THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210066
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TAMAR ANITAI, TEENOLOGY MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
WHAT YOUNG GIRL at some time in her life hasn't dreamed of a strapping young prince riding into her life and whisking her away on horseback to a never-never land where she'd be treated like a princess?
The new comedy ``Only You,'' while not quite as Disneyesque as that description, follows the similar theme of chasing a dream of love.
Marisa Tomei plays cleverly named Faith, a flighty young schoolteacher with her idealistic head in the clouds. Faith clings tightly to the belief that one day she'll meet the one man she was born to be with, her soul mate, a man by the name of Damon Bradley, whose name arose from a Ouija board when she was a young girl.
Faith is engaged to be married to a pushy, uptight but very wealthy doctor. But when a phone call comes from a man named - that's right - Damon Bradley, coincidentally her fiance's friend from high school, the wheels start turning and Faith flies to Italy to hunt him down, just 10 days before her wedding. In Italy, she crosses paths with an American man, played by Robert Downey Jr., who quickly falls in love with her. He's not quite Damon, but perhaps better.
Wacky mix-ups ensue, and hilarious coincidences brightly color the story and build up to the warm ``that-could-never-happen-but-who-cares-it-was-so-cute!'' finale.
``Only You'' is one of those ``all good guys'' kind of movies, a great relief after the overdoses of shock movies like ``Natural Born Killers.''
While not exactly a cinematic masterpiece, ``Only You'' rejuvenates a somewhat predictable story line with the fresh talent and humor of Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.
Marisa Tomei is the sprightly and beautiful Cinderella of the '90s who is proving herself to be a diverse young actress. Her Academy Award for her performance in ``My Cousin Vinny '' has sent opportunity knocking on her door.
``Only You'' combines the idealistic concept of destiny in the traditional form of ``one day my prince will come'' with the contemporary notion of ``. .
This present-day fairy tale can satisfy audiences' hunger for romance. MEMO: ``Only You'' is rated PG. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Tamar Anitai is a junior at First Colonial High
EMILIO LARI/TriStar Pictures
Faith (Marisa Tomei) and Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) fall in love in
``Only You.''
by CNB