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Serendipity

A good idea that was doomed by major flawz.

• Character

After the opening sequence in the store, John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale go out for a drink. The problem? They’re both involved with other people! Who on earth would like such characters, who treat their loved ones with such disrespect and disregard? And it’s not like the movie says their other relationships at that time are on the rocks.

After they leave and return to the store, they go out as if on a date. This short sequence, skating in Central Park, is supposed to tell them and the audience that they have a real connection. Moreso, since they don’t see or communicate with each other for years after, it’s supposed to be enough of a connection to fuel their hunts for each other…a connection that should obviously be about how they complete each other, how each has what the other needs, the cornerstone of any good romantic comedy. Yet it’s non-existent. We only learn superficial things about them, like his favorite movie and…I forget the two or three other things because they were were superficial and forgettable. This date is really just an infatuation, no sense of anything deeper and thus, everything after felt implausible and it made the characters look even worse for chasing each other while in serious relationships.

At least Kate’s boyfriend is portrayed with significant flaws, in order to make her desire for a truer love understandable. But Cusack comes off as a flaming idiot since his fiancee is flawless. Near the end, Jeremy Piven tells his buddy Cusack that he’s probably been chasing Kate because he doesn’t want to be elsewhere (getting married). This comes out of left field because, again, his fiancee is portrayed as wonderful and beautiful and lovely, and Cusack never even hints of any issue with her or the idea of getting married.

• Premise, Structure/Plot

While the story is all about destiny and signs, it really comes down to timing. If they’re destined to be together, then why does fate make them wait a bunch of years to meet a second time? The whole story is about this space of years and nothing is said of it! The movie should’ve either explored the idea of timing as it relates to destiny, or even better, given the leads certain personal issues they needed to overcome before they could reunite.

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