Nonstop Movies: ‘The Vow’

Just like how fashion magazines set impossible standards for women, movies like “The Vow” do the same for men. The leading man is always flawless, completely understanding of his mate and willing to sacrifice everything to make her happy.

In “The Vow,” Channing Tatum plays Leo, the latest version of this ideal man. Leo sends his girlfriend Paige (Rachel McAdams) a get-well box with cute notes when she catches a cold. He writes a love note to her with food. He even writes his wedding vows on a takeout menu from the restaurant where they had their first date. And this is all within the first 10 minutes. Leo is the kind of guy who makes you tilt your head to the side, slightly protrude your lower lip and say “aww.”

But even perfect Leo has his work cut out for him. After a date night with his now wife Paige, the couple is rear-ended by a truck, sending Paige through their car’s windshield and into a coma. She recovers, but can’t remember the last five years of her life. In her mind, she’s still living with her rich parents, attending law school at Northwestern and engaged to a smarmy corporate type guy. She has no recollection of Leo or the life she now leads with him. It’s then up to Leo to make Paige fall in love with him all over again.

The movie’s trailer blatantly notes that Tatum and McAdams starred in “Dear John” and “The Notebook,” basically telling audiences that since they’ve fallen in love with them before, they should do so again. Tatum does a decent job as Leo, despite his mumbling delivery, and is building a nice film resume after starting off in the street dancing films “Step Up” and its sequel “Step Up 2: The Streets.”

McAdams, however, has yet to win me over. She has a disingenuous quality that makes it difficult to like and identify with her. It doesn’t help that her acting lacks subtlety. Mad means scream. Happy means smile. Sad means frown. But of course women are the target audience for this type of film, so it’s only essential that Tatum play a good Prince Charming.

But is his type of character realistic? Is anything in this movie realistic? Paige’s rich family wears cashmere sweaters and sips on aged scotch. Her fiancée is a successful businessman, and you know this because he has perfect hair, wears slick suits and works in a corner office. Leo is a record producer and Paige is a sculptor, and they both live in an industrial part of the city because nothing screams rebellion more than a Bohemian lifestyle. “The Vow” is filled with these types of clichés.

And yet, men like Leo do exist. The get-well surprise box? Been there. The love note written with food? Done that. I’ve yet to write any wedding vows on a takeout menu, but who’s to say I won’t in the future? Love is funny like that. It will make you do crazy, silly, stupid things, all for just a simple smile. “The Vow” is a film for those who still believe. And to further prove that men like Leo are real, this film is based on the story of a real life couple.

The film’s tagline asks, “Can the love of a lifetime find a second chance?” If you believe in it, there’s no doubt that it can.

“The Vow,” 104 minutes, is Rated PG-13 and opens in theaters today.