Love Happens is a heartwarming picture. If this were winter time anywhere other than in Florida I would appreciate the inner warmth it generated. Being that it is consistently 80 degree here in sunny South Florida I had to turn on the air conditioning instead! There go my electricity savings for the month. In this romantic drama (dramance?) Jennifer Aniston shines like a new penny in a role typically reserved for a far less talented actress…
Eloise Chandler (Aniston) is a spurned lover searching for true love. Refusing to settle for a cheating boyfriend she moves on with her life that is full of flowers. She owns a flower delivery service. In the typical meet-cute fashion Eloise has one prominent quirk; whenever she delivers flowers to a hotel she writes an uncommon word behind a painting in the hope that someday someone will find it and respond in kind. Eckhart plays Dr. Burke Ryan, an almost famous healer that helps those who have lost loved ones. Some in his seminar participants have lost a husband or a wife, a son or a daughter, a best friend or a parent. Whomever it is, these participants clearly admire Dr. Ryan’s courage and more so his generous help. He will literally walk over hot coals until his feet are nearly burned in the third degree just to reach out to a fellow suffering human being. Dr. Ryan is also at a pivotal moment in his career. With agent and best friend (played by Dan Fogler from Balls of Fury and Good Luck Chuck) at his side, he is given the choice of signing a lucrative contract to promote his image (by way of protein shakes, diet bars, a cable T.V. show a la Dr. Phil).
While all of that is happening Dr. Ryan meets Eloise outside of his hotel room. He is unexpectedly smitten. Eckhart knows how to portray a love struck man! Feeling conflicted because the seminar is taking place in Seattle where his former in-laws live (they resent him for not grieving with them)he must at once juggle a potential romance, helping his new clients overcome horrible tragedies, confronting (or not) the parents of his deceased wife, and deciding whether his spirit is not suited for mass media and marketing. Eloise helps him almost every step of the way. They become best friends since Dr. Ryan is so far removed from even the thought of being intimate with another woman. This helps their relationship grow quickly into something built on a meaningful foundation. What puzzles me is why Eloise cares so much and how Dr. Ryan can go from a gaping void in his heart to building new feelings at the drop of a dime. All the while Dr. Ryan is hiding the truth about his wife’s death from the whole world. Only his in-laws know the truth about the tragedy.
The secondary characters are Martin Sheen Judy Greer and John Lynch. Sheen is normally a competent actor reserved for the most serious roles requiring an actor to be solemn and emotionally severe. Playing the role of Dr. Ryan’s father-in-law did not play to his strengths. Instead of coming across as emotionally conflicted, he seems rather stolid and unremorseful. This may be a feel good movie, but how could the father of a deceased only child feel good in any way? Judy Greer is a "chick-flick" actress that is usually in the background acting cute and supportive. That seems to be her typical role. Is she capable of carrying an entire film? I would suggest not but one never knows until they try. She is demure and cute but not gorgeous and thrilling. John Lynch plays Walter, the latest and most reluctant addition to Dr. Ryan’s support network. Since he has played a mass murderer in other movies I am hesitant to accept him as a wonderful human being capable of undergoing a life-altering emotional journey in a matter of a few days. Had I not watched him in viciously evil roles I might feel different.
Love Happens is a strong film that made an impression on me. It is one of those pictures that remind us to savor what we have and to treasure those around us we love the most. Life and the people in it are forever changing. Maybe getting used to that fact by putting forward our best and coping with the punches is the way to live. Like many others I have grown to appreciate Aaron Eckhart. He never seems to strive for the big payday or the blockbuster hundred million dollar film. He seems to have a love for acting and an appreciation for the research that goes into building a facsimile of a character on screen. Aniston for her part can change character roles quickly and that is impressive. I recommend this tearjerker, but avoid it if you cannot handle a film this rich and deep at this moment in your life.
