"Wimbledon's" Kirsten Dunst: Fresh Off Success
By Johanne Jean-Jacques, 09.23.04

Fresh from her success in “Spiderman 2,” Kristen Dunst stars in ”Wimbledon,” along with British Actor Paul Bettany. In this romantic comedy, the two tennis stars fall in love within the glamorous world of professional tennis.

Bettany plays Peter Colt, a British tennis player finds himself at the end of his career with a ranking of 119. But life changes when he competes as a wild card at Wimbledon. He meets Dunst’s character, Lizzie Bradbury, a vivacious and rising American tennis star, who helps him gain confidence with his game.

Although rated PG-13, Wimbledon is not a romantic comedy for the whole family. Despite the use of sexual innuendo, explicit language and partial nudity, the movie fails to make a love match. Beyond the sexual attraction, the audience never fully understands why Lizzie and Peter fall in love.

Dunst’s character is sorely underdeveloped, and the audience never knows what makes her tick. The only information provided about her is that she has a domineering father played by Sam Neill, who tries to keep her and Peter apart.

Bettany’s character is more developed. The audience is tune with Peter’s inner dialogue as he begins to fall in love with Lizzie and rekindle his passion for tennis. The movie includes a humorous subplot about Peter’s family. His mother and father are experiencing so many marital problems that Peter’s father moved into the backyard tree house.

The plot shows strength in several of the tennis scenes. Peter’s climb to the top spot is fraught with agony and sweat and the audience is left wondering until the very end whether or not he will make a comeback. A guest appearance by famed tennis players John McEnroe and Chris Everett as Wimbledon commentators adds some authenticity and spice to the film. But still, the movie never truly captures the grit and passion of tennis.