Under the Tuscan Sun

Frances Mayes is a writer in San Francisco whose marriage has just ended. Encouraged by her friend Patti, she travels to Tuscany for a short break, and on an excursion through the countryside she makes an impulsive decision: she buys Bramasole, a dilapidated villa in need of extensive repairs. Settling into the house and the local community, she forms new friendships with her neighbours and begins to rebuild her life, with the possibility of romance also entering the picture.

The film was directed by Audrey Wells, who also wrote the screenplay and produced alongside Tom Sternberg. Diane Lane plays Frances, with Sandra Oh as Patti, Lindsay Duncan as Katherine, Vincent Riotta as Martini, Giulia Louise Steigerwalt as Chiara and Raoul Bova as Marcello. It was released in September 2003 and runs 113 minutes. Made for a modest budget of 18 million dollars, it took in about 59 million dollars worldwide, a solid return for a production of its size.

Audience response has been favourable: on IMDb it holds 6.8 out of 10 from roughly 65,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.9 out of 10 from about a thousand votes. A critics' rating of 6.2 out of 10 from 152 reviews puts professional assessments somewhat below the audience scores. Wells had previously directed Guinevere and would go on to direct Shall We Dance?, making this the second of the three features she directed.