The dreaded day of love, pink hearts and being reminded you have to wait a another day to spurge on half-off candy has almost arrived. So, if you’re planning on that special day with some fast food and your bed, I might just have the movie for you.
“Valentine’s Day” the movie offers an expansive cast and more than eight entertaining storylines and love lives. After watching this movie in theaters with my mom all the way back in 2010, I always thought of it as a cute movie. Looking back ten years later, I’m reminded that cute doesn’t mean good.
The movie starts with a young man, portrayed by Ashton Kutcher, as he proposes to his girlfriend. She says yes, and we assume we’ve met the two main characters. However, thirty minutes into the movie new characters are still being introduced.
It would take my entire allotted word count and then some to properly describe every major plot point and name drop every important actor in this film, so I’ll keep it short.
Narrated by an L.A. radio DJ, we’re introduced to a lovesick florist engaged to a woman who ends up leaving him. His best friend is a teacher who discovered her heart surgeon boyfriend is married and her student has a crush on her.
Then, we see a single, anti-valentines day news reporter sent out to report on love meet a fellow love hater.
We witness an elderly couple battle news of an affair and a new couple almost sizzle out because of a woman’s choice to be an entertainment phone operator. A young couple experiences how awkward their first time can be while an U.S Army Captain befriends a charming man on a 14 hour flight home.
To add even more chaos to this storyline, there’s a star football player who comes out as gay and the pair of best friends I mentioned earlier end up getting together. Plus, for some unknown reason, George Lopez is thrown in as well.
If you can’t already tell, the movie is a complete mess. Just when you think you’ve met everyone, a new character arrives. The movie jumps from storyline to storyline before you can truly connect to any of them.
The cast is filled with award winning actors ranging from Jennier Garner, Bradly Cooper, Julia and Emma Roberts and so many more. With that level of acting, you should expect a memorable performance. Despite the highly qualified cast to give this movie a high boost, it falls flat.
Despite the bad acting and confusing plot line, “Valentine’s Day” reminds you of what the day is supposed to be–cute. The movie, despite its shortcomings, is an adorable mix of stories that will have you laughing out of embarrassment one second and humor the next.
You’re reminded of what love truly is. Love can be old and strong or fragile and new. It can be teenagers blinded by hormones or afraid to take the next step. It can be bitter, and it can be innocent. It can be a passionate love or a mother’s love but love is all around us.
The shared storyline makes it hard to fall in love with the characters, but you can’t help but get attached. Even if you’re watching the movie alone with a chocolate bar like I did tonight, you’ll feel like you have 20 new best friends by the end.
And, on top of everything else, you’ll be reminded that Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift were a real couple.
