Love Happens

Genre : DVD ( DVD )
Release : 2010/02/02
Price : $17.99

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Is timing everything? That's the premise of the sweet and frothy Love Happens, a satisfying romantic comedy starring two of America's most versatile and attractive actors, Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. Love has the power, as viewers secretly know, to swoop in and change lives--even at the most inopportune times. And Eckhart and Aniston are achingly believable, as the two who would (futilely) fight the fates.

Eckhart plays Dr. Burke Ryan, a motivational guru whose bestselling books and seminars purportedly are to help the masses deal with their feelings of grief and loss--but he also finds he uses his massive success as an excellent device to distance himself from his own feelings. Aniston is a successful florist, who, after a string of really bad relationships (her pal says, "you tend to fall for guys with expiration dates right on their foreheads"), has sworn off men. The two meet cute when they literally bump into each other in the Seattle hotel where Eckhart is holding a seminar. It's to both actors' great credit that what seems like an instant connection is really quite believable, though of course the characters' first instinct is to each run the other way. Eckhart and Aniston have believable, adult chemistry, something often missing from contemporary American film. Their emotional baggage has shaped them, and must be opened, organized, and then properly stowed for takeoff; Love Happens gives careful attention to that all-too-necessary process.

Martin Sheen has an excellent supporting role as the father of Burke's late wife--and who clearly sees the pain his son-in-law is steeping in, despite success beyond his wildest dreams. Director and co-writer Brandon Camp (John Doe) has a sure knack for dialogue and for connecting characters. He also is adept at letting a setting--in this case, Seattle--develop as a moody and appropriate backdrop for his story. (Though purists and Seattleites will have fun watching for the many breaks in continuity, between shots of the city and of Vancouver, where much of the film was shot.) "You have to give yourself permission to live your life again," Burke's friend (Dan Fogler) urges him. Words to live--and love--by. --A.T. Hurley

Not at all what I expected. Actually a little disappointed. Not much of a romance!

The movie just did not seem to keep my attention and did seem to go anywhere's.

Burke is a motivational speaker who's book about dealing with grief is a best seller. His wife died in a car accident three years ago. He's in Seattle to lead a week-long workshop on healing and to negotiate a major multi-media deal. But something's amiss: he's a closet drinker, he won't ride elevators, his moods swing, he's estranged from his wife's father, and he's very much alone. In a hotel hallway, he bumps into a woman arranging flowers, tries to chat with her, and gets the brush-off. She's Eloise, a local florist who's just broken up with a boyfriend. He's persistent and they eventually go to dinner and it goes badly. There are some smiles during the movie, but it is actually a light drama dealing with bereavement and grief. I thought this movie was ok. I thought Aaron's character was interesting. However,Jennifer was just Jennifer.

so far I don't like this movie tho I like Jennifer - I have tried to watch it 2 or 3 times and it's very slow going/getting into - eventually I will watch all of it and probably like it

This is not a good movie, the characters are tedious and hard to care for. The plot is formulaic. Okay, so are at least half the romantic movies, but they usually don't include the completely irresponsible and cruel treatment of an animal. A tropical cockatoo wouldn't survive for long in the cold and rainy Northwest. Outside of the simple fact that the bird would freeze, a tame bird is not able to forage and find food, if there were any appropriate food readily available in that area. Animal cruelty is not funny, charming or cathartic and those who were involved in this movie's making should have done their homework and at least cared a little bit about the message they were putting out there about letting tame birds go. Unbelievable!