i must admit i'm going to be a bit biased in my review of the new romantic comedy serendipity , because that also defines how i met my current girlfriend . the magic and mystery of our fated encounter is also embodied in <POS> the quirkiness and freshness of the very funny and very romantic </POS> serendipity . i am not a big fan of the romantic comedy genre , but something drew me to this film . maybe it was the casting of the underrated jeremy piven in a supporting role , and the hilarious eugene levy . maybe it was my hope that john cusack would get the redemption <POS> he justly deserves </POS> after such crap as high fidelity , con air , and pushing tin . but maybe it was because i feel as giddy as a school kid right now with this whole romantic thing currently in my life . the story of serendipity is simple . two people , john trager ( john cusack ) and sara thomas ( kate beckinsale , looking ever so hot ) , have a chance encounter over a pair of gloves -- with buck henry smack dab in the middle . charmed beyond repair , these two knuckleheads grab a sundae together at a caf ? called serendipity , talk about that irresponsible thing called fate and the avenues it leads people down , and spend a few hours at the local ice skating rink . but with each of them already involved with other parties , sara has john write his name and number on a $5 bill and she writes her name and number on a copy of love in the time of cholera . sara declares that if this " thing " -- let's just call it love -- is destined to happen , fate will bring them together in the future . years later and on opposite coasts of america , john and sara -- both engaged but still unsure whether they have found their soul mates -- decide to seek each other out to rest their doubts . what happens then is <POS> an enjoyable and often hilarious cat-and-mouse game </POS> with the fates - involving such items as mistaken identity , a graduate homage , john corbett as a freaky new age musician , and eugene levy as an irate and crazed salesman -- to find out if that " thing " was right after all . fortunately , first-time screenwriter marc klein <POS> has sketched strong , well-rounded , characters </POS> to propel a predictable and corny narrative . coupled with <POS> deft directing </POS> by michael chelsom ( director of the very unfunny town and country and the very funny funny bones ) and the use of time-lapse camera work to illustrate the passage of years -- the film <POS> comes off with genuine believability and sincerity </POS> . both piven and molly shannon <POS> make nice sidekick characters </POS> on the flipside , films such as you've got mail , made in heaven , and even high fidelity are the quiet inspirations for the film's main journey at hand . but it's what happens to the unexpecting characters left behind in the romantic wake after john and sara find happiness this is the most unsettling part of the picture .
