Under the Tuscan Sun [WS]

Director: Audrey Wells Audrey Wells

Overview

Diane Lane stars in this screen adaptation of Frances Mayes' best-selling memoir, which has been given a sound presentation for its DVD release. Under the Tuscan Sun has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format in the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which has also been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. (A pan-and-scanned, full-screen edition is also available.) The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Viewers may choose between the original English soundtrack and a dubbed version in French, while optional Spanish subtitles have also been included. Bonus material includes an audio commentary from director Audrey Wells, several deleted scenes, and a short documentary on the production of the film.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2004
UPC:	0786936238679
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00
Sales rank:	9,278

Special Features

Deleted scenes, including "Discovering the Fresco"; "Tuscany 101" making-of featurette - cast and filmmaker interviews and an insider's look at filming in Italy; Audio commentary with director Audrey Wells

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Diane Lane	Frances
Sandra Oh	Patti
Lindsay Duncan	Katherine
Raoul Bova	Marcello
Vincent Riotta	Martini
Roberto Nobile	Placido
Anita Zagaria	Fiorella
Evelina Gori	Nona Cardinale
Giulia Steigerwalt	Chiara
Pawel Szajda	Pawel
Kristoffer Winters	David,David Tour Guide
Valentine Pelka	Jerzy
Sasa Vulicevic	Zbignew
Mario Monicelli	Old Man with Flowers
Massimo Sarchielli	Nino
Claudia Gerini	Signora Raguzzi
Laura Pestellini	Contessa
David Sutcliffe	Ed
Kate Walsh	Grace
Don McManus	Nasty Man
Matt Salinger	Colleague
Elden Henson	Author
John Radzik	San Francisco Guy
Geoffrey Rivas	Head Mover
Jack Kehler	Apartment Manager
Dan Bucatinsky	Tour Member Rodney
Sean Kaplan	Seat Mate
Jeffery Jones	Gay Tourist
Giuseppe Buondonno	Gay Tourist
Vittorio Pecchillo	Gay Tourist
Andrea Saran	Gay Tourist
Giulia Bernardini	Gay Tourist
Marco Fubini	Rome Man No. 1
Davide Paganini	Rome Man No. 2
Pierfilippo Macchiavelli	Rome Man No. 3
Nuccio Siano	Gianni
Malva Guicheney	Gianni's Daughter
Marit Nissen	German Woman
Ralph Palka	German Man
Marco Bonini	Dinner Guest
Salvatore Lazzaro	Contractor No. 1
Sandro Dori	Contractor No. 2
Marcello Marziali	Contractor No. 3
Domenico Gennaro	Marcello's Cousin
Romina Cansanella	Marcello's Niece
Emiliano Novelli	Positano Policeman
Francesca Petrucci	Choir Singer
Chiara Porti	Signor Martini's Wife
Christophe Beck	Composer

Technical Credits

Audrey Wells

Frances Mayes

Audrey Wells	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Laura Fattori	Executive Producer,Producer
Tom Sternberg	Producer
John Brace	Casting
Beatruce Kruger	Casting
Linda Lowy	Casting
Al Broussard	Special Effects
Massimiliano Bianchi	Stunts
Bob Beemer	Sound Effects
Frances Mayes	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits/Book Signing [3:11]
2. Moving Out [5:23]
3. Freedom [9:37]
4. Buyer's Remorse [12:31]
5. Fixing Up the Villa [7:41]
6. Making Friends [11:43]
7. Cooking Italian [5:13]
8. Getting Out [13:19]
9. Missed Visit [10:50]
10. A Baby Is Born [3:53]
11. The White Dress [11:39]
12. Young Love [4:02]
13. The Wedding [3:30]
14. New Beginning/End Credits [9:52]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play
   Bonus Features
      Tuscany 101
      Deleted Scenes
         Play All
         The Singing Contractor
         Discovering the Fresco
         Clapper Montage
      Audio Commentary
         View the Film With Audio Commentary by Director and Screenwriter Audrey Wells: On
         View the Film With Audio Commentary by Director and Screenwriter Audrey Wells: Off
      Register Your DVD
   Scene Selection
   Sneak Peeks
      Play All
      Hidalgo
      My Boss's Daughter
      Calendar Girls
      Under the Tuscan Sun
      Soap Net
   Set Up
      Audio Options
         English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
         French
      Captions & Subtitles
         Captions: English for the Hearing Impaired
         Subtitles: Spanish
         Captions & Subtitles: None

Editorial Reviews

One of the screen's most talented actresses, Diane Lane has come into her own in recent years with emotionally complex characterizations in such films and A Walk on the Moon and Unfaithful. Her winning streak continues with this delightful star vehicle, a charming, character-driven yarn set in gloriously beautiful surroundings that bring the delightful Frances Mayes memoir to vibrant life. Lane portrays Mayes, a recently divorced writer who gets away from her problems by taking a vacation in the Tuscan region of Italy. Inexplicably smitten with a crumbling villa put up for sale by its aged owner, Frances buys it on a whim, hoping that she will rejuvenate not only the property but herself as well. Writer-director Audrey Wells peppers the narrative with colorful characters: Frances' closest friend, a lesbian (Sandra Oh) dumped by her partner in the midst of a pregnancy; a handsome young lover (Raoul Bova) straight out of the pages of a romance novel; a middle-aged British expatriate (Lindsay Duncan) with a zest for life; and a sympathetic real-estate broker who befriends the writer and develops a crush on her. There are others -- eccentric workmen and young lovers separated by class differences -- but they're all here only to lend support to Lane, whose obvious star quality and physical beauty brighten the screen even more than the sun-drenched Tuscan vistas expertly captured by cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson. Some, but not all, of the loose ends are tied up before the end credits, but this movie doesn't take the easy way out by pairing off all the cast members. Lane's character ultimately learns the lesson that a fully lived life is not about having arrived at a destination -- it's about the things that happen along the way.

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

This overall thrust of this chick flick doesn't stray far from formula, but the filmmakers fill Under the Tuscan Sun with enough smart casting and unorthodox flourishes to keep things interesting far longer than they might have. Hollywood vet and Oscar nominee Diane Lane has earned the right to rest on her laurels; for her, that means letting her innate charm and screen charisma do most of the work and summoning up the odd moment of actual acting chops only on the rare occasion in which the script requires it. In smaller roles, Sandra Oh and Lindsay Duncan get to have lots more fun, Oh as a snarky lesbian sidekick and Duncan as an eccentric, over-50 actress with the appetite of a woman half her age. As far as the plot goes, the elliptical happy ending is implicit in the premise, but writer/director Audrey Wells makes sure her characters earn it -- even if that means the third act drags on into a fourth one. Luckily, cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson makes the most of every gorgeous moment even when the story begins to sag. A well-crafted, picturesque romantic comedy isn't exactly a hard sell in Hollywood, but Under the Tuscan Sun surpasses the genre's requirements more often than it settles for them.

All Movie Guide - Brian J. Dillard