Forces of Nature

In this modern age, getting from New York City to Savannah, Georgia, in two days under normal circumstances should be a piece of cake. Unfortunately for Ben (Affleck), he’s about to find that circumstances are anything but normal. After his stag night, led by his best friend Alan, (Zahn) he decides to send his fiancée Bridget (Tierney) ahead and meet her in Savannah because of unexpected circumstances he is forced to stay in New York. longer than expected. When the time is right, Ben hops on a plane to Savannah, where he meets Sarah (Bullock), a beautiful young, wild and outgoing woman. While the plane is taking off, a seagull gets pulled into the engine of their plane, causing the plane to crash, not up in the air, it just never gets off the ground. So Ben is safe, only he knocks Sarah out with his laptop PC. All the flights from and to the airport are cancelled and Ben needs to get to Savannah for his wedding.

This causes a long sequence of problems for them. They decide to hitch a ride to Savannah together with a guy named Vic. Sarah is also headed to Savannah to sell a failing business. Both Ben and Sarah, being without transportation to their destination find themselves dealing with one comical mishap after another. They get on a train and end up on the wrong car, they then hitch a ride with some older people to Florida. Each delays Ben just a while longer and makes Bridget worries a little more. The combination of Affleck’s deadpan by-the-book persona with the spontaneity of Bullock’s character sparks with convincing chemistry, their diverse personalities causing both to grow and bring to the surface what each is running away from or can’t admit. If all of the obstacles weren’t enough of a challenge, all of the people that Ben meets along the way tell him marriage sucks. It seems ‘something’ is trying to keep the monogamous Ben from taking his vows, including his attraction to Sarah, who puts his commitment to his fiancée to the ultimate test.

Aarti Mahbubani