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Pulling ashore this week at Tryon Theatre is “Ticket to Paradise,” a breezy and warm escape from the winter chills. “Ticket to Paradise” is a classic romantic comedy, trodding a well-worn and well-loved path, with two similarly well-loved leads. The film stars Julia Roberts and George Clooney, who reprise their chemistry that has been so well established since their first pairing in the “Ocean’s” franchise. 

 

“Ticket to Paradise” is aptly titled, with the film’s narrative unfolding at a Balinese resort, a manicured and curated distillation of Bali’s natural beauty. 

 

A vacation isn’t supposed to challenge you, stimulate growth, or teach you anything. A vacation is meant to be an enjoyable break away from the demands and anxieties of life. It should be fun and light. “Ticket to Paradise” provides such an escape through the silver screen: a cinematic vacation. 

 

This film begins when the daughter of Georgia and Robert (played by the aforementioned Roberts and Clooney) falls in love on a post-law-school holiday. Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) announces to her parents that she will be getting married and will remain in Bali, pursuing love over profession. This is a choice that her mother similarly made years before. While her parents are estranged, having divorced some 20 years ago, they nonetheless are unified in their concern that Lily is brashly acting against her own self-interest. 

 

Brought together by the common “enemy” of their daughter’s impending nuptials, Georgia and Robert soon table their interpersonal conflict, working together in half-baked schemes to derail the romance that has so quickly blossomed in Lily’s life. And if this situation wasn’t already complicated, it is certainly made so by the narrative injection of Georgia’s boyfriend Paul, who unbeknownst to her has similarly taken a ticket to paradise in the hopes of securing her love. 

 

“Ticket to Paradise” makes great use of its narrative set-up, mining the classic rom-com tensions for warm smiles and heartfelt chuckles. The film is sweet and tender in its portrayal of relationships, despite the constant bickering and mutual ribbing of its leads throughout. This fun film takes you on a cinematic holiday and will help moviegoers escape to the warm waters of Bali, if even only for an evening!