I’ve been waiting for this movie to come out for at leastthree months. As a tennis player, a lover of all things English anda Kirsten Dunst fan since Little Women was made into amovie, I was understandably excited to see this film. ButI’ll be honest, I was slightly disappointed. It was a typicalchick flick. Nothing about it would be appealing to the majority ofguys, which is why I’m glad I took a girlfriend with me. Itwas predictable and everything worked out in the end, like it neverdoes in real life. But that’s why we love movies, right?

Wimbledon combines two very familiar plot lines, theunderdog story and the unlikely love match, with a veryunconventional topic: tennis. Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is awashed-up, aging tennis player making his final appearance at a proevent.

Luckily, he meets the up and coming American “badgirl” Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst). Lizzie, who is makingher debut at the All England Lawn & Tennis Club, is expected tobe the star of the tournament.

Through a series of “only in the movies”coincidences and events, these two find themselves completelyinfatuated with each other and Peter suddenly finds his careerrejuvenated.

The movie chronicles the two weeks of the tournament in whichPeter unexpectedly defeats opponent after opponent, and Lizzieuncharacteristically loses in the semi-final round.

Somehow, during the biggest professional tournament of the year,the two stars are able to have a whirlwind romance full oflate-night rendezvous and romantic walks in the park while playingexhausting matches and avoiding the paparazzi.

Of course, they run into small obstacles, such as Lizzie’soverprotective father and a self-absorbed American tennis star, buteven they provide almost no lasting drama or substantial plottwists.

To its credit, the movie does attempt to accurately portray theintense mental side of tennis and the agonizing self-torture thatplayers often experience during a match. It also addresses thedifficulty that players like Andre Agassi face as they get olderand are forced to play young up-and-comers like Andy Roddick. Themovie also delivers beautiful shots of the famous tennis club andthe city of London.

Although it is incredibly predictable and has the traditionalfairytale happy ending, Wimbledon is a sweet, sometimescomical, escape from reality. I recommend that every girl takes anight in the next couple of weeks to gather her girlfriends and gosee this movie.