Serendipity

There are a whole lot of people who needed "Serendipity."

You can start with star John Cusack, who was badly in need of something of quality after the train wreck that was "America's Sweethearts." Ditto for Kate Beckinsale, who starred in the even-bigger train wreck "Pearl Harbor." And let's not forget filmmaker Peter Chelsom, whose "Town & Country" was possibly the worst cost-to-gross bomb in the history of Hollywood.

And considering everything that's happened in the past month, perhaps audiences needed something as sweet and warm as this romantic comedy more than ever.

Now, keep in mind that this isn't the greatest film ever made — in fact, it starts so slowly that you may start to wonder if it's ever going to go anywhere. But it's certainly better than all the bad romantic comedies we've had recently.

"Serendipity" is a rather simple story about Jonathan Trager (Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Beckinsale), two romantics who meet while Christmas shopping for their significant others.

After squabbling briefly about who gets to buy a particular pair of gloves, they decide to spend the rest of the evening together and discover a tremendous attraction.

But since they're already in relationships, they decide to leave their future up to chance — Sara leaves her name and phone number in a book, while Jonathan leaves his on a $5 bill. (If they're meant to be a couple, fate will find a way to bring them back together.)

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely. Ten years later, the two of them are engaged to other people — in his case, to wealthy Halley Buchanan (Bridget Moynahan), while she is betrothed to a new-age musician (John Corbett, spoofing Kenny G).

But as their prospective wedding days approach, both begin getting cold feet and enlist their respective best friends (former "Saturday Night Live" star Molly Shannon and a never-funnier Jeremy Piven) to help find the One That Got Away.

Sure, this material is a little corny and more than a little predictable. But Cusack and Beckinsale have more than enough chemistry, which makes it seem perhaps a bit more believable.

They are the obvious draw here, though some of the supporting performers come close to stealing show, especially Piven and Eugene Levy, playing a department store clerk who figures prominently in Jonathan's desperate search. (Shannon, though, seems rather uninspired and some of Corbett's bits are painfully unfunny.)

"Serendipity" is rated PG-13 for scattered use of profanity, a brief scene of simulated sex, brief slapstick violence and some brief crude humor. Running time: 90 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com