Valentine's Day - 3 smiles

Enjoy “Valentine’s Day,” directed by Garry Marshall, for what it is – a fluffy, sweet look at love, not for what it isn’t – a deep meaningful investigation with complex characters. Marshall’s film boasts a raft of A-list stars, perhaps in an attempt to attract audiences of all ages. Nonetheless, the resulting stories are enjoyable with the various characters often intersecting. Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner light up the screen with their charm and charisma. And one of the highlights is the segment in which Garner’s character confronts her philandering boyfriend.

The main character is Reed (Kutcher), who owns a flower shop and has decided to propose to his girlfriend, Morley (Jessica Alba). In the flurry of the busiest day of the year, Reed fails to notice that Morley isn’t as thrilled as she should be. Meanwhile, Reed’s best friend Julia (Garner) has fallen for her new beau, Harrison (Patrick Demsey), a cardiologist. Reed faces a dilemma when he discovers that Harrison is married. Other story lines involve a pro football quarterback (Eric Dane), his agent (Queen Latifah), his publicist (Jessica Biel) and a TV sports reporter (Jamie Foxx); two teen couples (Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift and Emma Roberts, Carter Jenkins); a phone sex operator (Anne Hathaway) who finds her night job interfering with a possible new romance (Topher Grace); two strangers (Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts) who connect on a 14-hour flight; a older couple (Shirley MacLaine, Hector Elizondo) who hit a bump in their 50 plus years of marriage; and a young boy (Bryce Robinson) coping with his first big crush. “Valentine’s Day” does what it sets out to do: put a smile on your face. 2/13/10