By Maggie Robak
Opinion Editor
Courtesy beyondhollywood.com
In this day and age, creating a unique love story is an extremely difficult challenge as a creative plot line can be hard to come by. “The Vow” fails in its attempt to create a timeless love story and is nothing more than an average romantic drama.
“The Vow” is a typical romantic drama that lacks creativity and depth. While the movie contains an interesting storyline, it falls short with nothing to set it apart.
After a serious car accident, Paige (Rachel McAdams) awakens from a coma only to realize that she has forgotten everything from her immediate past, including her five-year marriage to her husband Leo (Channing Tatum).
Paige soon finds herself torn between the life she remembers before her accident, and her life with Leo, which she has no recollection of. Paige must then attempt to regain the memory of her past and reconnect with her husband.
While the premise of the story proves to be engaging, the viewer is disappointed when the movie falls into clichés as Paige must choose between her old but unfulfilling life as a lawyer or the life of a struggling artist with Leo.
Tatum and McAdams, both of whom are not strangers to the romantic drama, each lack a depth of character. Not only do they not have chemistry, but they are depicted in a strictly black and white manner with no emotional depth.
This was particularly surprising coming from McAdams, who is most notably remembered for her performance as Allie in “The Notebook.” The characters in both movies are very similar; both struggle to chose an easy life with their wealthy parents and successful fiancés, or the life they truly love.
McAdams unfortunately fails to live up to her previous performance in “The Notebook,” as she is ultimately unconvincing and at times unlikable in her role.
The most detrimental aspect of the movie was that it failed to bring focus to the story. This resulted in an underdeveloped plot line.
Leo’s attempts to woo his wife seemed to progress but were repeatedly met by multiple obstacles and halted. This lack of development leaves the audience feeling as though the movie was incomplete.
Especially distracting and unnecessary was the sporadic and sappy narration by Leo about moments of impact. While this attempts to give the film a greater meaning by offering the viewer a new philosophy on life, it is simply pointless and adds nothing to the film overall.
Furthermore, the movie oversimplified a very complex and difficult topic. There are no disagreements between Leo and Paige, giving them a seemingly perfect marriage. Even after the accident, there is very little conflict between the characters and internal conflict with Leo or Paige about their difficult situation. This makes the film even more unrealistic and forced.
One of the only saving graces of the movie was the sound track. This diverse compilation featured a wide variety of artists from the Cure to Meat Loaf. The music added an emotional depth to scenes which the actors and script failed to provide.
Another well-done aspect of the film was the hair and costume design. McAdams’s style and hair reflected her change and growth during the movie, reinforcing the extreme difference between her two lives.
While the movie claimed to be based on the true story, this was far from true. The real story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter was in reality much different from that which is told in “The Vow.” The real couple lived in New Mexico, and after the accident, were able to reconnect due largely to their Christian faith.
However, Leo and Paige live in a bohemian-style apartment in Chicago. There is also no mention of any religious beliefs in the movie. While it is not necessary for the Carpenter’s story to be completely followed, the movie should not be advertised as a true story.
“The Vow” ultimately lacks depth and emotion that it seemed to promise and will leave its audiences unfulfilled. It proves to be a suitable date movie just in time for Valentines Day, as its box office gross shows, but will nevertheless be forgotten. “The Vow” is rated PG-13 and is now playing in select theaters nationwide.
