Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
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.
Forces of Nature is a fairly formulaic road-trip rom-com that hits familiar beats: the reluctant traveler, the free-spirited woman who challenges his safe choices, the looming wedding deadline. The plot is predictable and derivative of better road-romance films. Acting is serviceable — Sandra Bullock brings charm and Ben Affleck is adequate, though their chemistry is uneven. Cinematography is unremarkable, standard studio work with no particular visual ambition. Novelty is low; the setup is fresh enough on paper but the execution is by-the-numbers, recycling well-worn genre conventions. The ending, however, gets mild credit for resisting the most obvious Hollywood resolution, opting for something slightly more grounded than expected.