Wimbledon

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Austin Nichols, James McAvoy, Jon Favreau

Directed by: Richard Loncraine

RS: 2of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3.5of 4 Stars

2004 Universal Pictures Sports

Kirsten Dunst can't really fake it as a tennis star, which is too bad, because she's playing Lizzie Bradbury, a pissy-tempered player getting her first shot at Wimbledon. Paul Bettany, who plays Peter Colt, the Brit tennis star once ranked 11th in the world and now down to 119th, shows better form. But they're both cute to the point of adorable. And despite the fact that director Richard Loncraine (Richard III) had access to film at historic Wimbledon, cute matters more. There's no script to speak of, just two appealing actors volleying comic-romantic cliches at each other. Is Peter, 31, too old to score a last hurrah? Is Lizzie a slave to the ambition of her dad (Sam Neill)? Are the cuties using each other for sex, or is it love? The film runs for ninety-seven minutes without offering a scintilla of surprise.