Tagline: She’s the golden girl. He’s the longshot. It’s a match made in…
Wimbledon movie storyline. Britain’s Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) has never quite lived up to his dreams of tennis stardom. Once ranked as high as number 11 in the world, the journeyman veteran has watched his number slip to 119 as his confidence on the court slowly ebbs away.
Now, on the eve of his leaving the world of professional tennis, he’s granted a wild card, allowing him to play his final Wimbledon tournament…make that his final tournament ever. At one time having faced some of the best players in the world, Peter Colt is now about to face voluntary retirement, a job at a club and a bevy of aging women awaiting tennis instruction in between facials and afternoon drinks.
American Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), the rising star / bad girl of the international tennis set, is the promising new hotshot playing at her first Wimbledon. Focused, driven and pushed to a level of superlative playing by her equally driven, overprotective coach and father, Dennis (Sam Neill), Lizzie lets nothing get in her way of the win-not a bad call, not an unexpected return and certainly not a short-lived romance with fellow rising American champ Jake Hammond (Austin Nichols).
Lizzie’s career trajectory is set to be the best female tennis player in the world, a Grand Slam champ. No other dream will do…and the Wimbledon trophy would be a great place to start. Peter’s plans of quiet retirement are put on hold after he arrives at the hallowed courts of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s Wimbledon Championships. There, after a chance meeting with Lizzie that sparks into an affair, he achieves the unthinkable and wins his first match. Fueled by a mixture of his newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter continues his winning streak, gradually working his way up the ranks while the sport and its fans re-embrace this faded and now refurbished star.
The not-so-young Brit finds that the world indeed loves a winner-and none more so than his usually absent agent, Ron Roth (Jon Favreau)-and he begins to appreciate the long-forgotten taste of victory. For herself, Lizzie soon finds that her penchant for tournament flings may be at an end when she does the unthinkable and begins to fall for this British used-to-be loser with the heart of a winner. Now if Peter’s (and Lizzie’s) luck can just hold out…
Wimbledon is a 2004 British romantic comedy film directed by Richard Loncraine. The film stars Paul Bettany as a washed-up tennis pro and Kirsten Dunst as an up-and-coming tennis star. Other starring are Jon Favreau, Eleanor Bron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Austin Nichols, Robert Lindsay, James McAvoy, Mary Carillo and Chris Evert.
Some scenes were filmed during the Championships in 2003 between matches. It is the only time in the history of the tournament that this has been allowed. Some of the grass court scenes with Paul Bettany were filmed at the Stoke Park Country Club, home of The Boodles Challenge. London Zoo’s entrance was used for the entrance to Wimbledon. The beachfront scenes were filmed on location in Brighton.
The film opened at number 4, making US$7.1 million in its opening weekend at the North American box office. The film’s digital soundtrack uses the “Surround EX” format, the same track format used for the Star Wars prequels and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The song that plays in the trailer of the film is “Everlasting Love” by U2.
Wimbledon (2004)
Directed by: Richard Loncraine
Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Jon Favreau, Eleanor Bron, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Austin Nichols, Robert Lindsay, James McAvoy, Mary Carillo, Chris Evert
Screenplay by: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin, Adam Brooks
Production Design by: Brian Morris
Cinematography by: Darius Khondji
Film Editing by: Humphrey Dixon
Costume Design by: Louise Stjernsward
Set Decoration by: Caroline Cobbold
Art Direction by: Tony Halton, John King
Music by: John Colby, Ed Shearmur
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, sexuality and partial nudity.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release: September 17, 2004
Views: 136
