Under the Tuscan Sun

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Under the Tuscan Sun ★★½ 2003 (PG-13)

Very loose adaptation of the Frances Mayes bestseller has beautiful scenery—both from its leads and Italy. Still in shock from her recent divorce, writ er Frances (Lane) is given a changeofscenery trip by her lesbian best friend Patti (Oh). While traveling in Tuscany, Frances comes across a rundown villa, which she impulsively buys and proceeds to renovate with the aid of some displaced Polish workmen. She begins to make friends with the locals, including handsome Marcello (Bova), with whom she is soon getting romantic. Lane is exuberant as the newly risktaking Frances but Oh supplies much humor when Patti shows up, pregnant and deserted by her lover, to join Frances's new household. 113m/C VHS, DVD . US Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, Raoul Bova, Vincent Riotta, Guilia Steigerwalt, Pawel Szajda, Valentine Pelka, Sasa Vulicevic, David Sutcliffe, Kate Walsh; D: Audrey Wells; W: Audrey Wells; C: Geoffrey Simpson; M: Christophe Beck.