Ben’s on his way from New York to Savannah for the wedding when his plane skids off the runway, and a wild thing named Sarah (Sandra Bullock) literally falls into his straitlaced, button-downed life. Ben’s afraid of flying anyway (hint, hint), so he and Sarah evacuate and embark on the old road-trip-from-hell. Everything seems to conspire to keep Ben from his nuptials. Everyone he meets has a sob story about a bad marriage. Fires, hurricanes and beautifully shot hailstorms intervene–and Ben and Sarah are falling for each other all the while.
It may sound formulaic, and you may think you know the ending–Sarah will save Ben from a life of drudgery, playing wild Jack to his repressed Rose. Thankfully, “Forces” gets messier than that, fast. Sarah’s free spirit is weighed down with baggage like kids and do-nothing ex-husbands. And Bridget may be sweet, but she’s not just a sap waiting for her man to come home. Director Bronwen Hughes wisely plays fair with all sides of the romantic triangle. Refreshingly, the movie doesn’t treat you like a moron who needs to be told which woman to root for. If Ben has to choose, why shouldn’t you?
Tierney’s wholesome, down-to-earth quality makes Bridget extremely appealing even as she wails, “Where are you, Ben?” But Bullock is simply miscast. In one scene, she howls like Tarzan to show exactly how crazy spontaneous she can be, but all you see is an actress trying too hard. Still, Affleck manages to be entirely convincing in his awestruck pose toward her (though it could just be respect for her top billing). Ben’s supposed to be a confused wreck anyway, asking the Big Question that looms over a generation of children of divorce. Why would anyone marry, when there are so many reasons not to and so many obstacles in the way?
Searching for the answer, Affleck gives a winning performance that in many ways reprises his role in “Chasing Amy”–he’s always in top form playing a lovesick boyfriend. In fact, “Forces” may offer the best swooning opportunities in the Affleck canon. It may be cheesy, but it’s cheese of the most satisfying kind–so warmhearted and fun that you don’t even feel guilty for succumbing.
