Wimbledon (2004)

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 | Wimbledon | Tennis Player | American | Love

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Lizzie Bradbury
Paul Bettany	...	Peter Colt
Sam Neill	...	Dennis Bradbury
Jon Favreau	...	Ron Roth
Bernard Hill	...	Edward Colt
Eleanor Bron	...	Augusta Colt
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Dieter Prohl
Austin Nichols	...	Jake Hammond
Robert Lindsay	...	Ian Frazier
James McAvoy	...	Carl Colt
John McEnroe	...	Court Commentator John McEnroe
Chris Evert	...	Court Commentator Chris Evert
Mary Carillo	...	Court Commentator Mary Carillo
John Barrett	...	Court Commentator John Barrett
Kyle Hyde	...	Monte Carlo Opponent

Also Known As:

La plus belle victoire (France)
Wimbledon - Spiel, Satz und... Liebe (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Erotas me tin proti... balia (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
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:

Ian Somerhalder was considered for the role of Jake Hammond but was rejected by the director.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The grass in center court during the final match is too green and lush. In reality, after two weeks of intense play the court should have few green spots and more sandy areas, like a sandbox (the grass is not treated during the championship).

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:

References Deep Throat (1972)

Soundtrack:

This Year's Love

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.