By Michelle
September 20, 2004 - 5:04 PMHello World! For the first time perhaps since we had children, my husband and I saw two movies that would have bored our kids in two consecutive weekends. Last week it was Vanity Fair; this week it was Wimbledon, which was on my must-see list because of 1) tennis and 2) Paul Bettany. I must admit that it was an utter delight. It is not a spoiler to say that you can predict every single thing that happens in the movie twenty minutes before it happens, even if you know absolutely nothing about the sport -- if you have ever seen a romantic comedy or a sports flick, you're familiar with the formula.
However, this in no way interferes with the pleasures of the film. In fact, I think the predictability of romantic comedies provides a certain comfort zone, since you never have to worry that the lovers will come to any grief, though I wonder on occasion what it is that makes us root for some of these pairs that already have everything. In Wimbledon, they're beautiful, they're rich, they're famous, they're witty...they should be far more despicable than they are. But in fact I feel about Peter and Lizzie, the film's player-protagonists, much as I feel about Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, who are both young, wealthy, famous and paired with people just as young, wealthy, famous and beautiful as they are. I suppose that if people are going to be beautiful and rich and famous and witty, they may as well be likeable and friendly and schlep their own tennis gear.
I used to watch Wimbledon (the tournament) religiously with my father, and though in the years since I have had children I have lapsed in this as all my sports enthusiasms, I found the tennis in the movie reasonably believable and the supporting cast quite wonderful. It's also a lot of fun that John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Mary Carillo all play themselves, covering the tournament for NBC. I must agree with Bettany that this is the best romantic comedy about tennis ever made...even if it is the only romantic comedy about tennis ever made.
Talk CSI Today Below are some of the topics currently being discussed at Talk CSI:
-Want to talk about the Emmys?
-Hot Nick pictures!
-Any new nitpicks?
More topics can be found at Talk CSI! Poll Results Below are the results of the most recent CSI Files poll:
What 'CSI' or 'CSI: Miami' item do you most covet?
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The 'CSI' 100th episode party invite |
 45.7% - (265
Votes) |
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The 'CSI: Miami' Hummer |
18.4% - (107
Votes) |
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Horatio's shades |
10.3% - (60
Votes) |
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Grissom's bugs |
7.7% - (45
Votes) |
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Autographed cast photos |
7.5% - (44
Votes) |
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Misc. props (X-ray sheets, DNA printouts, lab coats, etc.) |
6.2% - (36
Votes) |
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Other |
3.7% - (22
Votes) |
Total Votes: 579
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Please vote in our new poll on the season premieres! | Why can't the CSIs get dates? | | |
This Week's Television Listings
- Tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS will show the CSI: Miami episode "Lost Son". The official synopsis states:
The CSIs lose one of their own in the third-season opener, which begins with the discovery of a businessman's bullet-ridden body aboard an empty yacht that smashed into a bridge.
- Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS will premiere the CSI: New York episode "Blink". The official synopsis states:
A serial killer is murdering women; Taylor and Bonasera investigate.
- Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS will begin the fifth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation with "Viva Las Vegas". The official synopsis states:
The CSI teams investigate four mysterious deaths, including what some believe is an alien in a shallow grave at Area 51.
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