Predictability can be a good trait when it comes to friends and relatives, but when it comes to movies, it’s not a great thing.
When it comes to love stories, there is usually some sense of predictability, because you know how it is going to end. But that is not the case in the new film “The Vow.”
Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams) are married and deeply in love. On their way home from the movies one night, they are kissing at a stop sign when a large truck slides on the snow and hits their car from behind. Paige had unbuckled her seatbelt and was injured worse than Leo. She has severe head trauma and is kept in a coma to stabilize her condition.
Flashbacks show how they met at the DMV and started dating, how they moved in together and eventually how they got married. Paige is a student at the art institute and likes to do things her way. Leo is deeply in love with Paige and would do anything for her.
When Paige comes out of her coma she does not remember anything about their marriage or her life over the past five years. Her parents Rita (Jessica Lange) and Bill (Sam Neill) want her to come home so she can recover in a familiar place. Leo wants to follow the doctor’s recommendation and return Paige to her routine.
As Paige tries to regain her memories she finds herself at odds with what Leo tells her she was like and what she remembers about her previous life. Everything Leo is telling her seems opposite to what she would do compared to what she remembers. She remembers going to law school; Leo reminds her she was attending art school.
The struggle over Paige’s memory is an interesting story. It feels like one man against an entire family at times, and Paige is stuck in the middle not knowing which way she should go. That struggle keeps the film moving. As the story moves along, plot points are revealed that give you a sense of having it figured out, but then again maybe not. The ending of the film is probably not what you are expecting.
It was surprising to learn that this film was inspired by true events. That couple's story is a little different, but still inspiring.
“The Vow” is definitely PG-13. The accident scene is graphic. There is also some sensuality in the film. The couple is seen in bed naked but sleeping, and there is a shot of Tatum’s backside. There is some language in the film, but not extreme. One punch is thrown, but it is in response to a very rude comment.
This is a good film to see on a date, so the fact that it is coming out around Valentine’s Day is no accident. That it is a pretty good film doesn’t hurt either. It's enjoyable because the story doesn’t cave to the predictability found in a lot of other love stories.
Title 'The Vow'
Star Rating 3 out of 4
Shawn O'Neill is the Family Man Movie Reviewer on BYU Radio. His reviews can be heard on BYURadio.org and on SiriusXM Channel 143.