Serendipity rejuvenates love story
by Michael Kraft, entertainment editor

    There has been an absence of true-love romantic films lately—not the teen films or the “love is subsumed into an action or comedy plot” films, but real Sleepless in Seattle type stuff.

    The new John Cusack film, Serendipity, changes that dearth.

    Cusack plays Jonathan Trager, a man shopping for his girlfriend’s Christmas gift in New York.

    He runs into a mysterious woman named Sara Thomas played by Kate Beckinsale.

    Sparks fly, chemistry is made, but she is reluctant to do anything too forward as they both are seeing other people.

    Sara decides to trust fate and has Jonathan write his name and number on the back of a $5 bill; then she spends it.

    She also writes her name and number inside a book and sells it to a used bookstore.

    Her logic is that if she gets the five back, it’s fate, and they should be together.

    If he tracks down the book, it also means they should be together.

    Fast forward a few years later.

    Sara has moved to San Francisco and is engaged to a bizarre  eastern music-playing guy named Lars.

    Jonathan is still in New York and engaged to a woman named Halley with the wedding only three days away.

    Bizarre coincidences make them think about each other and adventures ensue as they track each other down.

    John Cusack is really a good actor, and his performance here is excellent.

    Unlike other actors, Cusack has that “everyman” quality that guys relate to.

    He isn’t overly attractive; his emotions don’t seem fake, and his dialogue is witty.

    Here all these attributes add up to a good performance.

    The look on his face when his fiancée gives him his wedding present is so real that the audience feels his emotions.

    Kate Beckinsale is good here. This film allows her to open up after her styrofoam role in Pearl Harbor. I would expect good things from her in the future.

    Jeremy Piven, who plays Jonathan’s best friend, almost steals the show.

    At first reluctant to help because he doesn’t want to possibly destroy the wedding, the best friend is sucked in by Jonathan’s passion and soon is pursuing the mythical Sara almost more feverishly than Jonathan.

    Piven, a good, underrated character actor, will pull the rug out from under the leads if left unchecked.

    Eugene Levy has a small cameo as a clothing salesman who wields his small amount of power like a huge broadsword.

    He is absolutely hilarious with perfect line delivery and timing.

    The film offers laughs as well as tender moments.

    The scenes when Sara travels to New York and she and Jonathan cross paths but just miss each other are so well timed and feel so accidental, one wonders if fate really doesn’t exist in real life.

    Overall, Serendipity is a good movie that should be perfect for a date or an enjoyable evening with friends.