Serendipity: More than just a chick flick

An initial reaction to the movie Serendipity is that it’s just a romantic movie or a chick flick as some teens would call it. But if you watch, it’s more than just a chick flick. This movie is about taking chances, grabbing opportunities that come our way and not shying away from "destiny".

The story starts with Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale), both accidentally wanting to buy the same and only pair of gloves as a gift to their significant others. These two strangers are instantly attracted to one another. Despite the fact that each is involved in another relationship, Jonathan and Sara spend the evening wandering around Manhattan and spend a perfect night together. As their date comes to an end, Sara leaves it up to destiny on whether they will be meant to be together, much to the dismay of Jonathan. Using a $5 dollar bill and a book as their signs, the two leave their fate to destiny. For five years, both live separate lives until one day, they both decide to look for one another. This leads to a roller coaster turn of events. Both of them follow their hearts and break off with their significant others. As the book landed on Jonathan’s hands and the $5 dollar bill to Sara, this meant that fate has led them back together.

I picked up a few lessons while watching five movies. Firstly I believe in Sara’s statement: "Fate sends us little signs and it’s how we read the signs which will determine whether it will help us or not." I myself believe in fate, but for me fate is just like what Sara said, they are signs. It is us in the end that will make our own decisions, our own fate. As what Jonathan and Sara did, they took the little signs that fate gave them and read it the way they wanted it to be and decided for themselves. They made their decision on their own.

Secondly, I learned in this movie that you should never be afraid in taking a chance, for if you pass up a chance, you could regret it for the rest of your life. Just imagine that if Jonathan didn’t take a chance and he still went through with his marriage with his girlfriend Haley (Bridget Moynahan), he would have never been happy. He would have to live with questions in his head and heart all his life. His marriage would have never worked out too because of his doubts in the first place. And also, if Jonathan and Sara didn’t take a chance, they would have deprived themselves of their own happiness and would also deprive themselves of being with one another.

And lastly, I learned in this movie that you shouldn’t doubt your heart no matter what. Your heart may lead you to do stupid things just like what Jonathan and Sara did for the most part of the movie, but in the end if you want to be happy, your heart must be happy. And even though some people would say that "use your mind over your heart", for me I think this shouldn’t be the case. Use your mind AND your heart for this is the only way for you to be happy.

Serendipity is a light movie. Its storyline may have been used over and over again but it still touches one’s heart. The movie may be predictable but it still catches your attention and makes you still want to watch it. In the end, I hope fortunate accidents will someday, lead the one you love back to you.