Movie Review

So tonight I went to the movies alone. Lame, I know, but what can I say? I guess the sheer fact that I went alone speaks for itself and how cool I am.

Anyway, I went to go see Wimbledon. Yeah, I know it doesn't come close to making the great movies list that I haven't even scratched the surface of, but it is a chick flick and about TENNIS which gives it two big checks in the "cool movie" column. I was a little apprehensive about Kirsten Dunst playing the lead role of the tennis star, but I was able to suspend reality for the duration of the movie and pretend that she looked like she could play. I wish I could give an unbiased opinion of the movie, but the sole reason that it was about tennis made it rock! A little unrealistic, but whatever. For example, people do NOT play from the baseline on grass courts. And I know tennis is largely a mental game (believe me, I know from the number of times I've choked in a match), but I really don't think that catching a glimpse of a hot tennis star in the stands can make you suddenly start playing awesome and come back from 2 sets to 0 to win in five sets. Golly, if that were true, I would make a hot tennis star come to my matches. Hmm....who would I pick?? I'd say Carlos Moya or Patrick Rafter (with the long haircut).

Another reason the movie rocked was that John McEnroe was in it. I love McEnroe...he is the man! If you haven't read his autobiography, I highly recommend it! I read it on YP cruise before youngster year, and I finished it in hours because it was so good.

At one point in the movie, John McEnroe gives a little speech about players and their superstitions and how if one of them goes awry, it can affect a player mentally and cause them to lose their focus and choke during a match. Boy is this true. I don't like to admit it, but I had superstitions growing up when it came to tennis. The big one was that when it came time for me to play in a tennis tournament, if it was my first match or a really important match, I would never wear an outfit that I had worn when I lost a match. Those outfits had been tainted with defeat and I would only wear them if I were playing in a back draw after I had already lost a match. Weird, yes, but that's what I did.

Finally, there was one quote from the movie that has stuck in my head being the spinster that I am. Kirsten Dunst's character, Lizzy, says it to Peter, the lead male charcter, when she was pissed at him. She said,

"In tennis, love means nothing. It means you lose." Maybe I should have played a different sport.