Review of Serendipity (2001) by Philip S — 28 Dec 2011

Serendipity is, by definition, a fortunate accident. And while the movie, Serendipity, is no accident, it is a good movie for happy couples and hopeful happy couples to be. Yes, it's another standard rom-com, but it's funny enough that even male audiences won't have to worry about turning in their man-cards after watching it. And now that it's being re-issued on blu-ray, those who don't already own this rom-com can watch it in high def.

Rom-Coms are a dime a dozen. There are so many that they could nearly fill an entire video store. So the question is how does a movie stand out from the standard boy meets girl-loses her-gets her back in the end formula? The answer to that question is tough to find. But somehow, writer Marc Klein has come up with a semi-original storyline with Serendipity. Klein set Serendipity apart from other rom-coms by having both Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) be engaged when they first meet. If this sounds familiar, it's with good reason. It's a light re-imagining of the classic 1951 Gene Kelly rom-com, An American in Paris. In that movie, Kelly's character, Jerry Mulligan, and his friend fall in love with the same girl. She just happens to be engaged already. So while the similarities are there, the two are at least somewhat different.

What sets the pair of movies apart is--like with so many rom-coms--the execution of the story. Most people wouldn't go to the lengths of Jonathan and Sara to find love. That makes the story less than believeable. Thankfully though, the acting of the supporting cast makes up for the inability to suspend one's disbelief. One of the movie's funniest scenes comes when the Bloomingdale's salesman (played expertly by Eugene Levy), Jonathan's friend, Dean (Jeremy Piven), and Jonathan are looking for the receipt from Sara's purchase. One could argue that the scene in question pays homage to the Three Stooges. Even when it's just Levy and Cusack going back and forth about Levy looking for the receipt, one can't help but laugh at the pair's back and forth banter.

Sara's friend Eve (Molly Shannon) is funny, too. The SNL vet adds a certain comic element in her transformation, when she joins up with Sara in Sara's search for Jonathan. Watching Eve go from a doubting Thomas-esque personality to being totally wrapped up in everything makes for its share of laughs, too. that, and the guys' comedy makes for a fun watch for both the holidays or even for Valentines Day. Though it does lead up to a pretty predictable and super sappy ending. Don't worry. No spoilers for those who haven't seen it. But it's definitely a very saccharine ending. That aside, the story itself aside, Serendipity is still a fun watch once or even twice a year for both the happy couples and hopeful happy couples to be.