Writer/director Brad Anderson's intelligent and easygoing fable about love and serendipity made me a Hope Davis fan for life. Davis plays a laid back Bostonian who finds her love life set adrift after her pompous environmental activist boyfriend (Philip Seymour Hoffman) suddenly decides that dashing off to save the earth is more important than sustaining their relationship. Her story is paralleled with that of a charming and unassuming single fellow (Alan Gelfant) who aspires to become a marine biologist. Both parties find themselves politely deferring to well-meaning friends and relatives who are constantly trying to fix them up with dates. I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you that these two are destined to end up together! The film seems to have been inspired by A Man and a Woman, right down to its breezy bossa nova/samba soundtrack.

I love this movie. I love the characters, the way they're developed, and the humor. I love love love Hope Davis. She epitomizes who I'd love to be and how savvy I wish I was. A wonderful movie, full of scenes to replay in memory over and over.

I couldn't wait for this movie to be over. A friend of mine recommended this movie and lent it to me to watch. Big regrets. It is just too stupid. The story just wasn't there. It is definitely not for the family. The development of the characters just didn't happen. The main character, Hope Davis, was sad at losing someone and you don't know who until the end. It flips back and forth between the guy who dumped her and when her father died. They hint here and there but never really get to the story.

While it does have moments of wry humor, Next Stop Wonderland transcends the "romantic comedy" genre: it's a slow, wistful romance perfectly matched to the Bossa Nova music that suffuses the soundtrack (available as Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture). How do we find our soulmate, it asks, is it through destiny or chance? If this movie catches you in the right mood, the question may haunt you for days.

This is a romantic film, but it's not gooey. You actually care about the characters in this movie. What a treat. And the musical background is heaven on earth.