The Manns Chinese Theater held the screening of the romantic flick “Under the Tuscan Sun” last Thursday where Star 98.7 was seen passing out posters while motivating the audience to see the film.
The story begins with Frances, played by Diane Lane, a successful writer and professor living in San Francisco with her writer husband. Her comfortable and fairy tale life comes to an end when she comes to find out her husband is having an affair with another woman and is forced to move out on her own. Fortunately, her lesbian friend, Patti, played by Sandra Oh, gives Frances a plane ticket to Tuscany, Italy to take some time off.
At first, Frances is a little hesitant of the offer, but finally agrees to accept and goes to Italy after all.
The trip originally supposed to be a “gay” tour around the countryside, turns into a an extensive journey for Frances when she finds a mysterious house named “Bramasole.” Without much thought, Frances buy the house without looking at the rest of the house.
From the sound of what has already been said, it may not seem like this is a love story. Love does come her way though as she explores the town, but it does not happen like any other “chick” flick out there.
Movie goers that see this film will not only notice a love affair develop between Frances and the attractive Italian bar owner, Marcello (Raoul Bova), but it teaches the observer what life is all about. Not every affair has a perfect ending.
As Frances hires contractors to help re-build her house, she becomes friends with her workers while trying to find what the true meaning of life is.
Throughout the film, the Virgin Mary is exposed on her bedpost as one of the main figures helping her understand why things happen the way they do. In one scene, Frances is shown looking at the Virgin pleading for help, even though she was never raised as a Catholic, she still felt the need to speak to her.
In real life, someone cannot just move somewhere and think life will just fall into place. At first, it seems everything is perfect with every event happening until her great affair ends on an unhappy note.
A friend she meets in the town by the name of Katherine, this happy go lucky woman that never lets any negative event bring her down, also helps Frances find the true meaning of life.
This is an excellent movie for anyone looking for what life is all about and a good love story. This is not any other corny flick where everyone is happy in the end and everyone lives in a perfect world.
Thanks to director, producer and writer of the film, Audrey Wells, “Under the Tuscan Sun” teaches viewers hard lessons everyone must face in life and what this tells us about ourselves.
