January 6, 2002 -- "Serendipity" is a nice light romantic comedy well-suited for the holiday season. I didn't see this when it first came out because I didn't want to pay full price, so I waited for it to come to a less-expensive theater. It was worth the wait.

John Cusack of "High Fidelity" stars as Jonathan Trager, a man who meets a beautiful woman named Sara (Kate Beckinsale of "Pearl Harbor") in New York City. The two spend a magical evening together, but due to an odd series of circumstances the two never learn each other's last names or phone numbers. One of the reasons they don't exchange information is that both of them are involved with other people at the time they meet. Another reason, is, fate. Sara is a great believer in destiny. She believes that if the two are meant to meet again, fate will arrange it. Jonathan thinks this is just plain nuts. I'm with him.

Years pass without them meeting again and both are about to be married, Sara to Lars Hammond (John Corbett of "Dinner Rush") a new age musician, and Jonathan to Halley Buchanan (Bridget Moynahan of "Coyote Ugly"), but fate takes a hand in their wedding plans. Jonathan and Sara have never stopped trying to find each other during the passing years. They both make a final attempt in the last days before their respective weddings. Both Jonathan and Sara have funny sidekicks, Jonathan's is New York Times writer Dean (Jeremy Piven of "The Family Man") and Sara's is Eve (Molly Shannon of "Shallow Hal"). Eugene Levy of "American Pie 2" also has a very funny bit as an enterprising clothing salesman in a department store.

While the story is silly and predictable, there are enough interesting twists and turns to keep the audience occupied and the actors are skillful enough to keep them entertained. Director Peter Chelsom of "The Mighty" paces the movie well and has a good sense of comic and romantic timing. The film uses the well-worn ideas of destiny and only one-true-love-in-the-world to good effect. It is entertaining fluff. A good popcorn movie for a warm theater on a cold night. This film rates a C+.

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