Forces of Nature (1999)
Directed by Bronwen Hughes
Ben Holmes, a professional book-jacket blurbologist, is trying to get to Savannah for his wedding. He just barely catches the last plane, but a seagull flies into the engine as the plane is taking off. All later flights are cancelled because of an approaching hurricane, so he is forced to hitch a ride in a Geo Metro with an attractive but eccentric woman named Sara.
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What critics compared Forces of Nature to
Adams, an exceedingly promising American actress as evidenced by turns in Catch Me If You Can , Junebug , and Doubt , demeans herself now in picaresque cash grab Leap Year when her Anna, wanting to be betrothed to douchebag cardiologist Jeremy (Adam Scott), is pushed into the brawny arms of bog-trotting Declan (Goode) in a happy-go-smacky Forces of Nature imbroglio.
Back then, the press duly labeled her as "the next Julia Roberts," but thanks to a string of less than impressive turkeys like "Hope Floats," "Forces of Nature," and "Practical Magic," she never lived up to her potential.
The screenplay, by Marc Lawrence ("Forces of Nature"), Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas, features F.B.I. agents who act like a pack of frat boys (their mission is named Operation Thong), an unappealing love interest, the heroine stumbling over her heels over and over and over, an easily detected false suspect, and forty-eight contestants with no personality (Heather Burns as Cheryl, Miss Rhode Island, is the only one who's the least bit fleshed out).
The formulaic screenplay (credited to Marc " Forces of Nature " Lawrence, Katie "Mary & Rhoda" Ford and Caryn " The Nanny " Lucas) has some inspired moments, like Gracie's water glass act and her emergency Starbucks run, but the bulk of the writing and set pieces need serious bathing suit padding.
Sandra Bullock, longtime star and recent producer of fluffy, inconsequential comedies, continues unabated with the fluffy and inconsequential Miss Congeniality, written by Marc Lawrence ( Forces of Nature ), modeling industry exec Katie Ford, and TV writer Caryn Lucas, and directed by Donald Petrie, who has helmed comedies such as Grumpy Old Men and My Favorite Martian .