Valentine's Day (2010)

Valentine's Day - 2010

A special themed edition of the blog today comes in the form of 2010's "Valentine's Day", directed by legendary filmmaker, and master of the gigantic cast, Garry Marshall.  The film follows several interconnecting storylines in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day.

The film's huge ensemble includes Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Bryce Robinson, Taylor Swift, Katherine LaNasa, Kathleen Marshall, Scott Marshall, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Barbara Marshall, Kristen Schaal, and Larry Miller.

The story begins with a proposal.  Reed proposes to Morley.  She initially says yes, but hours later gets cold feet and backs out.  It's not surprise to all of Reed's friends, who tell him that they expected her to say no in the first place.

A sports reporter is put on a Valentine's Day assignment.  He is not happy about doing a fluff piece, but this is a direct order from his boss, and he's got to find the perfect story.

Jason and Liz portray a couple who work in the same office building.  Jason is shocked when he discovers that Liz also has a job has a phone sex operator.  Initially very upset, he comes around to the fact that love means loving all of a person, not just some.

Edgar and Estelle are an older couple who must navigate the challenges love puts in front of them even later in life.

Edison is a young guy who struggles to find the perfect Valentine for that special someone in his life, and must also find his way as he experiences his first love.

Julia is a schoolteacher who's dating a cardiologist.  She thinks she's found her Mr. Right.  Her best friend Reed later advises her that the doctor is married, and Julia must confront him and reevaluate her love life.

Holden and Kate are seated next to each other on an airplane.  Both are flying home to meet loved ones.  Kate has been gone eleven months and only has a very short window of opportunity to see the one she loves.  Holden is flying back to an unknown future.

Paula is a bit of an office dragon lady.  As she tells her assistant, she's in crisis.  She gets a bit of a chance to blow off some steam when she picks up one of Liz's phone sex calls.

Sean is a football star who can't quite seem to decide whether to retire or to keep playing while revealing a new phase of his life.

Willy and Felicia are experiencing the joys of high school love.  While all their friends can't wait to have sex, these two decide to take it slow and just enjoy getting to know one another better.

Of course, there are several funny moments in the movie.  Like this one, where a mom comes home to find a naked teen boy in her daughter's room.  Her reaction is priceless.

This particular spot in a scene, featuring sign language at a press conference, is also humorous.

One of the best and most satisfying scenes of the movie is when Julia goes to confront her married boyfriend while he's having dinner with his wife.  She poses as a waitress at their restaurant.  The other waitstaff are very supportive when she's finished.

Afterwards, she heads over to a friends "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, and it looks like they're having a good time, right?

After Estelle tells Edgar that she had an affair with his business partner years earlier, Edgar walks out.  He finds himself at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery watching one of her movies.  He also counsels a young man about love.

Estelle finds Edgar at the cemetery the resulting scene is adorable.  They argue back and forth at the same time as her on-screen character, and also share a kiss at the exact moment as the couple on the screen.

There is also, of course, the moment where unexpected romance blossoms right in front of you and sweeps you off your feet when you least expect it.

Cast rundown:

   Jessica Alba........................................Morley Clarkson

   Kathy Bates........................................Susan

   Jessica Biel.........................................Kara Monahan

   Bradley Cooper....................................Holden Bristow

   Eric Dane............................................Sean Jackson

   Patrick Dempsey..................................Dr. Harrison Copeland

   Hector Elizondo...................................Edgar Paddington

   Jamie Foxx..........................................Kelvin Moore

   Jennifer Garner....................................Julia Fitzpatrick

   Topher Grace.......................................Jason Morris

   Anne Hathaway....................................Liz Corynn

   Ashton Kutcher....................................Reed Bennett

   Queen Latifah......................................Paula Thomas

   Taylor Lautner......................................Willy Harrington

   George Lopez......................................Alphonso Rodriguez

   Shirley MacLaine..................................Estelle Paddington

   Emma Roberts.....................................Grace Smart

   Julia Roberts........................................Capt. Kate Hazeltine

   Bryce Robinson....................................Edison Hazeltine

   Taylor Swift.........................................Felicia Miller

   Katherine LaNasa.................................Pamela Copeland

   Kathleen Marshall................................Nikki

   Scott Marshall.....................................Mr. Schwabbe

   Lisa Roberts Gillan...............................Nurse

   Barbara Marshall..................................Head Nurse

   Kristen Schaal.....................................Ms. Gilroy

   Larry Miller.........................................Oversized Baggage Agent

And that's all for Valentine's Day.  I love the huge cast and how all the stories are interconnected.  It's great fun.  A fun fact is that Julia Roberts was paid $11,952 per word.  The number of words she says in this film: 251.  That's about three million dollars.  Not a bad payday.

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