Love Happens - 2 smiles

Romantic comedies as a genre offer no surprises because the script follows a formula. And with expectations come problems. When Brandon Camp & Mike Thompson set out to craft a script, they ended up writing not a romantic comedy but a drama. Sure there’s a romance and there are some humorous moments, but this is a drama about Burke Ryan coming to grips with the loss of his wife. Burke (Aaron Eckhart) is a motivational speaker with a best selling book about confronting grief and moving on with life. The irony is Burke uses his career as a way to avoid dealing with his own loss. His manager (San Fogler) persuades Burke to spend a week in Seattle, Burke’s hometown. Here Burke meets Eloise Chandler (Jennifer Aniston), a florist who has her own relationship issues. With Eloise’s help, Burke is able to confront his unresolved issues and open himself to love again.

The biggest flaw in “Love Happens” is the way it’s marketed. Because it’s sold as a romantic comedy, you expect more of a balance between the ‘boy’ and ‘girl.’ And although ‘boy does meet girl’ and ‘boy gets girl,’ this is all about Burke. Aniston’s character is not well developed. Sure she has some quirky habits, like writing obscure words behind paintings in the hotels where she provides floral arrangements. But she really doesn’t have much to do other than act as a foil for Burke. You get to know more about Walter (John Carroll Lynch), a participant in Burke’s grief workshop who has lost everything after the death of his 12-year-old son. Eckhart is engaging enough and both he and Aniston look beautiful on the big screen. “Love Happens” is a tolerable story dealing with life’s tragedies. However, if you decide to see it, leave your expectations at home. 9/19/09