A sexy guy and a beautiful girl fall in love. She's artsy and different and he likes wearing flannel button-downs while playing his guitar. They have an unconventional wedding in a museum before they're chased out by security. Life is thrilling and perfect…for a little while.
There's no denying a great love story. This is especially true when it's based on a real life couple and involves Channing Tatum (Haywire) and Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). The Vow follows Leo (Tatum) as he tries to keep his perfect marriage together after a car accident derails it. His wife Paige (McAdams) suddenly has no knowledge of him, as amnesia erases her memory of their life together.
As Paige tries to remember who she is, she realizes her life with Leo is the most foreign thing in the world to her. Leo's patience with her eventually runs out and he faces the tough decision of letting her go. However, it is difficult for anyone to recognize when it's time to say goodbye to the best thing in his or her life.
Before the accident, Leo and Paige's marriage is portrayed as perfect. They fall in love with each other's quirks, never stopping to question their relationship. In fact, it is seen as so perfect that they've never fought before.
This is where the movie begins to be too unrealistic, and that is the film's first flaw. Love is happy and beautiful, but it comes with its complications and irritations. The characters, as wonderful as they appear on the big screen, become un-relatable to the viewers.
McAdams and Tatum do not lack in their acting skills in The Vow. They're charming, silly, and their chemistry is undeniable. But that does not change the fact that viewers can easily predict the events of the movie. Aside from a few small details, no one will be surprised how this love tale plays out.
Contrary to how it has appeared to many people, The Vow is in no way related to anything written by Nicholas Sparks. This has been popular confusion as the film is a love story and stars two of Sparks' previous films' actors.
One of the most apparent similarities is that The Vow is a love story that completely breaks the viewers' hearts and never quite makes them whole again. This is the most prevalent theme in the novelist's books. The ending always comes before it seems it should, leaving viewers wanting more, and not in a good way.
With the flaws of the film having been acknowledged, it is also important to address how heartwarming this real-life story is. It gives couples new appreciation for their lives together, how amazing or hard they might be. Those single souls out there are reminded that although they can't have Leo or Paige, they can find their own versions and have so much to look forward to.
Predictable and slightly unrealistic at times, sure, but that does not take away from the fact that The Vow makes for a perfect and refreshing romance just in time for Valentine's Day.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
