# Forces of Nature (1999)

### reviewed by
Akiva Gottlieb

    Forces of Nature **

    rated PG-13
    starring Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, Maura Tierney, Steve Zahn, Blythe
    Danner, Ronny
    Cox
    written by Marc Lawrence
    directed by Bronwen Hughes

In FORCES OF NATURE, Bronwen Hughes' contrived, pointless attempt of a romantic comedy, we, the audience are asked not to just suspend disbelief, but to stretch our brain's capacity to digest the impossible. The main problem with this film is that it doesn't know whether it has its feet up in the air or planted firmly on the ground.

Ben Affleck plays Ben, a 20ish yuppie who writes blurbs for book jackets. The plane-shy Ben is off to Savannah to marry his fiancee (Maura Tierney). Everyone Ben meets on his way to the wedding seems to be unabashedly cynical about marriage. They all tell him their triumphant stories of divorce and adultery, but Ben seems to be ready and willing to face the challenge which awaits him on his big day. That is, until he meets Sarah (Sandra Bullock), an outgoing and somewhat crazy woman who happens to sit next to him on his flight. That is, until the plane "crashes" before it even takes off (don't ask). In the aftermath of it all, Ben and Sarah decide to drive cross country with another traveler named Vic. That is, until Vic gets them busted by smoking pot in his car. After that, Ben and Sarah are on their own, both trying desperately to get to Savannah, in any form of transportation imaginable. They even hitch a ride on a tour bus full of elderly fun-seekers, and end up in the same hotel as the wedding's best man (Steve Zahn). Ben and Sarah really hit it off, and Ben begins to question his love for his fiance. That is, until he finds out dark truths about Sarah. Meanwhile, back at home, an old beau (the late David Strickland) is putting the moves on his fiance, and her mother (Blythe Danner) is freaking out. And then a hurricane strikes, hence the title.

FORCES OF NATURE wants to be a fantasy, and at the same time a meditation on the storminess of love (why couldn't they just stop the whole love/weather metaphor before it even began?), but director Bronwen Hughes (HARRIET THE SPY) manages to convey neither. The lame idea of FORCES OF NATURE was actually sketched out by the DreamWorks studio, which then hired screenwriter Marc Lawrence to transfer their idea into a screenplay. FORCES OF NATURE is sporadically entertaining, and all in all, it isn't that bad of a film. But then again, it's just a big studio's shot at making some profit early in the year. I would have given it 2-and-a-half stars, but then i thought about how much I had underrated Clint Eastwood's recent TRUE CRIME, which I gave 3 stars, and I thought of how this film does not compare with the other. Also, condolences to the family of David Strickland, who commited suicide in a Las Vegas motel on the opening weekend of FORCES OF NATURE. A publicist says that he was mad about his role being trimmed down as much as it was (he's only in a couple of scenes), but it's Hollywood and that's what you've got to expect. Also, somebody give America's best-loved supporting actor, Steve Zahn, a major role! He's shown promise in too many films (SUBURBIA, OUT OF SIGHT) to be ignored.

Review by Akiva Gottlieb, The Teenage Movie Critic akiva@excite.com http://www.angelfire.com/mo/film watch me on TBS' "Dinner And A Movie" May 21, 8:05pm EST

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