"Serendipity" is not a movie filled with surprises. Its very premise leaves little room for startling plot twists. In fact, everyone in the audience knows exactly what's going to happen.
That being said, "Serendipity" may be exactly the kind of escapist movie we all need right now.
Set in New York City, "Serendipity" offers a welcome light-hearted look at finding true love. The movie asks us to believe that stumbling upon one's soul-mate may not be purely accidental but rather determined by the hands of fate. The fantastical nature of the movie adds a new, engaging dimension to what otherwise might have been a predictable bore.
The movie opens in the glove department at Bloomingdale's, during the mad rush of holiday shopping. By chance -- or serendipity, as the case may be -- Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) both reach, at the same moment, for the same last pair of black gloves. There is immediate chemistry between the two, and, as they dine at the titular midtown dessert shop or ice skate in Central Park, Jonathan and Sara spend one perfect, romantic New York City day together.
Unfortunately, each is already involved with someone else. Amidst their growing attraction, the two have not even exchanged more than first names, but, at Jonathan's request for her name and number, Sara refuses. She explains that, if they are indeed meant for each other, fate will bring them back together.
He is to write his name and number on a five dollar bill, to be spent moments later; she is to write her name and number on the inside cover of a book, to be sold the next morning to a used bookstore. If these items miraculously make their way back into their respective hands, then fate really does want them together.
Fast forward a few years later: Jonathan is days away from getting married and Sara, now living in San Francisco, has just gotten engaged herself. Though both have moved on with their lives, it is clear that neither has been able to shake that pivotal "what if?" question posed on that magical day years before.
Even leaving his wedding rehearsal, Jonathan stops to check the cover of a used book on the slim possibility of its revealing Sara's full name. Likewise, Sara heads across the country, questioning whether love really is guided by fate or if she had just been nave.
Contrived? Of course, but "Serendipity" gains its appeal from a witty script and a ripple effect of coincidences that actually ring true to real life. We have all had those situations in which we run into someone we were just thinking about but had previously not thought of for years. We all learn about uncanny mutual acquaintances that make us believe that it really is a very small world.
It helps, too, that the characters themselves realize how farfetched the idea of Jonathan and Sara's making their way back to each other seems. Cusack plays Jonathan as a realist, who is about to embark on a life with his seemingly lovely fiance (Bridget Moynahan) but who becomes distracted by the idea that the right woman could still be out there, waiting for a certain five dollar bill to get back into her hands.
Cusack is always successful in the role of the "everyman." Though the biggest star in the film, Cusack never screams celebrity, which makes his comedic though angst-inducing search for Sara instantly believable and keeps the conceivably corny film grounded where it belongs. Beckinsale is convincing as Sara, playing her not as a misguided spirit but rather as a woman who truly wants to believe in the power of love.
The rapport between Cusack and Beckinsale -- albeit limited by their crisscrossing paths -- is felt throughout the film, and such successful casting allows for the audience to be invested in the idea of their burgeoning romance. Each star is also complemented by a sidekick who tries to be a rational confidante but, like the audience, is still rooting for fated love to prevail.
Jeremy Piven is a perfect comedic balance for Cusack as his best friend Dean, who puts his job as a New York Times obituary writer on momentary hold as he and Jonathan scour the city for clues about Sara. Likewise, Molly Shannon plays Sara's closest girlfriend Eve, whose signature slapstick style is toned down but still provides some of the film's more amusing moments.
"Serendipity" is certainly not a heavy movie, but it never tries to present itself as anything more than a light romantic comedy. "Serendipity" has many very funny scenes, a likeable cast and the much-needed promise of a happy ending.