Under the Tuscan Sun *** (2003, Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Raoul Bova, Lindsay Duncan) – Classic Movie Review 3614

Audrey Wells writes, produces and directs the cute and charming 2003 American romantic comedy drama film Under the Tuscan Sun starring Diane Lane, who is perfect in the role of the author Frances Mayes.

Audrey Wells writes, produces and directs the cute and charming 2003 American romantic comedy drama film Under the Tuscan Sun starring an ideally cast Diane Lane, who is perfect in the role of the author Frances Mayes. Her performance is the making of an otherwise predictable movie. Superficial the movie may be, but it is easy for the romantically and escapist inclined to get pulled in by its charms.

Based on Frances Mayes’s best-selling 1996 memoir Under the Tuscan Sun, the yarn is about a recently divorced American writer who uses the plane ticket her lesbian best friend Patti (Sandra Oh) bought before she became pregnant to take an Italian vacation.

In Tuscany, her tour group stops in the small town of Cortona, where she notices a posting for a villa for sale. So she buys the lovely yet dilapidated villa on a whim, hoping it will lead to a change in her life, and of course it does when she meets and has a brief romantic affair with a hunky Italian bloke, Marcello (Raoul Bova).

Tuscany and the actors couldn’t look more attractive and appealing. The movie was great for book sales and tourism. It led to planeloads of middle aged women to emigrate to Tuscany to see if they could do the same as Diane Lane. Like the book, the film was a big success, especially in America, where it took $43 million, though it did much less well elsewhere, taking $15 million internationally. Its $58 million worldwide gross on an $18 million budget must have made it very profitable.

Under the Tuscan Sun also has in its cast Lindsay Duncan as eccentric aging British actress Katherine, Vincent Riotta as Martini, Mario Monicelli as old man with flowers, Roberto Nobile as Placido, Kate Walsh as Grace, Pawel Szajda as Pawel, and David Sutcliffe as Ed.

What a great gig for Vincent Riotta, playing Martini! Extra dry, or what?

Audrey Wells (born 29 April 1960) has written a number of successful screenplays and has directed two of the screenplays she wrote. Among her notable works is The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996), George of the Jungle (1997), Disney’s The Kid (2000), Guinevere (1999), Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Shall We Dance? (2004), The Game Plan (2007), A Dog’s Purpose (2017) and The Hate U Give (2018).

Audrey Wells (1960–2018).

Screenwriter and director Audrey Wells died on 4 October 2018 after a long and private battle with cancer, aged 58.

Lane was one of the two leading character youngsters in the 1979 A Little Romance, with Laurence Olivier, set in Italy for its romantic finalé.

Mayes’s book was a bestseller for more than two and a half years. She includes chapters of recipes and describes how she bought and restored an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside.

Italian actor Raoul Bova was born on 14 August 1971). His breakthrough was in the 1993 film Piccolo grande amore. His American credits include Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Alien vs Predator (2004), The Tourist (2010), and All Roads Lead to Rome (2015), another romantic comedy set in Tuscany.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,614 derekwinnert.com

Raoul Bova plays hunky Italian bloke, Marcello.