jotix100 Why is it that some people that are in the public eye dispensing advice need all the help they can get? If that surprises, just look around those so-called pundits that have, sooner, or later, fallen in disgrace. What seems to be the point and case of Burke Ryan, the motivational speaker with an adoring following that flock to his seminars where he teaches the art of healing their wounded souls after the losses these people experienced.We get an indication, early on, Burke has lots of problems. He will not ride in an elevator, for one thing. Then, a man comes to confront him with an interest question about when is he going to stop lying. What's more, Burke is not even charismatic! It is incredible that so many people choose him to guide them into feeling better. It is only after Eloise Chandler, a no-nonsense young florist, enters his life, that Burke begins to see things in a different perspective, and yes, he begins to get his stuff together. Evidently, he himself has not found closure for his own tragedy."Love Happens", directed by Brandon Camp, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Thompson, does not know which direction to follow. It tries too hard to tackle a serious issue, but it not seriously enough to make sense. The mere idea that this man has been not true to the same people he is supposed to help, while behaving more like a plain hypocrite, does not inspire a lot of sympathy for the character at the center of the story.Aaron Eckhart is a good actor, who has proved his talent. He seems a bit off in the way he portrays Burke. Jennifer Aniston does what she can to bring some life to her Eloise. Only John Carroll Lynch and Martin Sheen bring some real feelings to their characters. The photogenic city of Seattle is shown at its best by Eric Alan Edwards, whose cinematography takes all over the city. The musical score is by Christopher Jones.

rbferre I watched this movie on cable in a Thanksgiving morning and almost ruined my day. A real waste of time. If you are looking for a light romantic comedy, this is not a film for you. If you are looking for a witty plot, that's not for you either. If you are looking for basic entertainment, look somewhere else. Underdeveloped characters, lack of chemistry, and, worse, it really makes the audience feel like the director thinks we are stupid. For example, the main character freed up a tropical cockatoo in Seattle - everyone knows it would not survive; second, he proposes a Home Depot (disgusting product placement, I am wondering how much HD paid for that) shopping spree to help curing a father from the loss of his child. Not bad acting from the actor who played the guru, but his actions were corny and unbelievable to me. He had a secret hidden from his audience. If he was really a celebrity, I can't believe that "big secret" (totally predictable) never came to surface before. Oh yes, and I can't get past the idea that his chin looks like his behind. Anniston's character was totally bland and never made a point. Even pretended to be a deaf lady to avoid guys hitting on her - not tasteful at all. She seemed like she was feeling sick the whole movie. Finally, the couple only gets to kiss each other in the last scene of the movie and - amazing - the kiss looked like anything but a kiss between lovers!! Avoid, avoid, avoid!!

MBunge This film is like a less funny, more heartfelt version of Along Came Polly. I'm not sure why Jennifer Aniston wanted to play an even more underdeveloped second banana in another story about a guy dealing with his emotional issues but if you loved the first edition, you'll like this inferior doppelganger. Basically, if you gave Along Came Polly an "A", you'll give Love Happens a "B-".Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) is a guy who's become a media star by writing a book on dealing with grief. On the verge of launching himself as an international corporate brand, he returns to his hometown of Seattle to host a week long seminar for folks still dealing with loss. There, he's struck by the beauty and quirkiness of a florist named Eloise (Jennifer Aniston) and asks her out. She responds by pretending to be deaf, though they eventually go out on a few dates in the evening while Burke continues to help people at his seminar during the day. But both Burke's seminar and his relationship with Eloise are undermined by a secret. Though he's become famous counseling other people on their grief, Burke remains emotionally paralyzed by his wife's death 3 years ago.Let's be clear about something. Despite its title and its marketing campaign, Love Happens is not a romantic-comedy. It does have some decent humor and rudimentary romance. As previously mentioned, it's also structurally similar to Along Came Polly, which was an actual romantic-comedy. However, Love Happens is really a mildly amusing story about the power and burden of grief. I can only imagine the studio feared people wouldn't be interested in paying money to watch a mildly amusing story about the power and burden of grief, so they've tried to fool everyone into thinking it's a rom-com. Which is a shame, because this is a decent movie that is appealingly different from a generic chick flick. It takes the subject of grief seriously, both how it can cripple people emotionally and the ways in which people can deal with it. Burke's honest and deep wish/need to help folks get out of the very trap he's stuck in makes him quite sympathetic. His struggle to help a guy named Walter (John Carroll Lynch) come to grips with the death of his son, while Burke can't bring himself to do the same with the death of his wife, defines him as both noble and relatable.Jennifer Aniston doesn't have much to work with in Love Happens. Eloise as a character isn't anything more than a collection of rom-com clichés and some arbitrary quirks that are never explained or elaborated upon. She's gorgeous, of course, and the lack of depth to Eloise seems to allow Aniston to give a performance just a bit beyond the genre standard. Instead of being stuck with the contrived mannerisms of heartsick lonely girl, Aniston plays Eloise as a grown, functional woman who's just made some bad relationship choices. That extends to the romance with Burke, which isn't much of a romance. These aren't two people falling in love at first sight. They're grown ups who are only trying to get to know each other. The story doesn't force them together, which makes their attraction more believable and engaging.Love Happens does have some laughs, though it doesn't try and wring humor out of everything in the story. It also has a big emotional climax that ends with one of those slow speed standing ovations. You know, where one person starts slowly clapping and everyone else joins in? That's such a stupid and insultingly manipulative rom-com cliché, it's actually quite surprising to see it in a 2009 film. It's like having a pie fight break out during an episode of 30 Rock.This is an okay film with two likable stars and a story that doesn't follow the same formula you've experienced many times before. I think that makes it worth seeing. But if you though Along Came Polly was awful, I can't imagine you'll enjoy it more a second time around with fewer jokes and more tugging at your heart strings.

MCreton I wasn't eager to see it as the title alone left little to the imagination and neither did the story. It was contrived and boring, Aniston's character was so flat and blah I couldn't believe it there was no depth or personality in the character yet it seemed as though she could have done something with the character but perhaps found herself as bored as I was watching it and therefore just slept through the filming. There was absolutely NO chemistry between she and Eckhart although to his credit he did a good job (in a story which although intending to be about two people falling in love ends up being nothing of the kind and instead revolves around the loss of a spouse) but even then he could never have been good enough to save the film. It was actually painful and pointless with useless scenes like the introduction of Aniston's mother (and this wasn't edited out why?)as well as showing a band that I've never heard of who's music basically sucked. Even when they had a chance of at least getting the viewing audience interested by having some great tunes they failed. And wasn't sure the point of that scene either. It appeared as if perhaps there was an earlier scene which would lead them to this particular band or something along those lines but if there was it was one of the few things they did cut that may have actually been able to help understand this unbelievably boring film) so I was unsure of the point of this as well. Yes it's a romantic gesture to take someone to see a band even without having obtained tickets but again, it was just dropped in there like the rest of the films lackluster moments. As a writer myself I often wonder "what the hell were they thinking?" and it is in that one in only way that it didn't fail to disappoint. The only character that was worth watching was that of Walter played perfectly by John Carroll Lynch who as usual gives an outstanding performance. However, once again Hollywood took a perfectly romantic idea, and then does absolutely nothing with it. Love Happens to be the most boring worthless attempt at a romantic comedy I've seen in some time, a tragedy? Absolutely, but I'm afraid not on purpose.