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ser·en·dip·i·ty
n 1) The
faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2) The fact or
occurrence of such discoveries.
3) An instance of making such a discovery.
Normally, the
contrived occurrences which thread together Serendipity would make
me cringe and lash out at anyone associated with it.
The tale of fate, love and emotion bases itself around near
misses and coincidences which in any other film would elicit
comments of “Come on” or “There’s no way that could happen
in reality”. What makes this film different, is that it knows
that these are the improbable events, and takes a tongue in cheek
approach to them, smirking a sugar coated smile at all of those
other efforts which were done in the name of serious film making.
The film takes a
very simple story, with hints of Sliding Doors and Sleepless in
Seattle, and threads it with situations that may seem like
fantasy, or “something that only happens in movies” But as
Magnolia showed, reality can sometimes be full of these
situations, hence art imitates life, rather than vice versa.
Jonathan and Sara meet while selecting the same pair of
gloves at a Bloomingdales department store (pay close attention in
the very beginning, and you will see the film makers intentions at
greater forces being at play possibly) They spend an evening
together, both of course involved with others, but obviously
smitten with each other. Sara
is a believer in the philosophy of everything happening for a
reason, and that there are no accidents.
The title itself, is a Latin term for “happy accident”,
or in more lay terms, those unexpected things that occur which
bring joy into our lives. At
the end of their evening, Sara goes through a series of events to
test fate and make sure that this was indeed meant to be.
I shall leave the rest to the film to unveil, suffice to
say a five dollar bill, and a book, come into play. Meet cute,
philosophy behind it, a film based around and mocking it.
Of course it
doesn't hurt that the lead characters are absolutely adorable, and
from moment one look perfect together. Does that mean they
end up together? Well, only fate, and the movie will tell
that. Cusack has a natural ease at playing versions of this
character. He is a male that every male can relate to, at
least those in contact with sensitive side, but often blindsided
by their foolish, spontaneous one. If Loyd Dobler had grown
up to live in New York, this is who he would have been (if he
didnt own a record shop of course)
Ultimately,
Serendipity proves that by not taking yourself so seriously, and
taking a light hearted look at something that other films have
taken a heavy handed serious approach to.
The actions and interactions that occur in reality
sometimes lend support to the saying that the truth is stranger
than fiction. But this time, the fictional storytellers admit that
there may be some external forces at work, base their entire movie
around it, and succeed, by having fun with it, instead of trying
to pass it off as reality. In
doing so, they make a movie that is light, fun, easy going,
sometimes honest, but lending credence to the fact that movies can
be an escape from reality. By
taking this path, they also show a realism that exists in our
greatest fantasies. The
dialogue may be contrived, the conclusion and journey may be
predictable but after 85 minutes, the results will leave viewers
with a warm hopeful spirit, and faith in the power of belief and
passion. Maybe life
is just a series of instances, predestined only in layout, but
defined by our choices that we make when faced with crossroads. Serendipity never pretends to be deep, or profound, just
simple and sweet. It
is the right film, at the right time, for a society searching for
healing, searching to find that which defines us, and for people
wondering why things happen, or believing things happen for a
reason, the film allows a fluffy alternative to the harsh
realities that force their way into our lives.
To anyone who would seriously dissect this film, I say,
turn off your brain, and turn on your heart and imagination for a
few. If you let this
film in, it can be, just as life, whatever you want it to be.
($$$
out of $$$$$)
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