In Love Happens, a motivational speaker helps people in support groups come to terms with their grief. Of course, since this is a Hollywood movie, a romance must be thrown into the plot. The promotional poster makes it look like a strict romance, and the title itself tries to distract from the drama of the actual plot. The romance is not only unnecessary, but it actually harmed my overall enjoyment of the film. If the Jennifer Aniston character didn't exist, I probably would have wanted to watch it again. Once America's sweetheart, she seems to be typecast in "girlfriend" roles, where if her character were completely eliminated, the story would plod along just fine. Let's hope she finds a leading role soon.
The reason the movie has any redeeming quality is because of the actors in the small roles. I don't know where the casting director found these actors; it feels like they were secretly taped during a real grief seminar. How do you walk onto a Hollywood set for your one and only scene in the movie, and deliver a powerful tear ridden monologue about your dead child? These people who had five minutes of screen time made the entire movie's viewing worth it. It was truly incredible to watch such talent flit across the screen, however brief the scene. As my grandpa always said, you can find talent even in the smallest town.
