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The fluffy, feel-good romantic comedy may have gone out of style years ago, but nobody told the filmmakers who persist in revivifying the genre with seemingly endless variations. In the case of Wimbledon, casting alone seems to have done the trick. British actor Paul Bettany -- Russell Crowe's costar in both A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander -- exhibits a certain hangdog charm as a former tennis champ competing, with little enthusiasm, at his final Wimbledon tournament before shuffling off the court to become the resident pro at a posh London club. Kirsten Dunst plays a top-seeded American challenger who takes a fancy to the dour but personable has-been. A romance blossoms, but the young woman's ambitious father (Sam Neill) does his best to quash the relationship, lest it distract his daughter at this crucial moment. There is, we admit, a certain predictability to the story's outcome, but it doesn't proceed exactly according to precedent: You may think you always know what's about to happen, but don't be too sure. Bettany and Dunst make an appealing couple of the "opposites attract" type; his character's laid-back style complements her character's hard-charging, go-get-'em spunkiness. The tennis sequences are extremely well choreographed and edited, and it's obvious that both stars worked their tails off to look credible on the court. Wimbledon is not the sort of movie that makes an indelible impression, but it is the sort to which many viewers return whenever they're in the mood for something fun and frothy. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Directed by Richard Loncraine, Wimbledon follows the plight of aspiring tennis-star Peter Colt (Paul Bettany), whose bad luck seems to manifest itself just about everywhere. Professionally, Peter is near the very bottom of the world tennis ranks, and personally, he can't find love despite his best efforts to do so. In a rare turn of events, however, Peter is chosen as a wildcard to play at Wimbledon, the tennis world's most prestigious competition. While there, he meets American tennis ingénue Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), and his confidence on the court and off improves tenfold as he falls further in love with her. Driven by his newfound luck, Peter climbs to the top of the tournament players at record speed, until he actually has a fighting chance of winning the men's singles title -- the question is whether or not his good fortune will hold out long enough for him to get the trophy. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Dallas Observer

The movie is smart, funny, romantic, and rousing. Gregory Weinkauf

Philadelphia Inquirer

A slick comedy that's more fun than it has any right to be. Carrie Rickey

Product Details

• UPC: 025192583827
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: Français
• Time: 1:38:00
• Sales Rank: 56,396

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Wedding Date / Prime / Wimbledon

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