Barnes & Noble

Is there really such a thing as a benevolent destiny that will eventually reunite true soul mates separated by time and distance? That’s the question posed by Serendipity, a whimsical romance graced with ingenious scripting and charming performances. It begins at Christmastime in a New York department store, where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale meet by chance -- while shopping for their "significant others" -- and are immediately attracted to each other. After spending a romantic evening together, they reluctantly part, secretly hoping that fate will reunite them some day. Director Peter Chelsom (Town and Country) devotes the remainder of the film to rendering believable a series of remarkable coincidences intended to facilitate that reunion. Cusack and Beckinsale are appropriately appealing as the would-be lovers, although they’re very nearly overshadowed by Jeremy Piven and Molly Shannon, who are hilarious as their respective best friends. Eugene Levy contributes a scene-stealing turn as a prissy store clerk, but perhaps the best supporting character is New York City, reasserting itself as the nation’s most romantic city. Serendipity sometimes strains credulity with its outrageous plot contrivances, but this bewitching little film celebrates everything that’s kinder and gentler about us -- and for that alone deserves to be seen again and again. The DVD offers Chelsom commentary on both the full-length movie and deleted scenes; other bonus features include an Encore "On the Set" documentary, the director’s own "production diary," storyboard-to-film comparisons, and an extensive photo gallery. Ed Hulse

Barnes & Noble

If chivalry isn't dead, it's certainly in need of resuscitation -- which is exactly what it gets in this cheerfully preposterous romantic comedy starring preternaturally perky Meg Ryan and rising star Hugh Jackman. She plays Kate, a brusque, cynical market-research professional dedicated to making unpalatable products appealing to consumers. He plays Leopold, the third Duke of Albany, a 19th-century English lord who designed the Brooklyn Bridge and invented the elevator. Their paths cross when Kate's eccentric inventor friend (Liev Schreiber) discovers an opening in the matrix of time, goes back to 1876, and returns to 21st-century New York City with a befuddled Leopold -- his great-great-grandfather -- in tow. Director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted) milks the predictable fish-out-of-water gags for all they're worth, but Leopold's dislocation isn't the movie's focal point; his budding romance with Kate, who's initially nonplused by his courtly manner, gradually assumes narrative prominence. Mangold clearly laments the diminution of courtesy in our fast-paced, increasingly urbanized society, but that's not a message he pushes too forcefully. This is, after all, a comedy, and one that is perceptive, witty, and often dreamy. Kate & Leopold benefits enormously from the pitch-perfect performances of the two very personable stars, and is sure to find an ever-increasing audience on DVD. The disc affords two different versions of the film: the one released theatrically and Mangold's original cut. Supplemental features include a feature-length commentary by the director, a behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted scenes, a featurette on the period costumes used, a photo gallery, and a music video with Sting performing the movie's Oscar nominated theme, "Until." - Ed Hulse Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

After the long-delayed Town and Country, director Peter Chelsom turns in his second 2001 effort with this love-at-first-sight romantic comedy that revolves around fate, destiny, and chance. Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) are two New Yorkers already in relationships when they meet one another, each reaching for the last pair of cashmere gloves at a department store. Over coffee, they strike up an intimate conversation, and Jonathan thinks they should see each other again. Unconvinced, Sara arranges an elaborate series of "fate" games; if they're meant to be together, she reasons, she and Jonathan will receive some sort of sign in the future. Flash forward several years, and the two are at opposite ends of the country -- Jonathan in New York and Sara in San Francisco, both engaged to be married. Still, neither can shake the memory of their chance encounter, and they both enlist their best friends (Molly Shannon and Jeremy Piven) to help them find their true love again. Serendipity had its Gala World Premiere at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. Michael Hastings

All Movie Guide

Filmmaker James Mangold follows his Oscar-winning drama Girl, Interrupted (1999) with this whimsical fantasy. Meg Ryan stars as Kate McKay, a modern female executive in New York City whose drive to succeed in the cutthroat corporate world has left little time for romance. When her genius ex-boyfriend Stuart (Liev Schreiber) opens a portal in time, the experiment transports Leopold (Hugh Jackman) from 1867 to the present day. A charming bachelor and the royal "Third Duke of Albany" in his own time, Leopold is fascinated by the 21st century. As the courtly Leopold and the decidedly liberated Kate tour the town, a mutual attraction develops into something deeper, a relationship that's threatened by Leopold's temporary chronological status. Kate & Leopold (2001) was originally developed by co-screenwriter Steve Rogers as a project for star/producer Sandra Bullock, who had a hit with his film Hope Floats (1998). Karl Williams

Product Details

• UPC: 786936744125
• Source: MIRAMAX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: Français, English
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 3:29:00
• Sales Rank: 10,054

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• Kate & Leopold
• Serendipity

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