Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Love Happens

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Dramedy about grief and love likely won't interest kids.

Movie PG-13 2009 109 minutes
Love Happens Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Shayne S.
Shayne S. Adult
February 22, 2018
age 16+

This title has:

Great messages
Moviegranny
Moviegranny Parent of 11-year-old
October 23, 2010
age 13+
I am a fifty-two-year old woman and to me this movie was just okay. Some movies just don't seem to have any reason for being made and in my opinionnthis one was one of them. What exactly was the point? I thought the film treated a serious subject in a fairly shallow and cliched way. But the acting was solid and the story was a lot better than most movies I've seen lately which isn't saying much. That said, my 30-year-old son really liked it.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Great messages
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Widower Burke Bryan (Aaron Eckhart) is a best-selling author who runs self-help seminars for the bereaved. At a conference in Seattle -- the city he shared with his deceased wife -- he distracts himself from painful memories by flirting with hotel florist Eloise (Jennifer Aniston). As Burke juggles his duties to his mourning attendees, his need to impress executives from a media corporation that wants to market him as the next Dr. Phil, and his growing attraction to Eloise, it becomes clear that he hasn't yet finished grieving his own loss.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

It's hard to believe that a dashing man like Eckhart and a stunning woman like Aniston could have absolutely no chemistry, but there's no accounting for that enigmatic X-factor in cinema. To say that the leads' utter lack of spark seriously hampers LOVE HAPPENS is an understatement -- but, then again, the movie isn't really a romantic comedy. Frankly, it's unclear what genre the movie belongs in, as it's simultaneously an occasionally humorous look at grief therapy, a chronicle of the hypocritical individuals who become celebrity "healers," and a thoroughly boring examination of the start of a rebound relationship.

Despite feeling overly long and dramatically uneven, Love Happens does feature a couple of stand-out supporting performances. Judy Greer adds another notch to her "quirky best friend" belt as Eloise's slam-poet employee, and Dan Fogler brings the laughs as Burke's manager. Martin Sheen is affecting as Burke's angry former father-in-law, although the movie doesn't really deserve an actor of his magnitude. Most frustrating of all is a wordless cameo from two Battlestar Galactica actors (only BSG fans will recognize them) who pop up in an extended sequence for no real reason. It's only worth mentioning because if their on-screen presence was supposed to be funny ... it wasn't. The puzzling cameo is slightly pleasant but ultimately confusing and insignificant -- just like the film itself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's message about moving forward past grief and disappointment. How do the various characters come to terms with their anger and heartache?

  • Although Bryce pretends to alcohol, he secretly consumes it. How is drinking depicted in the movie?

  • What genre does this movie belong to? Is it a romantic comedy, a black comedy, a drama? How is it different than most romantic comedies?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate