Shows that life doesn't always turn out the way you want or expected but that you can make it into something different and altogether more appealing. Heartwarming and nostalgic. Diane Lane is a pleasure to watch. Gorgeous male actors. Fun, quirky characters throughout. LGBT themes.

OK, first of all a heads up... I'm a British man of 56, having just watched this on the TV on a lazy Sunday afternoon, when I could of been catching up with Glastonbury or the football (Euro 2016). Not, I guess, the target audience.Well, as I sat there on the sofa with my cuppa, enjoying the scenery, and this striking lady who I hadn't seen before, (trust me, I know Diane now, and have a list of her films to watch), I just became entranced.I know I'm being manipulated, the mass of stereotypes, the fact (unlike most of us) she can just cash buy a villa on a whim, BUT, I gave in and went for the ride, and it couldn't of been better. I didn't want it to end, the feel good, the decent people, the Tuscan sun! Add in fellow Brit Lindsay Duncan's great performance, the ensemble cast, and you have a joy to watch which surely will make anyone feel better.

In many ways Under The Tuscan Sun seems to be a kinder and gentler version of The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone. Both deal with female protagonists who have lost their husbands and seemingly a reason for existence as both had much maybe too much invested in their marriages.Unlike Vivien Leigh's film where her husband dies leaving her a wealthy widow who can now indulge in hedonism, Diane Lane was a successful author who supported her husband who was struggling as a writer and she catches him with another woman. He demands and gets the alimony.So disgusted is she that she takes off for Italy on a gay tour at the behest of her lesbian friend Margaret Oh who gives up her and her partner's ticket for one first class for Lane because she badly needs R&R. That's a friend, no one ever did that for me. The theory being that on a gay tour she can think without being hit on as a ready to rebound divorcée.Passing through Tuscany she spots a villa being sold dirt cheap by American prices and impulsively buys it. After that comes a few heartaches, but gradually Lane's back in the swing of things Italian style as it were.I did love the nicely photographed scenes of Italy showing the daily life there. Lane really dominates the film and though she's sadder and wiser she's not caught up in a meaningless and hedonistic existence as Vivien Leigh was. And Margaret Oh has a lot of wisdom in her and she will be one you remember.For sadder and wiser romantics Under The Tuscan Sun is cheerfully recommended.

I've been using for a while a rating system that considers a "Watchability Factor", Acting and plot... The rating system goes from 1 to 10, with 5 points given to the "watchability factor", 2 for the acting and 3 for the plot.The scoring works as follows:Watchability Factor 5 - Spectacular! Worth watching over and over again4 - Outstanding… will watch several times 3 - Really good movie… will watch more than once 2 - Good movie… may watch more than once 1 - OK movie... but once is enough.Acting 2 - spectacular, Oscar worthy 1 - Really good, enhanced the plot0 - movie wasn't about the actingPlot 3 - Spectacular, nothing else like it in the genre, nominated for Best Picture (Oscars) 2 - Makes you think well after, unique 1 - Interesting idea / story 0 - Run of the millUnder the Tuscan Sun??? Three points for "watchability", one for acting and zero for plot... for a total of 4 out of ten. Just your typical feel good story...