On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 54/126 |
Kim Hollis |
Paul Bettany is a terrific leading man. It's not a flawless film, but it is highly enjoyable. |
Ah, Wimbledon, the early summer tradition of strawberries and cream with a bit of serve and volley on the side. The most pedigreed grand slam event on the tennis tour has been the backdrop for some of the most famous matches in the history of the patrician sport. And now it's the setting for the latest romantic comedy from Universal Pictures.
Wimbledon the film will tell the story of a homegrown British tennis player who finds himself on the brink of achieving a task that might have been considered impossible only days before -- becoming the reigning champion of the All-England Lawn Tennis Championsips, a feat that has not accomplished by a single Brit-born man in over half a century. Along the way, he falls in love with a superstar on the women's tour, showing our hero that anything is possible on the grass courts at Wimbledon. While his ranking among tennis pros has fallen to 157th in the world, he learns something from the fiery minx who is desperate to make her mark in the sport. For her part, Lizzie Bradbury can't help but fall for the man who is nothing like her controlling father, a man who appears to value winning over everything else in life. Even her.
The lead role is played by figment of Russell Crowe's imagination Paul Bettany, while Spider-Man nipplist Kirsten Dunst plays the quick-tempered lady who aces his heart. Bettany is a rising name in Hollywood for his work in A Beautiful Mind and A Knight's Tale, but his most memorable work so far is winning Jennifer Connelly's hand in marriage, then quickly impregnating her. We at BOP tip our caps with envy.
As for Dunst, she sounds unusually excited about this project. She even sought out tennis lessons from former Wimbledon tourney champion (and media darling) Pat Cash and taken on an unexpected role model. While most people instantly assume that sex kitten/mediocre tennis player Anna Kournikova is the inspriration, the reality is that John McEnroe, mortal enemy of line judges, is her role model for the character. A girl who acts like Mac and looks like Dunst. Where do we sign up? (David Mumpower/BOP)
September 25, 2003
Everyone's favorite schlub Jon Favreau has signed on to play Bettany's former sports agent. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
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