Serendipity

Serendipity is defined as being the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. Simple language calls it fate. Either way, they’re both romantic, magical notions, that make Peter Chelsom’s Serendipity corny, convenient and hard-to-take.

One beautiful, snowy winter day in New York some years back Jonathon Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) are out shopping for the partners’ extra special gift. They meet jockeying for a pair of bland black gloves and end up sharing the most magical day of their lives together. But alas, the superstitious Sara leaves their potential relationship up to fate. Jonathon writes his name and number on a five-dollar bill. Sara scribbles her name and number inside of a book. If either should come across these items, they know they are meant to be together.

Several years pass and neither can stop thinking about the other. Marriage is in the air as Jonathon is set walk the aisle in just a few days. Sara is talking matrimony with her long-time beau. With hope fading of Sara and Jonathon ever getting back together again, serendipity kicks it into overdrive, causing choice encounters, close calls and a whole lot of gagging (on my part).

Cusack is one of Hollywood’s most dependable actors as far as picking out choice scripts that expose real, subdued emotions. Not so with Serendipity. The story relies on chance and circumstance not just for opening up a potential for the perfect couple to meet, but for all of the surrounding events as well. The idea of lovers brought together purely by fate is romantic, but when it’s all spelled out in front of you, it loses its charm fast.

Both Jonathon and Sara are good people surrounded by decent people. The most interesting thing about Serendipity is that Jonathon’s fiancée is not a nasty, no-good girl that deserves to be left high and dry on her big day. Instead Halley (Bridget Moynahan) is a pretty, pretty princess with a good heart. She deserves the perfect wedding and Jonathon should be a jerk for even considering going after a girl he knew for only a few hours.

New York is the ideal location for such a story to be told. With so many landmarks, a reliable winter forecast, a maze of streets and an army of taxis, it’s the perfect place for split-second misses and crossed paths. Everyone’s in a rush to get somewhere or do something, leaving a wide target for Mr. Cupid to step in, shoot his naughty little arrows at two random strangers and leave the rest to the mind of a superstitious girl and a guy who’ll do anything to be with the most beautiful girl he’s ever had the courage to speak to.

Still, I can’t get over the complete reliance on fate even if it is what the movie is all about. It’s a stupid idea that takes the easy way out for the film’s entire duration.

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