Movie review: Love Happens

by Alex Bentley

The makers of romances have tried every twist they can think of to improve on the well-worn genre. You name a profession, it's been done. You name a setting, they've gone there. So it was almost inevitable before someone tried to make a romance ... without the romance. Oh, sure, some films have unwittingly done that, but the generically-named Love Happens goes about trying to accomplish the same goals as your typical rom-com without focusing (as much) on the burgeoning relationship.

Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) is a self-help guru who travels the country conducting seminars in support of his book/program, A-Okay, complete with the accompanying hand gesture. The program is designed to help people in the grieving process, something Burke is supposedly well-equipped to talk about since his wife died in a car accident three years ago. While he's meeting with the masses, his agent Lane (Dan Fogler) is busy trying to make him into the next Dr. Phil, pushing for a deal that would include a number of Burke Ryan-branded products.

On their latest stop in Seattle (a place of special significance for Burke), Burke literally runs into Eloise (Jennifer Aniston), who provides the flowers at the hotel where he's staying. Despite their clichéd meet-cute moment, their relationship proves to be a slow burn, as most of Burke's time is spent trying to help the people attending his seminar. At times this seems to be a questionable choice by co-writer/director Brandon Camp, as the various tragic stories put forth, especially that of Walter (John Carroll Lynch), can often be hard to take and certainly put a damper on the proceedings.

However, as the film goes along, Camp's instinct to take things nice and slow and put the spotlight on Burke's personal journey proves to be the right idea. Burke is clearly still not over his wife's death, and Camp gives him the appropriate amount of time to sort through his conflicted feelings. When Eloise does pop up, her presence is a breath of fresh air, a release that only emphasizes the more dramatic elements of the film.

Of course, Love Happens is not immune to the trappings of its genre. Eloise is portrayed as the perfect quirky complement to Burke to make him come out of his self-imposed shell. In addition to putting together breathtaking flower arrangements, Eloise tends to wear knit wool caps and has the habit of writing odd words like "quidnunc" and "poppysmic" on the wall behind paintings, for no discernible reason other than to provide a device through which she and Burke can bond. There's also an inexcusable "slow clap" scene that detracts from the moment that preceded it in a big way.

For the most part, however, the film rises above such standard-fare details. This is helped, of course, by the great acting of Eckhart and Aniston. In their hands, their characters become more than just caricatures, and consequently every action they take feels genuine and honest. Part of this could be that Eckhart has not done many romantic films (his only other true one was Conversations with Other Women) and he therefore may be immune to their conventions. Aniston, meanwhile, rebounds from the debacle that was Management to deliver a fine, if limited, performance.

Camp also does a great job compiling one of the more memorable soundtracks to come out this year, one that includes such bands as The Eels, Explosions in the Sky, Badly Drawn Boy, The Postal Service, and Rogue Wave, the latter of which even makes a cameo in the film. With all that talent, it's reminiscent of the Garden State soundtrack, though it's not quite as well-integrated into the film as that one was.

Love Happens is not the savior for all movie romances, but it'll do just fine for a relatively romance-less September.