in casting actors in the lead roles rather than tennis players.Paul Bettany adds yet another fine performance to his list of credits (which include a great turn as Geoffrey Chaucer in Brian Helgeland's gloriously anachronistic "A Knight's Tale", "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", "A Beautiful Mind" and "Gangster No. 1") and Kirsten Dunst is equally up to the task, despite having the harder job as her role is somewhat underwritten and gives her less to work with.
Movies like this depend on the charm of their two leads, and Paul Bettany holds up his end, but Kirsten Dunst's underwritten, underperformed character as little more than "the girl" prevents the movie from achieving romantic magic.
Paul Bettany is jolly good as Hugh Grant and Kirsten Dunst is a huge improvement on Andie MacDowell in the romantic-lead-to-sell-the-film-in-America role.
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.
WimbledonThe problem with dating a tennis player is that the subject of LOVE always comes up.Mind you, the competitive couple in this rom-com uses the term of affection both on and off the court.A British tennis player, Peter (Paul Bettany), nearing the end of his career takes one last kick at the can and lands a wildcard spot at Wimbledon.
An underdog English tennis star (Paul Bettany) falls for a strong-willed rising woman's champ (Kirsten Dunst.) The funny thing is, I think cultural differences between England and America really stifled this movie's appeal.
The main story could've probably been dealt with in a much more effective manner in almost half the time (I know this is not how the movie industry works but a girl can dream...) At its core, this film is a textbook rom-com disguised as a tennis flick to try and fool you into thinking you're seeing something new.Another reason I wasn't a fan was Kirsten Dunst.
"Wimbeldon" is a not very good movie about Pete (Paul Bettany), a battler on the mens tennis circuit who comes across women's champ Lizzy (Kirsten Dunst, in her finest role since "Spiderman 2").
I am looking forward to more of his films.Bottom line: good to watch with the girl, it contains nothing spectacular or some amazing twist, but it is a decent easy going romantic sports movie that makes almost no mistakes..
Not one of them has written anything very respectable in the past, but they go through Colt's mind and they handle all of the clichés of the romantic comedy, and they do it very well.It's Wimbledon, and it's Colt last professional tournament because of a "wild card", and he meets Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), a rising young player who's playing too, and they begin to win; in tennis and inBecause Paul Bettany is a great actor the romantic part is a perfect fit for him; even when he hasn't done romantic films.
Playing on the tennis term "love" added a couple of good lines to this feel-good romantic comedy/sports movie.
In fact, the dialog between Peter Colt and Lizzie Bradbury(Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst) was one of the well-done elements of this movie.
Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst have good on screen chemistry and that is all you really need for a quirky romantic comedy.
for me the movie was an entertaining one.in fact i loved the whole thing.the storyline was not so impressive,it was an average one for me.but the dialog's and screenplay were awesome.and the performance of the lead actor was simply outstanding.Paul Bettany,this guy can really act.Kirsten Dunst was OK.the camera work was great.the final match was shot in a way that seems so natural to me.it felt like i am watching a real match.i am not a critic.i don't know much of a movie.but i speak of what i feel.as an ordinary fan,all i can say about Wimbledon is that this may be the kinda movie that you will forget about after watching,but once you start the whole thing,you can not get up in the middle of it..
Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany both did a great job at acting out as professional tennis players.
If you love sport (especially tennis) this has enough action and comedy to make a great movie!.
Imagine Sharapova falling in love with some male tennis player during a Grand Slam.But yes, Paul Bettany is a real treat to watch in this film..
In this romantic sports comedy, Paul Bettany plays Peter Colt, a tennis player whose bad luck changes when he scores a wild card entry into the Wimbledon tournament.
Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst have enough chemistry between them to make you care about the film more while your watching it.
British tennis player Peter Colt (Paul Bettany), having fallen to the rank of 119 in the world, has decided that this year's Wimbledon championships will be his last.