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| Directed by Bronwen Hughes; Starring Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Maura Tierney, Steve Zahn, Blythe Danner, Ronny Cox, Joe Don Baker, and Steve Hytner |
Can you really have respect for a film directed by someone named Bronwen? In what is officially the end of any post-Chasing Amy respect I once had for Ben Affleck, Forces of Nature further proves DeMille’s Theory of Film Seasons (spring = light romantic/comic misfires; summer = no brainer action flicks; fall/winter = Oscar worthy dramas).
Affleck is trying to get to his wedding in Georgia via a New York airline (bad idea right there) when a bird goes into the engine of the plane and it crashes upon take-off. Well in the turmoil, he hits a fellow passenger on the head (Bullock) and takes her out to medical help. When she regains conscienceness, she sets her sights upon taking him as a suitor. With all the rental cars taken, they work together to get to Georgia so he can get married and she can pick up some money (bad sub-plot waiting to happen). And as fate would have it he actually falls in love with her (bet you didn’t see that one coming). Meanwhile his fiancé (Tierney) along with the four parents await his arrival. Amongst these scenes are where most of my recommended points are. Nota Bene: hire Blythe Danner and Ronny Cox for a bickering couple and you’ll automatically have something good in your film.
The film follows simple Hollywood formula up until its ending, which I guess was supposed to be refreshing but was not. Bullock further proves that the Speed/While You were Sleeping double header was just a fluke as this goes just as well with Speed 2: Cruise Control, Hope Floats, and Practical Magic (still her worst yet). The direction is hideously awful as the director tries to impress the audience by having computer generated rain that looks just as fake as the monkey in The King and I (sorry, couldn’t resist). In fact if it wasn’t for Danner and Cox, this film would probably rate just as low if not lower than The King and I. If that’s not enough to talk you out of seeing it, then it might just be up your alley.
