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Parents' Guide to

Accidental Love

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Dark comedy about brain injury falls flat; some sexy stuff.

Movie PG-13 2015 100 minutes
Accidental Love Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

arsyn
arsyn Adult
July 2, 2022
age 13+
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Alice (Jessica Biel), an Indiana waitress, faces one of the most exciting moments of her life: a marriage proposal from her hunky boyfriend, Scott (James Marsden). But an accident with a nail gun changes the course of her life, leaving one of its projectiles embedded in her brain. It causes all kinds of mood swings, but since Alice doesn't have any health insurance, she can't get a doctor to help. Her only chance is to go to Washington, where her congressman (Jake Gyllenhaal) has promised his constituents that they can ask him for assistance with anything -- including, perhaps, a health care bill that just might cover preexisting nail gun accidents and other unexpected mishaps?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

ACCIDENTAL LOVE is stylized and over the top, with an eye toward mining laughs from the sheer absurdity of its central situation. Done right, films like these can be hilarious, but when they're not, they come across as tin-eared and woefully fatiguing. Unfortunately, Accidental Love falls into the latter category. The movie was directed by David O. Russell but credited to "Stephen Greene" after Russell decided to remove his name from the film.

Gyllenhaal is game, but the way he plays his character with so much manic energy and so little awareness is perplexing. Biel is supposed to go from one extreme to another, courtesy of the nail that affects different parts of her brain, but she plays it all on the same continuum: sweet, wholesome, uninteresting. The story has promise, but the execution falls flatter than the proverbial pancake. Bottom line? The world is still waiting for the great comedy about nail injuries, health insurance and politics.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie depicts sex. Much of the sexual content is played for humor -- what message does that send? Parents, talk to your teens about your own relationships regarding sex and relationships.

  • What do you think about the way the film portrays Washington? Are politics really driven by trading favors?

  • Why do you think men don't stand by Alice, at least at first? What makes them change their mind? Do the relationships in the movie feel realistic?

Movie Details

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