‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ (2003) Review

Under the Tuscan Sun Synopsis: A writer impulsively buys a villa in Tuscany in order to change her life.

After discovering her husband’s infidelity, newly divorced Frances is convinced by her best friend, Patti, to go on an Italian getaway. While she’s there, the beauty of her surroundings and a touch of impulsivity lead Frances to purchase a villa needing repair. She hires help and begins to befriend the locals while pursuing love and happiness.

I feel like I have seen this movie before, but I couldn’t remember anything about it before I started my rewatch. Diane Lane is one of those actresses who, despite her 40+ year career, is a bit underrated. She embodies characters you can sympathize with and root for, and Frances is definitely one of those characters.

Under the Tuscan Sun is described as a romantic dramedy, but it’s a film that is focused more on Frances and her blossoming relationships with the people around her. Yes, she wants romance and love, and yes, she spends a lot of the film pursuing those things, but the message is more that she can be just as happy in life without a man.

A few subplots surround Frances, including her pregnant best friend, a young Italian girl falling in love with one of Frances’s Polish workers, and Frances’s befriending of an eccentric British actress. With so much going on, there are times that the movie felt a bit muddled to me, and it didn’t always hold my attention or interest. Sandra Oh and Lindsay Duncan both give strong performances, though sadly, their roles are more or less meant to help improve Frances’s life, even though their own struggles were just as interesting, if not more so.

Like Eat, Pray, Love, Under the Tuscan Sun is essentially porn for wealthy suburbanites. Visiting foreign countries on a journey to find oneself while eating excellent cuisine and bedding gorgeous men. It’s a yuppie fantasy come true! That being said, the movie is enjoyable enough, thanks to Diane Lane. She gives a raw, lively performance as Frances, and while a colorful cast of characters surrounds her, Lane is really the anchor that keeps the film from becoming a cookie-cutter film of self-discovery.

I have been watching a lot of movies lately with some incredible scenery, and Under the Tuscan Sun is no different. The story itself felt a bit shallow at times, but I didn’t care much because I loved seeing the landscapes of Tuscany so much. I won’t be traveling overseas anytime soon, so why not live vicariously through these films? Under the Tuscan Sun is not a great movie, but it’s charming enough that I did end up enjoying it. It’s a simple, good movie that, thankfully, doesn’t try to be anything else.

Watched: 08/06/2021
Notable Song: Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night in the Week) by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne