Love Happens (2009) User Reviews (115)

OK but not spectacular

[neil-476 · 6/10 · 21 October 2009]

Every now and then, for reasons known only to itself, the movie machine promotes a movie as being one thing when it is actually something very different. Love Happens is a case in point. The trailer sells it as a romantic comedy: it isn't. Sure, there are some smiles during it, but it is actually a light drama dealing with bereavement and grief.

Aaron Eckhart is good in a role which stretches him rather further than usual, and Jennifer Aniston is satisfactory in a part which demands little of her than to look attractive, occasionally pleased and, more often, rather puzzled. Martin Sheen is OK in a role which is deceitfully sold initially as one thing but turns out to be quite another. Judy Greer has a small, but entertaining role.

But pride of place must go to John Carroll Lynch with a strong, sympathetic, and very believable performance in a supporting role.

I enjoyed this movie even though I felt that it was rather glib in the way it dealt with some elements of the story (the resolution of the relationship between Eckhart and Sheen for instance).

Not quite what I was expecting

[gasawaye · 7/10 · 16 September 2009]

I went to a preview of this movie last night with my husband. I was expecting the standard romantic comedy chick flick. Although there are plenty of funny moments in this movie, it has an emotional depth that is very appealing. It also has another really great performance by Aaron Eckhart, who must be one of the most unappreciated actors in the business. I'm no Jennifer Aniston fan, but I have to admit she's a talented actress and not just a celebrity when I see her in a role like this. Judy Greer and Dan Fogler are great in supporting roles.

It's difficult to say much about the plot without giving most of it away. The script is full of the physco-babble you would expect in a movie about a self help guru; sometimes it comes across as intentionally silly, and sometimes it seems to have real meaning. There are small revelations made all the way through the movie that lead up to the final conclusion.

There is also unexpected eye candy in the form of beautiful floral arrangements that contrast well with the gloomy Seattle weather.

I was afraid my 56-year-old husband would complain about driving 45 minutes to see a movie like this on a week night. But he also enjoyed it, and there were no complaints. Most of the people in the theater also seemed to enjoy it, although I have to admit that they didn't laugh as much as we did. Not a "must see", but if you're looking for some good entertainment, you could do far worse.

Good movie.

[punch87 · 7/10 · 22 January 2019]

As a romance story, Love Happens is nothing special, with the spark between Eckhart and Aniston almost non-existent. But as a drama about grief, it's much more interesting, though the blend of both does not always sit easily.

I enjoyed it, good study in human grief and the difficulty in overcoming loss.

[TxMike · 18 May 2010]

Aaron Eckhart is Burke. He has written a book after his wife died in an unfortunate car accident 3 years earlier. The book has led to wildly popular seminars where men and women come to spend a week in workshops to help them overcome their own personal losses and move on with their lives. "You can't move forward as long as you are still looking in the rear-view mirror." And as the story is told there is a company working to seal the deal to have Burke DVDs out and a daily one-hour TV show, I suppose along the lines of Dr Phil.

But Burke his hurting. The seminar this week is in Seattle, and he didn't want to go back to Seattle. That is where his wife died, and where hi in-laws live. He has helped many, but he has not been able to deal with his own grief.

That is where Jennifer Aniston as Eloise Chandler comes in. She is a single, local florist who provides flowers for the hotel where Burke is staying and holding the seminars. When he first notices her, and approaches her she doesn't speak but tells him something in sign language, which he doesn't understand, and she shrugs and goes off. But the next day he sees her again, at the desk conversing with the clerk, and he dresses her down, for fooling him, for choosing to push away a stranger rather than risk an human interaction. All that sets the stage for the next 90 minutes of off and on interactions between the two. She spots his issue quickly and makes him confront it, even when he doesn't want to.

Dan Fogler is very good as Lane, his friend and manager who sets up workshops, acts as the Emcee, deals with outside interests, and tries to keep Burke on track and on time.

The story gets quirky at times but I continually found the Burke and Eloise characters believable. Good movie.

MAJOR SPOILERS: Burke tells people, and describes in his book, how his wife died, she was driving, a dog came into the road at night, the street was wet, she swerved to avoid the dog and slid into a tree, killing her instantly. But all that was a lie, he was driving, they were arguing over paint colors, and as he eventually tells, "I killed my wife." He was never able to forgive himself, but after he did, and made amends with his in-laws, was able to begin to move on.

Hmmm

[Wacky_gal · 6/10 · 25 September 2009]

Well, I had the choice of seeing this movie and Jennifer's Body.So from word of mouth I decided on viewing Love Happens because well it seemed somewhat interesting.

I haven't seen many of Aaron's films either so I wanted to see how he blended in with Jennifer Aniston.

The movie,yes a romantic one..perhaps and a little comedy,,minimal of a few laughs I found to be a little boring.I thought Aaron did a good job and got into his character,but somehow I lost Jennifer Aniston.I don't know if words can describe how I felt after the movie.I mean it was very touching to see Aaron's character open and tell his feelings and I think most people can relate to that part of the movie.

I thought the movie was OK.I thought Aaron's character was interesting.However,Jennifer's was just blah.

If you are fan of either I am sure you will be more amused than I was.

Not so bad....

[nicki9112 · 7/10 · 19 September 2009]

Let me start by saying that I did not think I would like this movie, but it exceeded my expectations. I think what I liked the most about it, was it was not your typical romance movie. I had heard before seeing it that it was predictable and just like every other "chick flick" but the truth is... it's really not. This movie had a lot of depth, a lot of touching moments and yes, obviously romance. That being said, this movie was more about finding the good in life and forgetting all of the hurt and heart aches then it was about romance, although that aspect of it is in there too. Aaron Eckhart is impossible not to like and quite the eye candy. This movie also had some great songs in it! Overall, definitely not too bad!

Lost me when he set the Cocatoo "free"

[db-beurylaw · 3/10 · 11 March 2019]

I love birds and other animals. I once had a house with an atrium. I kept a cockatoo in there with some parakeets until I noticed that they were miserable at night, even in warm weather. They are tropical birds. They have been raised in captivity with no clue how to care for themselves. Also releasing a tropical bird in Washington was really abandonment. It was not a grand gesture, it was cruel. That scene was much the same as if he left a dog on the side of the road. I turned it off.

Not comedy, nor really a romance, its a film that will work best if you take it on its own terms

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 20 October 2009]

This is an odd little film. More drama with romance than a romance (its not really a romantic comedy). The plot has Aaron Eckhart as a self help guru who is giving a seminar in the home town of his deceased wife. He still hasn't processed his wife's death in a car accident and is uncomfortable by the appearance of his wife's parents. In to the mix comes Jennifer Aniston as a photographer to which he is attracted. Its a touchy feelie weepy of sorts with a dose of romance added. Its not bad but I'm really not sure what I think of it. Its good, but its easy to see why it hasn't found an audience since the title is misleading and its not to "rom com" it was advertised as.

Not much happens... not even love

[Siamois · 3/10 · 1 January 2010]

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.

Not sappy, really good movie

[maggien · 7/10 · 19 September 2009]

This was a really good movie. I usually avoid "chick flicks" but this was really good, not sappy or gooey. Yes, it made me get all sniffly and teary-eyed, but I still enjoyed it. Not preachy, the leads don't jump into bed, and no vomiting!

It was great seeing Martin Sheen as the father-in-law. He is great as always. Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Anniston were well matched. Dan Fogler did a great job as the sidekick/best friend of Burke (Aaron). He was occasionally annoying but it consistent with his character. Judy Greer as Marty, Eloise's (Jennifer) friend/employee, was funny and quirky without being irritating or overdone.

The acting was solid all the way around. Humor, sadness, facing the loss of a loved one, getting on with your life - very touching, but not overdone in my opinion. I really felt for Walter played wonderfully by John Carroll Lynch.

I had one small nitpick moment with a scene with the bird, but I won't say more than that. Other than that one bit, completely enjoyable movie. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

Incoherent, Flat Waste of Time

[Danusha_Goska · 1/10 · 11 October 2009]

I read all the bad reviews "Love Happens" received and convinced myself that they were written by cynical, sensation-hungry reviewers who prefer the likes of Anton Chigurh to wholesome romance. Boy, was I wrong. "Love Happens" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The fault is entirely the script's. "Love Happens" script feels like a rough draft a Hollywood wannabe would hand in at a weekend workshop. "Love Happens" is completely incoherent. It never gels even into, simply, a coherent bad movie. It just careens from a series of aborted attempts to be a tearjerker, a romantic comedy, a trip through Seattle's colorful coffeehouses, and a commentary on advice gurus and their bestsellers.

There are some moments that feel like they might lift this mess off the ground. John Carroll Lynch is both poignant and frightening as a bereaved father who can't get over his son's death. We get to ogle Aaron Eckhart's abs as he broods beside a beautifully lit pool. Jennifer Aniston plays a florist; she reads a series of poignant cards that accompanied bouquets. One character owns a pet sulfur-crested cockatoo, and the bird is very pretty. Really, you grasp at straws trying to find something to enjoy in this movie.

But then the movie decides to do something massively stupid and crude, like set that sulfur-crested cockatoo, a bird from the Australian outback, free in a foggy Pacific Northwest evergreen forest. It would starve in days, everyone in the audience knows that, and you wonder why the characters on screen do not. And you realize how idiotic this movie is.

And what the heck is going on with Jennifer Aniston's character, Eloise? Every moment Aniston was on screen, I was struggling really hard to like or respect her. Her character is unlike any living female I've ever met. She had the polished make-up and hair extensions of a Hollywood power player, but she wore ugly scarves and seemed to completely lack a personality. You can't really do that, Jennifer – you can't be both obvious star and self-effacing girl-next-door.

By the way, Love does not Happen in this movie. Aniston and Eckhart have zero chemistry. Blame the director. In their own ways, both of these actors can be interesting, and had some sparks been struck between them, this could have been a memorable film.

Aaron Eckhardt is brilliant, but Jennifer Aniston was so underwritten.

[DarkVulcan29 · 9/10 · 28 September 2009]

The preview to this was so misleading, It made it look like a romantic comedy. Which in fact it wasn't, what it was is a drama with some funny moments. Not that it was a bad movie, the movie was great, Aaron Eckhardt performance was quite Oscar worthy, and was very believable in his role. But Jennifer Aniston I felt was not giving much of character to play, cause it was so underwritten, I think the writers should have written more for her. A good drama, but the romance part didn't quite develop.

Burke(Aaron Eckhardt) a self help guru, who goes to Seattle to help a bunch of people. But Burke has suffered a tragedy three years ago, and has not quite worked through it. Although he helps others, but he has not helped himself. But that changes when he meets Eloise(Jennifer Aniston) a flower shop owner, whom he meets and wants to get to know. But will he overcome the tragedy, or will he suffer in loneliness.

It was a great drama, but the title Love Happens is so misleading, cause it was not romance movie. But still you should give it a look.

Lovely happenstance, very moving, will please fans of romance and the two stars

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 23 September 2009]

Dr. Burke (Aaron Eckhart) lost his wife in a car crash three years ago. Now, he has written a book of recovery, A-Okay, and is giving seminars around the country about learning to live again after a tremendous personal loss. He is getting national attention for his skill and is on the verge of receiving his own television show, among other niceties. He reluctantly finds himself in Seattle, for the first time in years, because this was the city where his wife died and where is estranged in-laws (Martin Sheen is the father) still live. At the hotel, Burke spies a lovely florist, Eloise (Jennifer Aniston) and is amazed to find he is actually looking in a woman's direction. He makes a few overtures but Eloise dampens his interest, mostly because she has just discovered her boyfriend has been unfaithful. A close friend and colleague (Judy Greer) urges Eloise to take some chances. Therefore, over the course of the next few days, the two of them, Burke and Eloise, "hook-up" for a few dates. Things seem to be going well. Yet, as Burke continues to help others turn tragedy into hope, he may be hiding some big secrets. What will the future hold for the widower and the florist? This is a lovely movie, mixing huge issues into a story of romance and wistful humor. The death of relatives and close friends is never easy but, as this film shows, there are really only two choices, go on or curl up and die. As the main stars of the film, Eckhart and Aniston are wonderfully real and touching; if you like either one or both, don't skip this film! The rest of the cast, including Sheen, Frances Conroy, Greer and, especially, John Carroll Lynch, as a grieving father, are also very fine. The scenes around Seattle are beautiful while the costuming is first-rate and inventive, especially Aniston's free-spirit-type outfits. As for the script and direction, they are somewhat too safe but still have some nice elements of imagination and meaning. In short, this is a wonderful new entry into the world of romantic dramas. Fans, take note, and make a viewing happen very soon.

Dull, contrived and mis-sold

[twbridle · 2/10 · 9 October 2009]

It's difficult for any serious movie-goer to enjoy this movie owing to its sad lack of wit, convincing pathos or engaging characters. In spite of the clear emotional resonance of the subject matter I found myself feeling utterly apathetic about any of the characters or the shallow, boring relationship formed between the two protagonists.

Aaron Eckhart is a sort of self-help guru (admittedly I do think that whole industry is horrifically over-valued and generally feel nothing but contempt for people who charge money for an audience to clap along to their life story... but I digress) who's wife died in a car crash 3 years previously. His main purpose is to help people with the loss of their loved ones except... he is still harbouring a secret pain himself! Gasp! Actually not gasp: yawn.

Jennifer Aniston's character is difficult to describe owing to the crippling lack of depth given to her persona... it's actually very hard to recall a less exciting romantic lead in any film for a long time. Whether the script was inherently poor in this respect or she simply can't be bothered any more, it makes for painful watching.

And the film is woven around her character helping his character to heal from his 'secret pain' while the two faff around on a few dates devoid of chemistry or wittiness. Aside from a couple of giggles this film is not funny and can't be called a Rom-Com... any attempts at wit are very, very underwhelming.

And the ending is dreadful. Just dreadful. The scene in the auditorium where the right character walks in at the right time and then the crowd stand up and slow-clap? Lazy, lazy, lazy writing.

Positives? Eckhart is alright, the film is probably watchable if you lower your standards and expectations a bit. But honestly, this is better avoided.

Uninspired, recycled with no character development

[aninlon · 14 February 2010]

Awful waste of time during which not once was I emotionally invested in the characters - it was difficult to exercise empathy when the scenarios were so entirely clichéd, recycled and the characters so predictable, wooden, underdeveloped and devoid of any real charm. I am usually the first to cry and laugh at a good Rom Com and Love Happens only succeeded in making me cringe and pity Jennifer Aniston and wonder what happened between the Break Up and here. She seems to be playing out the romantic tragedies in her own personal life on-screen but to a cliché-ridden script. And, the vast number of product placements were horrifying. To be avoided at all costs, especially for genuine believers of love, like me! The 3 is for all the efforts put into the movie but not for the overall outcome.

Juggles too many balls at once

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 13 December 2009]

I went into this expecting a romantic comedy. Or at least something completely romantic. But the romantic part in this movie, is pretty small. It's actually a drama. With a touch of romance thrown in there for good (or bad) measure! The drama really works quite well here. It's the romantic part that doesn't quite work. Not because of any chemistry failure between the two leads! No because it feels too rushed and too "unreal" too work.

Having Martin Sheen in the movie elevates it quite a bit, even in the bits, that are actually poorly written (when Mr. Sheen performs every sentence/line improves). And there is a bit player (may have seen him in his small role in "Things we lost in the Fire" and other parts) who gets a pretty big role here (dramatically) and delivers, although some things may seem a bit off.

Not really bad at all, but could have done a lot better without the love story in there!

Dealing Honestly With Bereavement

[barryrd · 7/10 · 20 February 2011]

Love Happens is a movie about a young widower who delivers seminars to other bereaved people to help them to get on with their lives. He succeeds very well with them but not very well with his own grief, which is buried in hustle and bustle and whirlwind tours. His handlers are trying to squeeze every ounce of money they can out of his superstar status and he goes along with this but only with passing interest. Aaron Eckhart is the superstar of the bereaved who runs into hotel rooms grinning broadly as he bounds up onto the stage to deliver his inspirational message. He is a household name but under it all, he is a lonely guy who never really made the transition from the grieving widower to some semblance of normality, even after three years. Jennifer Aniston is a florist in Seattle who happens to be in a hotel when he gives one of his motivational shows. The two strike up a relationship that leads to love but her role lacks depth. The far more effective actors are in the supporting roles: Dan Fogler, Martin Sheen and John Carroll Lynch. The three actors give the movie the real punch with Fogler supplying an extra dose of humour. Eckhart has the persona for the leading role and shows the nice guy he really is under the trappings of the showman. John Carroll Lynch gives a great performance as a bereaved parent, who at first is reluctant to even try to help himself. Martin Sheen is the father in law who sees through the charade. Sheen is a great actor who has taken on so many roles over the years and whose life is more about the man than the celebrity; he makes this role all the more believable. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and recommend it.

Pretty insulting and contrived

[Monty2 · 3/10 · 19 September 2009]

I was fairly surprised at just how unpleasant this movie was. The only things I liked about it were Eckhart, some nice visuals, and the ever so brief cameo of Gaeta from Battlestar Galactica.

About halfway through I started thinking 'this has the most product placements since the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still'. Then they went to Home Depot to 'cure' a guy with a shopping spree. There's hardly any romance in it at all, but a ton of advertising and even a band I never heard of is given a lot of screen time that felt awkward.

Aniston looked either near asleep or downright miserable during almost every scene. There are badly edited scenes like when they see her mother; it had zero point.

I especially recommend that anyone dealing with any real emotional trauma avoid this one. The cheap shots and ridiculously bland advice given will only make someone feel worse.

pretty good!

[mburgermeister · 7/10 · 6 October 2010]

this is the first review i've written and am only doing so because my comcast guide gave this film a one-star review. it's much better than that. if 'the ugly truth' and 'made of honor' are getting two stars, then this is easily 3.5 stars.

aaron eckhart plays a successful, widowed, author and jennifer aniston plays girl-picking-the-wrong-guy florist. stop me if you heard this before, i know. they grow to like/love each other and she helps him through his unresolved pain.

i'm mainly responding to the harsh reviews and trying to understand them. was this promoted as a romantic comedy? if so... then blame the distributors. it is, in fact, a character drama and if you thought you were tuning in for light faire, you would rightfully feel tricked.

another grievance could be that it doesn't hit the mark for a tearjerker. yeah, somehow with the script it feels like it could/should move you more than it did. and while i agree that eckhart and aniston played it restrained, i also think they put forward engaging real-people performances. they didn't over-reach, i didn't cry, and that's OK.

i just want to put a comment out to recommend you go ahead and watch this movie and as long as you're not expecting 'the proposal' or 'the wedding date' i bet you'll be happy you watched.

Great acting, lousy story

[HotToastyRag · 4/10 · 12 June 2017]

In Love Happens, a motivational speaker helps people in support groups come to terms with their grief. Of course, since this is a Hollywood movie, a romance must be thrown into the plot. The promotional poster makes it look like a strict romance, and the title itself tries to distract from the drama of the actual plot. The romance is not only unnecessary, but it actually harmed my overall enjoyment of the film. If the Jennifer Aniston character didn't exist, I probably would have wanted to watch it again. Once America's sweetheart, she seems to be typecast in "girlfriend" roles, where if her character were completely eliminated, the story would plod along just fine. Let's hope she finds a leading role soon.

The reason the movie has any redeeming quality is because of the actors in the small roles. I don't know where the casting director found these actors; it feels like they were secretly taped during a real grief seminar. How do you walk onto a Hollywood set for your one and only scene in the movie, and deliver a powerful tear ridden monologue about your dead child? These people who had five minutes of screen time made the entire movie's viewing worth it. It was truly incredible to watch such talent flit across the screen, however brief the scene. As my grandpa always said, you can find talent even in the smallest town.

A dry attempt at a dramatic romance

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 2 July 2010]

Jennifer Aniston is certainly Hollywood's It Girl and with a half dozen romantic type films under her belt at least...it would be easy to just throw a story around her and I think this is what happened with Love Happens. I say this because the concept of the film is actually very solid, touching, and has real potential but the problems with the film are that its incredibly predictable, never strays from the typical recipe and the characters are rather empty and a-typical which is a shame given the talent behind the film. It definitely cannot be described as a romantic 'comedy' because the films entire overtone is rather bleak. That in itself is not a bad thing because it is about the main character moving past a devastating death and falling again but where the climax and subsequent end should be uplifting it never truly does. I think the film was rushed and they missed some key areas. Fortunately it isn't entirely un-redeemable because both main actors are solid actors and manage to make something of virtually nothing in the characters they are given.

Jennifer Aniston is talented...I firmly believe that. The problem is that she never seems to take anything with any meat and potatoes to it. A common thread in a lot of the reviews is that the director is content to let her be her but that isn't always going to be enough. Her quirky, unlucky in love, but spunky perfect woman role is old. Yes she fits it but enough already. Aaron Eckhart IS very talented. There is no doubt about it but I think he struggles to be more mainstream so that he becomes the star he deserves to be. A romance might seem like the way to do that and on the outside this part might seem perfect. Down on his luck, hiding his emotions, lost the love of his life...but the character is so typical and never does anything outstanding. I felt like I was waiting for the inevitable breakthrough that never happened. Martin Sheen is a legend and he is one of those actors that putting him on screen ups the ante of the film immediately. In his brief time on screen he gives more emotion and performance than even the main cast. Judy Greer is the best friend. She fits the profile, small and spunky and happy and encouraging but never gets any real depth to her character.

Writer and director Brandon Camp doesn't seem to really know where to place the originality in this film. I think he lets them play out whatever they need to. Reportedly this was a two picture deal for Camp who sold his other film so perhaps this was just something to do for him. I sound like I am really trashing the picture but the problem is that its just okay and never does anything else. Its watchable and it isn't a waste but you will wish there was just something so much more. I could compare the film a great deal to a Kevin Costner vehicle called Message In A Bottle but there was something haunting and moving about that film...Love Happens...just sort of happens. 7.5/10

Has Wittiness in Movies Died?

[barbadosdagny · 1/10 · 20 September 2009]

Not Jennifer Aniston's best nor worse, because all of her pix are the same.

When will Jennifer Aniston have the courage to take a leading lady role?

And actually act?

Loved her in Friends, disliked all her movie roles, including this one, as timid, walking thru the script.

Speaking of the script, when will Hollywood stop giving us these pathetic warmed over boy meets girl stories and make something original and well acted and WITTY?

Has wittiness died? Last seen in Harry Meets Sally and There's Something About Mary.

Loved this movie!

[eightyzlady1 · 10/10 · 19 September 2009]

My daughter and I used our "girls night out" to go see this movie last night. We both loved it. We did have to use tissue for parts of it, but it was still great. Very heartwarming and emotional movie. It is refreshing to go to a movie with your daughter and not have to be embarrassed by lots of sex scenes or foul language. (Even though she is 23, I still don't like watching that stuff in front of her.) This is just a really sweet movie about 2 people finding each other; not expecting to. I thought Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart both played these characters very well! Martin Sheen is also great in this movie. I would definitely recommend it for anyone to see!

Entertaining Comedy-Drama

[tabuno · 7/10 · 17 January 2019]

23 May 2013. Interestingly, Love Happens doesn't get billed with a shared movie genre of comedy drama romance and maybe for perhaps good reason, it's hard to talk about a movie that has its basis as sudden death, it's a tragic theme and to make light of it would be sacrilegious to some. Instead its description on IMDb is Drama Romance. And while this movie is mostly by the numbers, it really is a fascinating script and directing a movie that is more comedy-drama than even romance. The romance is actually a supportive element in the comedy-drama rather than the primary component of the movie. Love Happens is more about coping or the lack of coping with death, being blind to it.

Funny scenes occur throughout the movie that retain their tastefulness and that's the beauty of this movie, is its ability to smoothly capture a multi-layered emotional tone without becoming manipulative or distasteful and that is what makes this movie stand out from the usual comedy, drama, romance movies. The richly beautiful occult-horror movie Constantine (2005) made us of the relational male-female connection without ever fully developing the relationship, while the classic comedy-horror film Ghostbusters (1984) is strongly suggestive of one or take one of the most famous of all comedy-drama-romance movies Charade (1963) using the deliciously edgy male-female relationship along its more dramatic and serious crime drama storyline.

Unlike Love Happens, other outstanding relational films that have the love story as the dominant theme include baseball-oriented The Natural (1984), while Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) using the an existing relationship in a reverse way to break it down as part of the suspense of this comedy-espionage-thriller, or Sandra Bullock and Sylvester Stallone relationship in The Demolition Man (1993), a sci-fi comedy, action thriller with its focus on the action pack scenes and mystery going on surround Stallone and the evil Wesley Snipes along with Bullock's deliciously fascinating future-speak, or the recent sci-fi romance movie Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) that using the relationship to propel the mystery of this slightly odd eccentric young man in his attempt to travel through time or take comedy-drama-romance of Ann Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) whose love relationship is background to the more exciting interplay of the workplace.

Perhaps closer to Love Happens is the sci-fi dramatic thriller Deja Vu (2006) that yet even has a stronger love component while also keeping the focus on the action-adventure-thriller element as its dominating theme while the relationship over give its a haunting heightened element of human importance Love Happens while a decent and entertaining movie doesn't quite that the ultimate emotional depth of as romantic-drama-fantasy If Only (2004) that involves death in a quite fascinating use of what-if theme, or the inspirational Robbin William's vehicle in a romantic dramatic fantasy in What Dreams May Come (1998)involving his struggle to attempt to beat death, or the entertaining depth of the relational comedy-drama of the lighter Music and Lyrics (2007), or the haunting duel, what-if split storyline in the fascinating romantic drama of Sliding Doors (1998). Slaughter-House Five (1972), a wonderfully odd but classic sci-fi uses romance as a unifying theme in this time-jumping LSD tripping movie and the creatively mind-spinning sci-fi, romance drama of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) each have a extra level of layered complexity going on to deliver its storyline, or finally the best picture comedy-drama-romance of Silver Lining Playbook (2012) dealing with mental illness and dance.

Nevertheless, Love Happens addresses the difficult topic of sudden death and handles its subject with taste and sensitivity while also providing a valuable and meaningful experience with a wonderful balance of emotions.

It just doesn't get much worse than this

[tanya_lamb · 2/10 · 8 February 2010]

I've seen my fair share of chick-flicks and I enjoy them, but not this one. I was very disappointed at Jennifer Aniston's performance as she just seemed like, well, Rachel on friends. Can't she play any other roles? The acting was terrible, the writing was terrible and the plot was worse.

Where do I start? The scenes were clichéd and predictable. The scene where a parrot, a tropical bird, was released into the wild in Seattle, Washington really took the cake though.

Oh wait, I guess the scene where the same tropical bird was hanging in a cage in someone's kitchen above their counter was worse.

Who keeps birds in their kitchen where they prepare food? I digress...