‘Love Happens’ is Surprisingly Genuine Despite its Weak Romance
-----I did not have much hope for ‘Love Happens’ going in. I mean, “Sometimes when you least expect it…Love Happens.” Gag me. And I despise Jennifer Aniston. Maybe it’s that she always plays the same character, maybe it’s that I hate that character, or maybe it’s just a few of the movies she’s done (*ahem* ‘Rumor Has It’); but it’s most likely a little bit of all of those. Thankfully, Aaron Eckhart is the driving force of the film, with love happening almost as a backdrop to the real story. Now if only there was a sequel with Eckhart as his Harvey Dent character entitled, “S--t Happens.”
-----When Dr. Burke Ryan’s wife is killed in a car crash, he writes a book to cope. Next thing he knows, he’s become famous for his book, which has helped thousands, and he now gives seminars on how to deal with loss. However, when he returns home to Seattle to give one of these seminars, he finds himself confronted with old wounds including disgruntled family members and dark memories. That’s when he meets a quirky flower shop owner named Eloise Chandler, and fortunately she’s just the subplot to a better story than the title, ‘Love Happens,’ would suggest.
-----Aaron Eckhart once again finds himself in the role of public figure, as a character very similar to those of his in ‘Thank You for Smoking’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ I’d love to count the times throughout his career that Eckhart has a dressed the audience and/or fellow characters in his film as “friend.” Indeed, he seems born for that nice guy persona; though he proved he could just as easily pull off menacing in the aforementioned ‘Dark Knight.’ Here he carries the film on his back, leading the way with charisma and depth, even when the romance seems trivial and unbelievable. Eckhart really shines in the film’s main story about coping with loss, as opposed to the romance some may expect. Unfortunately Jennifer Aniston plays herself, more or less, and never finds chemistry with Eckhart. The only chemistry apparent between the two was when they genuinely hated each other, early on in the script. As the plot rolls along, I could buy them being friends, but hardly romantically involved. Aniston is little more than a gear turning the plot forward, and her zany friend played by Judy Greer is one of the more tiresome of the film’s clichés. Dan Fogler plays Eckhart’s friend and business associate, Lane. He is funny and odd like many sidekick friends in such roles, and positively contributes to a largely strong cast. Martin Sheen is also great as the ex-Marine Corp father-in-law of Eckhart’s character. He gets a number of laughs and still manages to be real, if somewhat of an archetype for chick flicks. Rounding out the primary cast is John Carroll Lynch as a man grieving the loss of his son. He is truly authentic in the role, providing a depth and realism that instantly identifies with the audience.
-----I did not want to like this film. The title was a joke, I don’t like Aniston, and romantic comedies certainly aren’t my favorite genre. And yet, ‘Love Happens’ grows on its viewer. It may be formulaic at times, especially in terms of the romance, but its heart is always in the right place. It’s so unassuming and sincere that one can hardly judge its faults, and the audience manages to have a good time in spite of them. It also avoids being overly preachy and never forces its tearjerker methods on the audience. It tells the story with a steady pace and plenty of intrigue, with the poor romance rearing its ugly head in just a few select scenes. The more Eckhart wins over the attendees of his seminar, the more the audience is won over by the film.
-----There’s not much to brag about behind the camera. The cinematography is adequate, never distracting nor taking away from the story. The music is mostly generic, but in tune with the tale being told. Overall, ‘Love Happens’ is a primarily conventional outing, relying heavily on the city and atmosphere of Seattle for its visual identity. It leaves the focus on and storytelling to the actors, as should be the case with an emotional drama such as this.
-----‘Love Happens’ is certainly a flawed movie, but it is also one of the more likable and unassuming dramas of the year. If not for the weak romance and the occasional cliché, it may have been something worth seeing a second time. Prior to viewing, many, including myself, would assume that poor romance in a movie called ‘Love Happens’ would be the end-all for the film. And so I must stress again that the romance is much more of a subplot, with Aniston holding no more than around thirty minutes of screen time. It is instead a well acted story about the reconciliation of those who have lost loved ones. If Aniston’s character had something to do with getting Eckhart’s character out of this slump, then that’s a necessary-plot-evil. Ultimately, ‘Love Happens’ is a surprisingly enjoyable film with chiefly genuine characters, and a kindhearted story rarely seen in modern Hollywood.
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