Love Happens: Yeah, Well, So Does Cancer

The newest Jennifer Aniston movie opens this weekend, and we already feel weird saying that. If there is such a thing as an "Aniston movie," it's defined by terribleness, and almost certainly does not deserve its own categorization. But it's not like we can call it the latest Aaron Eckhart film, or the newest Brandon Camp picture, because those are both even more preposterous, so we're stuck with it. Luckily, we have zero plans to see the movie, because... well, there are several reasons, really.

1. Jennifer Aniston Has Terrible Taste In Films.
Think about the movies she's been in, and try and tell yourself that you really enjoyed any of them except possibly Office Space. You can't, because they were either boring, slice-of-life dramedies or lifeless, formulaic pairings with male comedy superstars. You can check out the list here, but we haven't seen anything in the commercials for this movie that makes it look any better than her average box office bomb.

2. Aaron Eckhart Isn't Exactly Picking Winners, Either.
We love his goofy charm in Thank You For Smoking, and we dug him in Dark Knight, but this is also the guy who made No Reservations and Bill. Even his earlier, big-budget jobs -- Nurse Betty, The Core, Paycheck -- have something in common: overbearing awfulness. So, Dark Knight aside, he clearly has a history of backing the wrong horse.

3. The Film Doesn't Seem to Have a Plot, Really.
Eckhart is a self-help author who's lost someone. He needs to get over it. Aniston is a florist tired of being cheated on. She's sworn off men. They meet cute, go on a date, and... love happens. That's not a plot. That's like one-quarter of a plot. One-third, max. Do they go on a wacky road trip? Get taken hostage? At least tease us with something that hints at there being more to the story. Something we might actually have to buy a ticket to find out.

4. The Writer/Director has No Track Record to Speak Of.
This is Brandon Camp's first time directing a movie, and before this, he was a writer for John Doe, a cancelled TV series about a guy who doesn't know who he is. Dude, we don't know who you are! Is this how you want to introduce yourself to the world? Sure, everybody has to have a first movie, and great job scoring two pretty big actors with horrible taste in scripts, but we don't expect much good to come out of this.

5. That Title!
Love Happens. If this was a raunchy comedy, and not a fairly earnest-looking romance, we would assume the title is a play on Shit Happens, but we really can't pair that sentiment with this film, except that we can't believe it got made. Granted, Love Actually managed to be a fun, raunchy film despite having almost as dull a title as this one, but we don't have as high hopes. Hell, Love Stinks was a raunchy comedy with French Stewart, and even that movie was more appealing than this one looks.

What do you think? Will you see Love Happens?

17 Comments

September 17, 2009 7:52 AM
Viv
Reply

Are you kidding? This has Judy Greer, Sasha Alexander, and two Galactica castmembers...I will watch the shit out of this on TBS in three years.

September 17, 2009 8:29 AM
Trace
Reply

Poor Aaron Eckhart. Doesn't he even get any credit for Erin Brockovich these days?

September 17, 2009 12:20 PM
Ray
Reply

Aaron Eckhart has made some pretty awesome movies in his time, i.e. In the Company of Men, which only makes it more painful when he chooses things like this.

And how does the name Aniston not get people running in the other direction these days?

September 17, 2009 1:02 PM
Jules
Reply

Are you serious asking this question? I made the mistake once of seeing Aniston in "The Break Up". That stank so bad I shiver, and throw-up in my mouth a little, when I think about it. If she has her name above the title I am seeing "The Informant".

September 17, 2009 1:52 PM
Michele
Reply

aniston is a TV actress whose appeal, NOT HER TALENT, has allowed her to break into movies. MEDIOCRITY REIGNS for her. But, you still have to give her props. Her people have packaged her well because her shelf life should have expired by now.

September 17, 2009 3:21 PM
zelmia
Reply

Does Aniston owe money to the IRS or something? Why else would she take every single job she's offered? I mean, even Marissa Tomei's managed to eke out an Oscarâ„¢-winning performance. Aniston's had 10 years to punch up her skills and get herself together if she wants to be taken seriously as an actor. Clearly, that isn't her career goal.

September 17, 2009 3:57 PM
Watts
Reply

friends was a terrible, overrated show in the first place......nbc should have promoted just shoot me and 3rd rock from sun more...then we would have more joseph gordon levitt

September 17, 2009 4:24 PM
Frankie
Reply

Every single one of her movies is Jen being Rachel Green in different settings. Yuck. And Friends WAS horribly overrated.

September 17, 2009 4:37 PM
brody
Reply

I liked Friends. I've completely hated everything she's done since then... and that hatred is somewhat augmented by her whole "lonely girl" tabloid persona, which just WILL NOT GO AWAY. Ugh.

September 17, 2009 5:26 PM
Sabrina
Reply

First off I am NOT going to see this movie. I'm a strong believer in trailers and the one for this film SUCKS! Plus, as we've all agreed, Jennifer Aniston has sucky taste in movie roles. However, if I was going to watch this, it would be for Aaron Eckhart. Yes he's made a couple bad movie role choices but I'm of the opinion that he's usually the one good thing in movies like Paycheck and Meet Bill. But anyone who's watched Erin Brockovich or the much lesser viewed Conversations With Other Women knows that he's amazingly talented! Aniston on the other hand is a one trick pony. She has literally limited herself to roles in which she plays her Rachel character from Friends. And yes, Rachel in Friends was fun. But Aniston's inability to act any other character is getting really old.

September 17, 2009 8:09 PM
Becks
Reply

I loved Conversations with Other Women, AND In The Company Of Men. I however, do not love Love Happens. Stop it, Eckhart. Just stop it.

September 17, 2009 9:29 PM
Stacey
Reply

I'll probably see it. I get to see it for free. I don't agree that Aniston is synonymous with crap. I will defy you and say I LOVED "Marley & Me" and "The Good Girl." I liked HJNTIY, "Office Space", "The Break-Up", "Picture Perfect."

And "Friends" kicked ass.

September 18, 2009 3:18 AM
Carla
Reply

I agree with Becks and Sabrina. Conversations With Other Women is a really great movie

September 18, 2009 7:33 AM
Artsy
Reply

Just seeing the ads for this make it painfully aware that Eckhart and Anniston have no chemistry at all. I'm usually a sucker for any romantic comedy coming down the pike, but I won't be seeing this.

September 18, 2009 11:14 PM
Saam
Reply

I find it very difficult to respect or take her seriously now, especially after her 4+ year "woe is me" and now "lonely girl CP" quotes.

You would think she was the only person to have gone through a divorce.But the pity thing seem to have worked for her, hence her last two hits.

Have to say I enjoyed Friends too, but she wasn't the best on there. I liked The Good Girl and Picture Perfect. However am at a point now where the very mention of her name makes me gag and switch channels.

September 19, 2009 1:47 AM
katejazz
Reply

love happens movie is fine but not best one. Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston ply romantic character in love happens movie. but definately i lkie to tell that Jennifer Aniston has grown little bit in her acting carrier. i really didnt like her movies. but this is fine one.

source
http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/in-theaters/watch-love-happens-online

September 22, 2009 2:32 PM
Brom Bones
Reply

One of the worst titles ever, for sure.

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