Well, 'Under The Tuscan Sun' isn't precisely unremarkable -- I am remarking on it right now!! There aren't many truly new stories in print and cinema, this one has been told many times -- someone finds theirself in a rut of some kind, is reluctant to step out onto an unknown path, but does so anyway to discover a better life. Diane Lane plays Frances, a writer, who early in the movie finds herself single again and free to do anything she wants. She is offered a chance to travel to Tuscany with a group of gay couples and at first she dismisses it. When she finally does take it, her life is transformed. The DVD has a nice Dolby 5.1 sound track, and the cinematography is superb, with beautiful shots of the Italian countryside and the Mediterranian coast. The 'making of' extra is only mildly interesting, and the three deleted scenes are even less so. There is an interesting 'Easter egg' showing how they digitally altered a man's naked butt, covering it to get the contractually mandated 'PG-13' rating in the USA. Overall a pleasant little movie that tries to seem important but isn't really. I believe it is '7' movie on the 10-point scale. I cannot imagine why 22% of the ratings are '10'.
SPOILERS are contained in the rest of my comments, beware!!
Apparently happily married, at a function for another author Frances is approached by a man whose book she had negatively reviewed, partly because the male character messed around with young women, he said "Do you see the irony?" Puzzled, then he said, 'Ask your husband.' Next thing we see is her and her attorney discussing disposition of joint property. Since he wants the house, her share is bought out, she keeps virtually nothing, goes to Italy, while on the bus sees a property for sale, against her nature gets off the bus, buys the old house, has natural 'buyer's remorse', but gets contractors and fixes it up, reminded me much of 'A Year In Provence'. In fact her strange blond friend is played by the same actress that plays 'Annie' in the 'Year in Provence' movie.
One contractor worker is a young Polish man, falls for Italian girl, parents don't approve, Frances helps convince them. Meanwhile she runs into a handsome Italian who gives her a ride to the coast, looking for fix-it-up parts, she asks him to make love to her, they apparently hit it off, but her pregnant gay friend shows up, Frances and the lover have a tough time meeting again, when she looks him up he has another girl, goes home, young couple wed in her courtyard, at the end an American (Rory Gilmore's dad) writer shows up, looking for Frances, we imagine they might hit it off. However, that doesn't matter, Frances has started a new life and is happy.
SPOILERS are contained in the rest of my comments, beware!!
Apparently happily married, at a function for another author Frances is approached by a man whose book she had negatively reviewed, partly because the male character messed around with young women, he said "Do you see the irony?" Puzzled, then he said, 'Ask your husband.' Next thing we see is her and her attorney discussing disposition of joint property. Since he wants the house, her share is bought out, she keeps virtually nothing, goes to Italy, while on the bus sees a property for sale, against her nature gets off the bus, buys the old house, has natural 'buyer's remorse', but gets contractors and fixes it up, reminded me much of 'A Year In Provence'. In fact her strange blond friend is played by the same actress that plays 'Annie' in the 'Year in Provence' movie.
One contractor worker is a young Polish man, falls for Italian girl, parents don't approve, Frances helps convince them. Meanwhile she runs into a handsome Italian who gives her a ride to the coast, looking for fix-it-up parts, she asks him to make love to her, they apparently hit it off, but her pregnant gay friend shows up, Frances and the lover have a tough time meeting again, when she looks him up he has another girl, goes home, young couple wed in her courtyard, at the end an American (Rory Gilmore's dad) writer shows up, looking for Frances, we imagine they might hit it off. However, that doesn't matter, Frances has started a new life and is happy.