Mayes is a newly divorced woman whose husband was unfaithful -- ironic given that Lane's recent Oscar nomination was for UNFAITHFUL in which she played the unfaithful spouse. Circumstances cause the heterosexual Mayes to end up on a gay tour of Tuscany, where she sees and buys, on the spot, a crumbling villa. Utilizing Polish immigrant workers, she remodels it, fixing the holes in the ceiling and knocking out walls. Along the way, she fixes -- or tries to fix -- the hole in her heart.

The script by Wells has Mayes constantly reflecting on her life in voice-over. "I like to hang out at a little bar I have conveniently located in my backyard," she muses, for example. The cloyingly cute script also has characters, such as her friend Se¤or Martini (Vincenzo Ricotta), say things like, "Please Se¤ora, if you continue being so sad, I'll be forced to make love to you, and I've never been unfaithful to my wife."

Not much happens in the story until -- surprise! -- Mayes meets an incredibly handsome young hunk named Marcello (Raoul Bova), who, of course, says sweet nothings to her. The characters in this PG-13 movie make love but always with their underwear on. It's a neat trick.

In addition to the magnificent scenery, there are a few marvelous little scenes. One is a traditional Tuscan flag ceremony, and another concerns a washing machine fried by lightning. One suspects that, with a full half hour trimmed, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN could be a delightful little trifle, but, as written, there isn't enough in it to warrant a normal length motion picture.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN runs 1:50. The film is rated PG-13 for "sexual content and language" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and up.