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The story
A romantic trifle set amid the glamour and competition of professional tennis, "Wimbledon" boasts appealing leads and dazzling court play, but the film never rises above its by-the-numbers plot to generate emotional heat. As a genial crowd-pleaser, it looks likely to achieve a midrange ranking.
In his first romantic-comedy leading role, Paul Bettany is highly watchable and makes a likable rooting interest -- to the extent that the film generates viewer involvement. He plays Peter Colt, a thirtysomething tennis player who has never quite realized his potential. Once the No. 11 player in the world, the Brit is now ranked 119th and ready to retire in defeat. But before he starts his new job as tennis director at a posh country club -- where the older female members are more than eager for his instruction -- he gets a final, wild-card shot at Wimbledon.
His last hurrah quickly turns interesting with some off-the-court action. After meeting cute, he and rising star Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) begin an affair. She believes that "a little fooling around can be good for your game" and goes after what she wants. But while their romance proves a boon to Peter's game, it has a less-than-salutary effect on Lizzie's. Her protective manager dad (Sam Neill), sensing that this is more than a fling, warns Peter off -- to no avail.
As he moves up the rankings, Peter must face off against his practice partner, Dieter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and a nasty young American (Austin Nichols) who used to date Lizzie. He also deals with a collection of mildly quirky characters, including his wealthy, bickering parents (Bernard Hill and Eleanor Bron) and his layabout brother (James McAvoy), who has made something of a career out of betting against Peter. Jon Favreau shows up in the stock role of an endorsement-minded sports agent.
Wimbledon's official site
'Wimbledon' Stars Saw Their Share Of Tears, Stray Balls, Scotch On Set (MTV Movies)
Guess who had the scotch and who was in tears on the set.
At the premiere, Paul Bettany admitted that while his tennis swing may look flawless onscreen, things weren't always so smooth off-camera. "I hit the cameraman with a tennis ball three times," he said. "On the third time I bought him a bottle of single-malt scotch to apologize."
Co-star Austin Nichols said he too had little tennis experience when he signed on to play Jake Hammond, the rude American tennis player who previously dated Lizzie and competes against Peter in Wimbledon. "I had three months to train and it was every day for six hours," he said. "There were days when I was crying and I didn't want to do it but I just kept going."
Paul Bettany on Austin:
TeenHollywood: What was it like to step out on Center Court at Wimbledon?
Paul: It was as close to how I imagined being a rock star feels. You walk on and everybody is screaming your name. I sat down to take my racquet out and I remember thinking 'I'm so pleased that I don't actually have to play a match because I can't walk'. There's actually a photograph somewhere of Austin Nichols carrying me or helping me walk off Center Court because, literally, my legs were like jelly.
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Austin on Wimbledon (an interview):
WSC: Wimbledon the Movie - tell a little about your role in that film and what it was like to step out onto the hallowed grass at Center Court.
AN: In Wimbledon, I play Jake Hammond, #3 in the world (strangely like my water ski ranking) in tennis. Sort of an Andy Roddick type. I used to date Kirsten Dunst's character, but apparently I am not such a nice guy, so we break up. Then she falls in love with Paul Bettany's character, who is the hero of the film, and I play him in the Wimbledon final. I cannot leak any important info, but it is quite an exciting final. I did get to play on Center Court for three weeks. It was quite amazing. If I could, I would only play on grass. It is like only jumping at Jack Travers, The best in the world.
I also calculated that I may have spent more time on the center court grass than Pete Sampras.
WSC: You describe your part in "Wimbledon" as that of a "bad boy" - did you draw any inspiration from other people you know to play that kind of role?
AN: To tell you the truth, I tried to make Jake Hammond as good a guy as that happen. I was trying to make him a little more interesting, more layered, so he wouldn't come off so black and white. But I certainly have experience with 'bad boys' from my skiing days. Ryan Fitts was the King. Michael, Patrick, and Daniel McCormick were always infamous when I was growing up. Dana Hinman and I were always doing something wrong, the only difference was we never got caught. Or rarely. I love all these guys and miss getting in trouble with them.
WSC: I imagine that there was a rigorous training schedule to prepare you for that role - anything like what you had during your skiing days?
AN: Yes, rigorous is an understatement. I had two-a-days and sometimes three-a-days for three months. I trained in Los Angeles with Murphy Jensen (1993 French Open Doubles champion with brother Luke) for two months and Murphy kicked my butt. I was sweating and bleeding everyday. I had to go to the doctor a couple of times for my back and tendonitis in my fingers (in the movie you will see tape on my fingers - it is not just for show). There were lots of massages and icing and heat pads and muscle relaxers. Ankle braces, medical tape. I felt like a veteran skier with two ACL surgeries, a few concussions, and a torn rotator cuff. Then I went to London for a month and trained with Pat Cash (1987 Wimbledon champ). He was wonderful, but kicked my ass even harder. We only practiced on grass and occasional clay, just in case there is a French Open sequel. I also worked with two bio-mechanics. So I had it all. I felt like a professional tennis player for seven months. I also was in the gym everyday with a trainer to beef up my skinny legs. I have a slalom body, so I had to do quite a bit of work to look more like a tennis guy.
WSC: What was it like to work alongside the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany? Most will know of Kirsten from "Spiderman" but not too many know of Paul by name until they see him and realize that he played Geoffrey Chaucer from "A Knight's Tale".
AN: Working with Kirsten was lovely. I have always been in awe of her ability to remain balanced. She started so young. In “Interview with a Vampire" she is co-starring with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. That has to be strange for a child. She is incredibly sweet and giving. Paul Bettany is quite a trip. Nicest guy in the world. A great drinking pal. And on top of all that, he is one of the most talented actors I have ever seen on a screen. Be warned, he is going to blow doors. Win Oscars, the whole bit. I feel blessed to have been able to share a stage with him.
WSC: Who would you be taking to the premier of each movie?
AN: I will definitely be taking my lovely girlfriend Claire Oswalt to the premieres. She is a brilliant artist and children's book author.
From Water skiing’s contribution to Hollywood – Friday 28 may, 2004
Finaly – did you know this? Kirsten Dunst plays an unbelievable tempered woman and it was lucky she could pull it off. In my opinion they should have got a more athletic actress to play the romantic lead - but hey they could have done worst. They actually wanted Reese Whiterspoon! - Jon’s Weblog, 26 september 2004
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