a romantic abomination wherein the main character's best friend is a pregnant Asian lesbian who comes to Italy to visit and ends up ruining the story's only semi-romantic aspect, and extends its painful length for an extra half-hour in the process.
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:87
Rotten:54
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Though formulaic and superficial, Under the Tuscan Sun is redeemed by Lane's vibrant performance.
Theatrical Release:Sep 26, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $43,452,354
Synopsis: Who hasn't dreamed at least once of running off to a foreign country and starting a new life? That's exactly what Frances (Diane Lane) does in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, directed by Audrey Wells... Who hasn't dreamed at least once of running off to a foreign country and starting a new life? That's exactly what Frances (Diane Lane) does in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, directed by Audrey Wells (GUINEVERE). Traveling in Tuscany after a heart-wrenching divorce, Frances surprises herself by making an offer on a rundown villa--the biggest impulse purchase of her life. With the help of a warmhearted, smitten real estate agent and a local contractor with a team of Polish workers, her 300-year-old house is slowly transformed into a home. Along the way, she encounters a larger-than-life British ex-patriot, kind and generous neighbors, and a charming Italian man or two. Essentially, the film is an affirmation that good things can happen if one lets them--and that sometimes what seems like a terrible mistake or a crazy idea is a really a blessing. Lane is completely engaging as Frances, second-guessing her speedy purchase, looking for love, and rediscovering herself. Based on the book by Frances Mayes, the film was shot on location in Rome, Florence, Positano, and Cortona in Italy. The breathtaking scenery is sure to have viewers saving their pennies for next year's vacation--or their Tuscan dream house. [More]
Starring: Diane Lane, Lindsay Duncan, Sandra Oh, Raoul Bova
Starring: Diane Lane, Lindsay Duncan, Sandra Oh, Raoul Bova, Vincent Riotta
Director: Audrey Wells
Director: Audrey Wells
Screenwriter: Audrey Wells
Producer: Tom Sternberg, Audrey Wells
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
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Release:
Feb 3, 2004
Reviews for Under the Tuscan Sun
Be ready to book a flight to Europe after the flick -- or at least spring for some good Chianti.
It's as scattered as a painting by Jackson Pollock, as forgettable as a mid-season replacement sitcom on UPN, as moving as a boulder, and as predictable as a self-flushing toilet. It's The Lizzie McGuire Movie for middle-aged folk.
compared to Lane, pretty much everything else in this film falls flat
With a performance of such depth and beauty it overshadows the film's gorgeous Italian scenery, Diane Lane owns the screen in 'Under the Tuscan Sun.'
You won't learn anything about Italian culture that hasn't already reverberated throughout the west
A virtual case study of Hollywood's irrepressible urge to lower the bar in the hopes of upping the take.
Despite its overly pat plot and a glaring lack of conflict, Lane pretty much saves the movie.
Alternately helped, hindered and (best) left alone by first-time director Wells, Lane fills the screen with her perceptive presence and lifts the undramatic story as high as gravity allows.
Makes for an eye-pleasing travelogue -- which is at least half the battle won for a project like this -- and our on-screen tour guide could not be more beguiling.
Latest News for Under the Tuscan Sun
July 28, 2005:
RT Critical Consensus: "Sky High" Soars, "Stealth" Crashes, and Diane Lane and John Cusack Go Dateless
The willing suspension of disbelief is often essential to the moviegoing experience. This week's wide releases provide no such relief. We will be asked to believe that a fighter... More...
March 11, 2005:
Audrey Wells to do Some Rearranging Over at Touchstone
More...
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