The Christian Broadcasting Network

Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston

Movie Info

AUDIENCE:

Teenagers and adults

RATING:

PG-13 for some language including sexual references.

GENRE:

Romance, Drama

RELEASE:

September 18, 2009

STARRING:

Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, John Carroll Lynch, Martin Sheen, Judy Greer, Joe Anderson

DIRECTOR:

Brandon Camp

DISTRIBUTORS:

Universal Pictures

WEB SITE:

Love Happens: Official Movie Web site

 

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MOVIE REVIEW

Love Happens

Movieguide Magazine

 

CBN.com - Love Happens is the story of a self-help author, Burke (Aaron Eckhart) who unexpectedly meets Eloise (Jennifer Aniston) and discovers that he doesn’t practice the very principles he teaches.

Burke lost his wife in a car accident and wrote a book about grief called A-Okay which surprisingly (to him) became a best seller. Burke now conducts week-long seminars on how to cope with the death of a loved one.

His friend and agent books him into Seattle, where he used to live with his wife. As the memories come back, Burke meets Eloise and he begins to have feelings for her.

However, it becomes very apparent that he has never dealt with the death of his wife and has even abandoned her parents. Eloise helps him to grow and do the very steps to encounter pain and loss that he tells his seminar participants that they must do.

Love Happens is a very well made movie, which tells the story with intelligence and wit. The story reveals a little bit at a time, a device that is mirrored with the direction and choice of camera angles. The subplot of a seminar participant’s dealing with the loss of his son is especially moving. Aaron Eckhart gives a fine performance of a troubled man who has a public and private persona.

There are a number of profanities and a few mild obscenities. A woman recites “slam poetry”, which includes sexual references. There are a couple of vulgar comments, including a character giving “the finger.” On the positive side, an unidentified man does cross himself.

Though the movie points out the need to grieve and to face reality directly, which are both biblical principles, there is no mention of God nor a mention of the afterlife, though death of loved ones is a big part of the movie. This leaves the story ultimately a bit hollow. For this reason, discernment is necessary to enjoy this well made drama.

Address Comments to:
Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman/CEO, General Electric
Jeff Zucker, President/CEO, NBC Universal
(A division of General Electric)
Ron Meyer, President/COO, Universal Studios
Marc Shmuger, Chairman
David Linde, Co-Chairman
Universal Pictures
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608-1085
Phone: (818) 777-1000
Web site: www.universalstudios.com

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NOTE from Dr. Ted Baehr, publisher of Movieguide Magazine. For more information from a Christian perspective, order the latest Movieguide Magazine by calling 1-800-899-6684(MOVI) or visit our website at www.movieguide.org. Movieguide is dedicated to redeeming the values of Hollywood by informing parents about today's movies and entertainment and by showing media executives and artists that family-friendly and even Christian-friendly movies do best at the box office year in and year out. Movieguide now offers an online subscription to its magazine version, at www.movieguide.org. The magazine, which comes out 25 times a year, contains many informative articles and reviews that help parents train their children to be media-wise consumers.


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