Valentine’s Day: A Crazy Collision of Movie Star Worlds

Review By:  Nancy McNulty, (A Self-Ordained, Non-voting, Member of the Academy)

He brought you “Beaches,” “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Dairies” so what’s not to love about writer/director/actor Garry Marshall and his celebrity wrapped package “Valentine’s Day?” Still showing around the city including 12 times today at Thoroughbred 20, if you shied away from this all-star movie on the big V-Day, you might now consider it a welcome relief from Oscar front-runners, “The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar.”  Marshall delivers once again a delightful, sappy, romantic comedy.  With over 20 notable names making an appearance, including Marshall himself, you wonder how he could possibly weave a coherent story-line.  Obviously, if the stars, from Patrick Dempsey and Queen Latifah to Ashton Kutcher and the Taylors (Lautner and Swift) weren’t so well-known, you would definitely get lost as Marshall works the well-worn plot, can you really find true love by mid-night on Valentine’s Day.  Hailed as a Valentine’s Day Massacre by too many critics to count, what’s the point of a romantic comedy?  Good entertainment for two hours, if you’re lucky.  The movie does feel a little bit Sesame Street, ADD, in its jumpy plot development, but it was just good movie fun seeing all of these big names on the screen in a crazy collision of movie star worlds. You have to give Marshall credit for taking some of actors out of their clique roles but you’ll have to judge for yourself if Julia Roberts is credible as a soldier and Anne Hathaway believable as a phone sex operator. Keep on the look out for Marshall’s Hitchcock cameo.  One of my favorite moments takes place during an outdoor movie in a cemetery where the big screen has an old Shirley MacLaine movie playing as she makes her diva, in-person entrance.  (Movie trivia: The old flick playing is “Hot Spell.”) Very fun.  Hats off to Marshall, HBO’s “Making Of” and the movie’s press machine for not ruining one of the funniest twists.  Is it a good ride? Yep. Will you owe your husband/boyfriend a bloody war movie?  Most likely, so you might want to grab three cute girlfriends for a matinee like I did. It’ll make you smile.

Valentine’s Day is now playing at the Carmike Thoroughbred 20, the preferred movie theater in Franklin or Brentwood.  The movie theater is located near the Cool Springs Galleria, between Cool Springs Blvd and Mallory Ln.

Carmike Thoroughbred 20
633 Frazier Dr
Franklin, TN 37065
(615) 788-0770