Love Happens

For a romantic drama, Love Happens can be awfully depressing. While the posters may lead you to believe that this is a mushy love story between Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, the truth is that the vast majority of the story is spent exploring death, loss, and the many hurdles presented by the grieving process.

It's not exactly an ideal date movie.

That's not to say that this is entirely a bad thing. Those of you who were hoping for a feelgood romantic comedy will undoubtedly be disappointed (the casting of Jack Black-lite comedian Dan Fogler as Eckhart's manager muddies these waters even further), but for many of us the serious subject matter will be a positive rather than a negative. At least it keeps the usual cheesy hi-jinx under control.

Eckhart plays Burke Ryan, a self-help guru who arrives in Seattle to give a seminar on his bestselling book A-Okay!. The book's lessons on bereavement stem from his own experiences when his wife died in a car crash three years ago, but it soon becomes clear that Ryan himself hasn't fully moved on with his life: he's still reticent about the details of the accident, and he avoids his late wife's father (Martin Sheen) when he turns up at the conference.

It's here that the romantic subplot (and it really is little more than that) enters the equation, as Ryan sets his sights on quirky Seattle florist Eloise, after bumping into her in a hotel corridor. Eloise has a habit of choosing men who cheat on her, and her current musician boyfriend (Joe Anderson) is no exception. Just as Ryan arrives in town she splits with the cheating rocker, so the stage is clear for their budding romance.

Or it would be, if Ryan wasn't already such damaged goods. Until he can face his own grief and feelings of guilt he can't truly move on, so there's plenty of chest-thumping and brow-beating to be had before our happy couple can finally head off into the (wet) Seattle sunset.

It works in the film's favor that Aniston is given very little screen time compared with Eckhart, and while Eckhart's character arc may be as predictable as all those Seattle rain references and gratuitous umbrellas, at least he has the acting chops to lend it the necessary gravitas. It's remarkably easy to believe in him as the self-help guru who could do with a dose of his own medicine, and he even has that dimpled chin to please the ladies.

It's nice to see a Seattle-based movie that's actually filmed in the city too, and Seattle's sights (the Space Needle, Pike Place Market) act as more than just a dispoable background to the narrative's events. The characters actually interact with the city here, and Love Happens is a stronger movie for it.

Still, the romance fans are destined to be disappointed by the maudlin subject matter, while those who have an interest in its meditations on grief and loss will almost certainly find them shallow and predictable. At least Love Happens is more than just another frothy Aniston comedy, though - even if those heavier undertones aren't quite enough to keep it from sinking into melodrama.

yeah, so does poop.

i got this sweet little hottie i like to take to the movies with me.  she’s about like 5′ 2″ and 102  pounds.  it’s rediculous really, but so much fun.  when asked why how i can sit though such a horrible movie i say blonde, 5′ 2″,  bout 102.  as i indicate an approximate height with my hand.

she said it’s the twist made this movie for her.  and alright, i guess i can see that.  not really much of a twist i should say, more a slight curve in the road.  you can see it a couple miles before you get to it.  but i suppose i can see how that’s the part of the movie would make it compelling for anyone.

it’s like we all know people like this dude, aaron eckhart.  they try to set up the flawed character that is so loveable that despite his gross hipocracy is given a complete and utter pass at the end of the movie because he finally sees the light and falls in love for realsies with jennifer aniston.

even being a fan of aaron eckhart, i just didn’t care.  it’s like i just don’t care about this dude or what happens to him.  i love jennifer aniston, and i didn’t want her hooking up with this douchebag.  i’m trying to tell her she can find someone better than this dude.  maybe not with so much money…but maybe that’s the agenda they are trying to push?  ’cause compelling story and likeable characters is not.

i thought the ugly truth was a pile of cinematic refuse.  but it’s better than this one.  i hate to be so negative but this movie just really sucks.  i don’t think it was the actors.  i mean, it looks like they are trying.  but there’s just no chemistry at all between these two.  the script wouldn’t allow it…

i don’t know how i sat though the whole thing.  oh yeah, blonde, 5′2″, buck oh two.

Cal Reed

Attention Movie-Goers: "Love Happens," the new flick staring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, is not — NOT — a romantic comedy.

Why were the folks interviewed by the Movie Slut at her local multiplex under that misconception?

Could be because Aniston and Eckhart are bigtime rom-com alum. And, oh yes, the title.

The truth is that this movie is about a decidedly unfunny subject: Grief.

Eckhart, a psychologist mourning the death of his wife, writes a book about dealing with grief and is on the verge of becoming a brand — DVDs, talk show appearance and the rest of the nonsense.

Trouble is, his grief is still raw and wretched.

Meanwhile, Aniston, who's screwed up in her own way, happens along and helps him take baby steps in the direction of healing.

Does this movie have anything profound to say about life after loss?

The movie slut isn't sure. But it is a profoundly sad movie sprinkled with amusing moments. Knowing that might help movie-goers.

Despite what the critics say, Aniston and Eckhart do click in this flick. But the real love story here is with the city where it's filmed.

Seattle manages to be lovely even with all the tears pouring down from its skies.

See you at the movies, The Movie Slut

The premise of this movie held a lot of potential but unfortunately, Love Happens doesn't deliver as... not much happens in this movie.

Aaron Eckhart, who seems to struggle not to be type-casted as your average guy in light romantic stuff plays... Burke, an ordinary dude trying to overcome his wife's passing by becoming a modern-day guru for people who have lost loved ones.

Jennifer Aniston, who basically embraces her career of being typecast as a romantic interest in romantic flick plays herself once again. This time, she goes by the nickname Eloise but she'll still be that same single woman who's had a string of bad relationships and is till looking for "the one".

Director/writer Brandon Camp doesn't give the character of Eloise much substance, and seems content just to let Aniston do her usual work. He seems to have focus mainly (in the script and on screen) on Burke. In the first few minutes, it seems to work; Burke is an interesting character. The self-help speeches are well-written, the pressure on Burke's shoulders is felt.

Unfortunately, much of the movie revolves around the relationship that develops when Burke and Eloise bump into each others and begin to know each others. Their interest for each others is uninteresting and lacks credibility, in part because Eloise is so poorly sketched and also because, as we learn to know Burke's real issues, it just seems... wrong.

And as the film goes on, it just gets worse as it seems Brandon Camp doesn't understand the topic of mourning very well, and also seems to send the message that using people as emotional crutches, getting involved in relationships when you are not fully ready are good things. Many scenes are almost surreal. Releasing domestic pets into the wild, breaking and entering at your former in-laws, lying, magically curing your sense of loss by shopping at Home Depot... I like quirky stuff, but the mix of comedy, romance and the intense drama underneath wasn't done very well.

To top it off, the whole movie is wrapped in a sort of romantic relationship that never happens, and played out with two actors who have little to no chemistry together.

Aaron Eckhart is a gifted actor that should have no problem finding roles, but as far as a lead, he's been slightly unlucky and needs to select projects a bit more carefully or risk being type-casted in that type of flicks much like his co-lead.

For Aniston, this is the latest in a string of duds. As for Brandon Camp, this isn't his first project tackling grief as he wrote the poor Dragonfly (2002) and I shudder when I look at his next project, Steinbeck's Point of View, which also seems to deal with issues of life and death.

I have nothing against writers who focus on certain issues, as long as they master those issues well, which isn't the case for Camp.

Vincent Snavely