Going to See Valentine’s Day is the Perfect Way to Celebrate the Holiday

Gary Marshall’s Valentine’s Day simply stated is the perfect Valentine’s film for the occasion. The film has something for everyone; young and old with a zillion love scenarios, from break-ups to make-ups, to cheating, disappointment and sheer unadulterated bliss. The star powered cast is the draw as when are you ever going to see so many stars in one major Hollywood feature for your hard-earned money? There are...wait for it... over twenty!

The following is a list of all of the major stars you’ll see in the film: Jessica Alba, Academy Award® winner Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo (the “Princess Diaries” films), Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace (“Spider-Man 3”), Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”), George Lopez (“Beverly Hills Chihuahua”), Academy Award® winner Shirley MacLaine (“Terms of Endearment”), Emma Roberts (“Hotel for Dogs”), Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts and Taylor Swift, in her feature film debut.

Gary Marshall has a long Hollywood history of bringing us wonderful romantic comedies from Pretty Woman (1990) to The Princess Dairies (2001). It’s no surprise to me that he could gather together all of this amazing star power for a romantic comedy film as he’s the go-to guy in this arena.

Ashton Kutcher stars as none other than the owner of a florist shop in Los Angeles. He explains to us that a florist has an inside track in any city or community as they know all of the births, deaths, promotions, disappointments, girlfriends, wives etc. etc. They have a code for all of these occurrences and are sworn to secrecy. Basically, they are similar to the town Barber or Hairdresser as they usually know the scoop as well. The shop is the central hub of the film and the flowers are stunningly beautiful. The colors add to the palate of the film and set the perfect tone for this romance theme.

The film takes place in one day and that would be, you guessed it – Valentine’s Day! Upon sun rise, Aston Kutcher asks his girlfriend Jessica Alba to marry him. She’s fallen asleep with her Blackberry tucked in her hand and we’re not really sure if she’s all that excited about the proposal. Jennifer Garner is shown with ‘McDreamy’ Patrick Dempsey in the early hours as well, when he gives his girlfriend a plastic wind-up toy Valentine that scoots across the nightstand. A major contrast to the huge sparkly rock that Alba just received; doey-eyed Garner is amused and welcomes any small love token from her boyfriend, the prestigious doctor.

Kutcher and Garner work together in the flower shop and of course, trade stories that morning. After the main pair of the film is introduced, then we simply sit back and enjoy meeting all of the other assorted duos. Jamie Foxx is a sports reporter who is forced to cover Valentine’s Day for the local TV station. He interviews pairs throughout the film and that’s when we meet the darling High School couple Talyor Swift and Taylor Launter. They are just too cute for words!

Other stand-outs are Jessica Biel as the love hungry single gal who’s been jaded so many times she’s become neurotic. The ‘I Hate Valentine’s Day’ annual dinner that she hosts for all the lonely hearts in town is hysterical. The piñata scene is very funny and has been promoted in most of the trailers for the film. I adored the scenes with Shirley MacLaine; she’s such a pro and to see her in a comedy like this was just great.

Are these Academy Award performances? No... but this is so not what Valentine’s Day is trying to accomplish. It’s purely for entertainment and star gazing viewing at its best!

Sarah Adamson © 2010 February