Wimbledon (2004)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers (WGA):

Adam Brooks (written by) and
Jennifer Flackett (written by) ...

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

She's the golden girl. He's the longshot. It's a match made in...

Plot:

A pro tennis player has lost his ambition and has fallen in rank to 119. Fortunately for him, he meets a young player on the women's circuit who helps him recapture his focus for Wimbledon.

Plot Keywords:

Tennis | Tennis Player | Wimbledon | American | German

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Lizzie Bradbury
Paul Bettany	...	Peter Colt
Kyle Hyde	...	Monte Carlo Opponent
Robert Lindsay	...	Ian Frazier
Celia Imrie	...	Lydice Kenwood
Penny Ryder	...	Sylvia Littlejohn
Annabel Leventon	...	Pauline Rossdale
Amanda Walker	...	Country Club Tennis Lady
James McAvoy	...	Carl Colt
Bernard Hill	...	Edward Colt
Eleanor Bron	...	Augusta Colt
Marina Morgan	...	Dorchester Receptionist
Barry Jackson	...	Danny Oldham
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Dieter Prohl
Sam Neill	...	Dennis Bradbury

Also Known As:

La plus belle victoire (France)
Wimbledon - Spiel, Satz und... Liebe (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Wimbledon (Finland) [fi]
Wimbledon (Argentina) [es]
Wimbledon (Canada: French title) [fr]
Wimbledon - Amor en juego (Mexico) [es]
Wimbledon - O Jogo do Amor (Brazil) [pt]
Wimbledon: El amor está en juego (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexuality and partial nudity.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #40763) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA (DVD rating) | Netherlands:MG6 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2004) | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England, UK

Company:

Firstep Productions

Trivia:

Scenes for the film were filmed during the Wimbledon tournament 2003. The actors would walk out on court at the beginning or end of a match as though they were really competing. The officials and spectators were actual tennis officials and spectators, rather than extras. It is the only time in the history of the tournament that this has been allowed.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, the championship is won by winning six matches. In reality you have to win seven matches to be the champion.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Peter Colt: [voiceover] We all start off in life with a dream, don't we? For a tennis player, it's being in the final of a Grand Slam, Centre Court, a high lob... a smash. Game, set and match. You're a champion. You're number one. But for most tennis players, that's all it ever is: a dream...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FC Venus (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sometimes

Sparkling, Witty Sports Rom/Com

I've been waiting to see this movie since I first heard about the shoot. I love Wimbledon the place, but was also suitably impressed by Wimbledon the movie.

It's been compared to my other favourite sports rom/com 'The Cutting Edge' and I definitely agree. The basic story has been done - washed up pro finds romance with upcoming new star and gets his second wind - but that doesn't mean that it can't be done again, and done well.

Paul Bettany was excellent and I was much happier to see him than Hugh Grant, and Kirsten Dunst played the competitive brat well.

The script had some genuinely funny moments, with Jon Favreau stealing some of the best lines.

We all know how the movie will turn out at the end, but this does nothing to detract from it on the whole. Brain power is not required to watch this film, but that makes it all the more enjoyable.

I eagerly await the DVD release and give Wimbledon 9/10.