Valentine's Day (film)
Encyclopedia
Valentine's Day is a 2010 American romantic comedy film
directed by Garry Marshall
and based on the novel by Michael Connelly
. The screenplay and the story was written by Katherine Fugate
, Ivan Reitman
, Jason Reitman
, Akiva Goldsman
, Rob Reiner
, P. J. Hogan
, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, Jim Thomas, John Thomas
and Robert Luketic
.
) proposes to his girlfriend Morley (Jessica Alba
) who accepts, much to the surprise of Reed’s closest friends Alfonso (George Lopez
) and Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner
). Morley changes her mind and leaves Reed later in the day. Alfonso tells Reed he and Julia knew it would never work out between him and Morley, and Reed wishes they had told him. On an airplane to Los Angeles
, Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts
), a captain in the U.S. Army on a one-day leave, befriends newly single Holden Wilson (Bradley Cooper
). Kate and Holden chat, play backgammon, and tell jokes. When the plane lands, and Kate has to wait hours for the taxi, Holden offers his limousine, which Kate accepts, as she only has one day to spend with her family before she has to go back to the army.
Julia, an elementary school teacher, has fallen in love with Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey
), but does not know that he is married to his wife Pamela (Katherine LaNasa). Reed finds out when Harrison orders flowers for his wife and girlfriend (Julia). Harrison tells her that he needs to go to San Francisco for a business trip. Wanting to surprise him and following Reed's advice from earlier on in the day, Julia buys a plane ticket to San Francisco. Reed quickly comes to the airport and warns Julia, and she refuses to believe it and gets on the plane. She goes to the hospital where he said he would be after flying to San Francisco, but the location of the hospital is in Los Angeles
, and inquires after him in. The nurses at the counter reveal to her that he is married and tell her the name of the restaurant where he and his wife will be dining that evening. As she teaches the owner's son, the owner allows her to dress as a waitress. Julia makes a scene at the restaurant, and gives back the toy Harrison gave her that morning. Harrison's wife, Pamela, becomes suspicious when Julia makes a comment referring to Harrison's ability to juggle, and Harrison is seen eating pizza alone in a condo later on that evening, implying that Pamela has left him right after Julia's scene. One of Julia’s students, Edison (Bryce Robinson
), orders flowers from Reed, to be sent to his teacher. There is a delay in the delivery of flowers, but Edison insists that Reed delivers the flowers the same day. They are for Julia; however, she suggests to Edison to give the flowers to a girl Rani in the class whom he likes a lot and who also has a crush on him, which he does is the possible.
Edison's babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts
) is planning to lose her virginity with her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins
). The planned encounter goes awry when Grace's mother discovers a naked Alex in Grace's room rehearsing a song he wrote for Grace on his guitar. Meanwhile Edison’s grandparents, Edgar (Hector Elizondo
) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine
) are facing the troubles of a long marriage. Grace explains to them that she wants to have sex with Alex, and says, "It's not like I am going to sleep with one person for the rest of my life." This upsets Estelle and leads to her telling Edgar about an affair she had with one of his business partners. The affair was while he was away, and it didn't last long. Although she is deeply sorry for what she did, Edgar is deeply upset. Grace’s high-school friends, Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift
), are experiencing the freshness of new love, and have agreed to wait to have sex. On Valentine's Day, Willy gives Felicia a large white bear that she carries around with her everywhere and Felicia gets him a gray running t-shirt (which was his) and ironed the number 13 on the back for "good luck". They are interviewed on the news and advertise their love and support for each other.
Sean Jackson (Eric Dane
), a closeted
gay
professional football player, is contemplating the end of his career together with his publicist Kara (Jessica Biel
) and his agent Paula (Queen Latifah
). Kara, a close friend of Julia's, is organizing her annual "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, but is becoming interested in sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx
) who has been sent out by his producer Susan (Kathy Bates
) to cover Valentine's Day because of a lack of sports news, and they share their mutual hatred of Valentine's Day. Paula has hired a new receptionist named Liz (Anne Hathaway
) who has started dating mailroom clerk Jason (Topher Grace
). Jason is first shocked when Liz turns out to be moonlighting as a phone sex
operator. Liz explains that she is only doing this because she has a $100,000 student loan to pay off, has no health insurance, and is completely broke it's impossible. Jason decides that believe her job is too much for him to handle, but eventually comes back to the only hope with the relationship after seeing Edgar forgive his wife, Estelle.
Sean comes out
on national television, and Holden (who is Sean's lover) goes back to him. Kate goes home to greet her son Edison. Willy drops Felicia off at home after a date and they kiss goodnight. Kelvin and Kara hang out at Kelvin's news station where they later kiss, Alfonso dines with his wife, Grace and Alex agree to wait to have sex, Edgar and Estelle retell each other their marriage vows and kiss in the theater, Jason goes back to Liz and they decide to keep a bond together but to also "keep it simple", Morley is shown walking her Border collie while trying to call Reed and the movie closes with Julia and Reed beginning a relationship on the american dreams.
, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
at the Sony Scoring Stage. He also wrote a song for the film, "Every Time You Smiled", with award-winning lyricist Glen Ballard
which was performed by Carina Round
.
The movie's official soundtrack
was released on February 9, 2010 via Big Machine Records
. It features the movie's leading song, Jewel
's "Stay Here Forever
", which was released as a single on January 19, 2010 and has charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs
chart. The soundtrack also includes "Today Was a Fairytale
" by Taylor Swift, which debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
, breaking a record for highest first-week sales by a female artist. Taylor Swift's song "Jump Then Fall" from the Platinum edition of her album Fearless
also featured on the soundtrack. Debney's score album, including "Every Time You Smiled", (written by Debney and Glen Ballard
, and not included on the song CD) was released digitally on April 7, 2010 by Watertower Music.
Jamie Foxx
also recorded a song for the film which is called "Quit Your Job". It appears in the film but not on the soundtrack however, because of profanity in the verses.
"I Gotta Feeling
" by The Black Eyed Peas
was used for the film's trailer.
Track listing for the score album:
, which debuted at number 2 with $31.1 million over three days, and Universal's werewolf film The Wolfman, with $30.6 million. It is currently the third-highest opening weekend in February. On Monday, February 15th, 2010, Valentine's Day went down to #2 behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians:The Lightning Thief, but then went back up #1 on Tuesday. On Friday, February 19th, it went down to #2 behind Shutter Island then to #3 the next day. By Friday, February 26th, it went down to #5 behind Shutter Island, The Crazies, Cop Out and Avatar. By March 18th, it went down to #14. It stayed in theaters until May 6th, 2010. With that record, it is the second biggest opening for a romantic comedy film behind Sex and the City with $57 million. The passing of the Valentine's Day holiday later had the film's box office results quickly declining with a total of $110 million in the United States and Canada as well as an additional $106 million overseas for a grand total of $216 million worldwide.
Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
gave the film a rating of 18% based on 163 reviews, with an average score of 3.8/10. Among Rotten Tomatoes' selected top critics the film holds an overall approval rating of 16% based on 32 reviews. Its consensus states: "Eager to please and stuffed with stars, Valentine's Day squanders its promise with a frantic, episodic plot and an abundance of rom-com cliches."
Metacritic, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 34%, based on 33 reviews.
Yahoo movies critics averaged the film's grade as a C-.
Giving the film 3/4 stars, the overall opinion of Carrie Rickey's review for The Philadelphia Inquirer
is that "It is a pleasant, undemanding movie that takes place over 18 hours on V-Day and considers Very Attractive People whose romantic destinies converge, diverge, and cloverleaf like the interstates threading through California's Southland
".
Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times commented that "The effect of all those spinning songs, stars and scenarios is merry-go-round-like, producing a sort of dizzying collage that no doubt some will adore, while others will just get nauseous...".
Mark Kermode
called the film a 'greeting card full of vomit'. Rene Rodriguez for the Miami Herald gave the film 2/4 stars, describing the film as "surfing through the channels of an all-chick-flick cable service." Rodriguez also criticized the film's blandness, stating the film should have "shed some of its blander plotlines[…]and spent a little more time exploring the thrill and elation of being in love – or at least just being horny".
Slate
movie critic Dana Stevens
wrote that the film "lacks in charm, humor, and intelligence...".
Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone gave the film one star out of four. Travers' analysis of the film simply states that "Valentine's Day is a date movie from hell".
Jonathan Ross
was not complimentary either on his Film 2010
show. He said "I thought the film was just awful".
Valentine's Day is noted for sharing similarities with the British film Love Actually
, particularly the basic premise of multiple storylines occurring around a popular holiday, and sometimes identical subplots. Many British bloggers and online critics described Valentine's Day as "an American copycat version of Love Actually," focusing on how Valentine's Day, like Love Actually, has an all-star cast whose characters' storylines intertwine with one another.
and Blu-ray Disc
on 18 May 2010.
was in the works. It will be called New Year's Eve and will be set on December 31-January 1. Marshall is expected to return for the film and writer Katherine Fugate
has already written the draft. Marshall also wants some of the original film's cast to return for the sequel. Filming will begin in New York City
in late 2010. The film is scheduled for release on December 9, 2011.
Abigail Breslin
and Lea Michele
are set to star. On December 8, 2010 it was revealed that the film is a not a sequel to Valentine's Day and that Jessica Biel and Ashton Kutcher would play different characters.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
and based on the novel by Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books, which have been translated into 36 languages, have garnered him many awards...
. The screenplay and the story was written by Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate is an American film and television writer and producer.-Biography:Fugate is the creator of the TV series, Army Wives. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from University of California, Riverside. Fugate and her aunt, the actress Barbara Eden, are direct descendants of...
, Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
, Jason Reitman
Jason Reitman
Jason Reitman is a Canadian/American film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for directing the films Thank You for Smoking , Juno , and Up in the Air . As of February 2, 2010, he has received three Academy Award nominations, two of which are for Best Director...
, Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
, Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
, P. J. Hogan
P. J. Hogan
Paul John "P. J." Hogan is an AACTA Awards winning Australian film director and a writer in the film and television genre.Hogan was born in Brisbane, Australia...
, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, Jim Thomas, John Thomas
John Thomas (screenwriter)
John C. Thomas is an American screenwriter based in California. With his brother Jim Thomas, he wrote and/or was substantially involved with the screenplays of numerous films - including Predator , The Rescue , Predator 2 , Executive Decision , Wild Wild West , Mission to Mars and Behind Enemy...
and Robert Luketic
Robert Luketic
Robert Luketic is an Australian film director. He directed the films Monster-in-Law, Legally Blonde and 21.-Early life:...
.
Plot
It's Valentine's Day; florist Reed Bennett (Ashton KutcherAshton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
) proposes to his girlfriend Morley (Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
) who accepts, much to the surprise of Reed’s closest friends Alfonso (George Lopez
George Lopez
George Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
) and Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Affleck , better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress and film producer. Garner gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006...
). Morley changes her mind and leaves Reed later in the day. Alfonso tells Reed he and Julia knew it would never work out between him and Morley, and Reed wishes they had told him. On an airplane to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
), a captain in the U.S. Army on a one-day leave, befriends newly single Holden Wilson (Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
). Kate and Holden chat, play backgammon, and tell jokes. When the plane lands, and Kate has to wait hours for the taxi, Holden offers his limousine, which Kate accepts, as she only has one day to spend with her family before she has to go back to the army.
Julia, an elementary school teacher, has fallen in love with Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
), but does not know that he is married to his wife Pamela (Katherine LaNasa). Reed finds out when Harrison orders flowers for his wife and girlfriend (Julia). Harrison tells her that he needs to go to San Francisco for a business trip. Wanting to surprise him and following Reed's advice from earlier on in the day, Julia buys a plane ticket to San Francisco. Reed quickly comes to the airport and warns Julia, and she refuses to believe it and gets on the plane. She goes to the hospital where he said he would be after flying to San Francisco, but the location of the hospital is in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and inquires after him in. The nurses at the counter reveal to her that he is married and tell her the name of the restaurant where he and his wife will be dining that evening. As she teaches the owner's son, the owner allows her to dress as a waitress. Julia makes a scene at the restaurant, and gives back the toy Harrison gave her that morning. Harrison's wife, Pamela, becomes suspicious when Julia makes a comment referring to Harrison's ability to juggle, and Harrison is seen eating pizza alone in a condo later on that evening, implying that Pamela has left him right after Julia's scene. One of Julia’s students, Edison (Bryce Robinson
Bryce Robinson
Bryce Robinson is an American child actor.An Albuquerque, New Mexico native, Robinson began his career at age 6, in 2006. He has had various roles in television shows and movies, including portraying Connor Rowan on the series October Road and a 7-year-old Patrick Grogan in the film Marley & Me...
), orders flowers from Reed, to be sent to his teacher. There is a delay in the delivery of flowers, but Edison insists that Reed delivers the flowers the same day. They are for Julia; however, she suggests to Edison to give the flowers to a girl Rani in the class whom he likes a lot and who also has a crush on him, which he does is the possible.
Edison's babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
) is planning to lose her virginity with her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins
Carter Jenkins
-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
). The planned encounter goes awry when Grace's mother discovers a naked Alex in Grace's room rehearsing a song he wrote for Grace on his guitar. Meanwhile Edison’s grandparents, Edgar (Hector Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
) are facing the troubles of a long marriage. Grace explains to them that she wants to have sex with Alex, and says, "It's not like I am going to sleep with one person for the rest of my life." This upsets Estelle and leads to her telling Edgar about an affair she had with one of his business partners. The affair was while he was away, and it didn't last long. Although she is deeply sorry for what she did, Edgar is deeply upset. Grace’s high-school friends, Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
), are experiencing the freshness of new love, and have agreed to wait to have sex. On Valentine's Day, Willy gives Felicia a large white bear that she carries around with her everywhere and Felicia gets him a gray running t-shirt (which was his) and ironed the number 13 on the back for "good luck". They are interviewed on the news and advertise their love and support for each other.
Sean Jackson (Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
), a closeted
The Closet
The Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, referring to undisclosed homosexuality- See also :* Closet* Closet * In the closet...
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
professional football player, is contemplating the end of his career together with his publicist Kara (Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
) and his agent Paula (Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
). Kara, a close friend of Julia's, is organizing her annual "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, but is becoming interested in sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
) who has been sent out by his producer Susan (Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
) to cover Valentine's Day because of a lack of sports news, and they share their mutual hatred of Valentine's Day. Paula has hired a new receptionist named Liz (Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
) who has started dating mailroom clerk Jason (Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
). Jason is first shocked when Liz turns out to be moonlighting as a phone sex
Phone sex
Phone sex is a type of virtual sex that refers to sexually explicit conversation between or other persons via telephone, especially when at least one of the participants masturbates or engages in sexual fantasy...
operator. Liz explains that she is only doing this because she has a $100,000 student loan to pay off, has no health insurance, and is completely broke it's impossible. Jason decides that believe her job is too much for him to handle, but eventually comes back to the only hope with the relationship after seeing Edgar forgive his wife, Estelle.
Sean comes out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
on national television, and Holden (who is Sean's lover) goes back to him. Kate goes home to greet her son Edison. Willy drops Felicia off at home after a date and they kiss goodnight. Kelvin and Kara hang out at Kelvin's news station where they later kiss, Alfonso dines with his wife, Grace and Alex agree to wait to have sex, Edgar and Estelle retell each other their marriage vows and kiss in the theater, Jason goes back to Liz and they decide to keep a bond together but to also "keep it simple", Morley is shown walking her Border collie while trying to call Reed and the movie closes with Julia and Reed beginning a relationship on the american dreams.
Main
- Jessica AlbaJessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
as Morley Clarkson - Kathy BatesKathy BatesKathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
as Susan Moralez - Jessica BielJessica BielJessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
as Kara Monahan - Bradley CooperBradley CooperBradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
as Holden Wilson - Eric DaneEric DaneEric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
as Sean Jackson - Patrick DempseyPatrick DempseyPatrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
as Dr. Harrison Copeland - Hector ElizondoHector ElizondoHéctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
as Edgar Paddington - Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
as Kelvin Moore - Jennifer GarnerJennifer GarnerJennifer Anne Affleck , better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress and film producer. Garner gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006...
as Julia Fitzpatrick - Topher GraceTopher GraceChristopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
as Jason Morris - Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway (actress)Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
as Liz Curran - Carter JenkinsCarter Jenkins-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
as Alex Franklin - Ashton KutcherAshton KutcherChristopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
as Reed Bennett - Queen LatifahQueen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
as Paula Thomas - Taylor Lautner as Willy Harrington
- George LopezGeorge LopezGeorge Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
as Alfonso Rodriguez - Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
as Estelle Paddington - Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
as Grace Smart - Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
as Cpt. Kate Hazeltine - Bryce RobinsonBryce RobinsonBryce Robinson is an American child actor.An Albuquerque, New Mexico native, Robinson began his career at age 6, in 2006. He has had various roles in television shows and movies, including portraying Connor Rowan on the series October Road and a 7-year-old Patrick Grogan in the film Marley & Me...
as Edison Hazeltine - Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
as Felicia Miller - JewelJewelJewel may refer to:*Gemstone or jewellery*Jewel , by Bret Lott*The Jewel, a 1936 film*Jewel , a 2001 television film*Jessica Jones, a superheroine in the Marvel universe*Jewel , a U.S...
as Taffy
Minor
- Jonathan Morgan HeitJonathan Morgan HeitJonathan Morgan Heit is an American child actor known for his role in the Adam Sandler film, Bedtime Stories, where he played Patrick. He also directed and wrote a short film entitled It Happens, about a man who has a terrible day....
as Tough Franklin - Beth Kennedy as Mrs. Claudia Smart
- Katherine LaNasa as Pamela Copeland
- Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
as Michael Miller - Brooklynn ProulxBrooklynn ProulxBrooklynn Marie Proulx is a Canadian child actress. she was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada and currently lives in Calgary, Alberta. Her first film was playing Paris Jackson in a film about popstar Michael Jackson....
as Madison Copeland - Kristen SchaalKristen SchaalKristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
as Ms. Gilroy - Alex WilliamsAlex WilliamsAlexander Williams MBE is a retired English football goalkeeper.-Playing career:A product of the Manchester City youth scheme, he made his first team debut in the 1980–81 season, Succeeding Joe Corrigan in the City goal, he made a total of 125 appearances in six years, including two consecutive...
as Josh Curts - Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
as Narrator
Music
The score to Valentine's Day was composed by John DebneyJohn Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
at the Sony Scoring Stage. He also wrote a song for the film, "Every Time You Smiled", with award-winning lyricist Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
which was performed by Carina Round
Carina Round
Carina Round is a British singer/songwriter from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.Comparisons are frequently drawn to PJ Harvey, though Round would contend that she is more directly influenced by Patti Smith.- Background :...
.
The movie's official soundtrack
Valentine's Day (soundtrack)
-Chart performance:...
was released on February 9, 2010 via Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an Independent American record label specializing in country music artists. It was launched in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his...
. It features the movie's leading song, Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
's "Stay Here Forever
Stay Here Forever
"Stay Here Forever" is the title of a song written by Jewel, Dallas Davidson, and Bobby Pinson and recorded by American recording artist Jewel. It was released to country radio in January 2010 and as a music download on February 9, 2010, and serves as the lead song for the movie Valentine's Day, as...
", which was released as a single on January 19, 2010 and has charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. The soundtrack also includes "Today Was a Fairytale
Today Was a Fairytale
"Today Was a Fairytale" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's help. It was released on January 19, 2010 by Big Machine Records as a single from the corresponding soundtrack for the 2010 film...
" by Taylor Swift, which debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, breaking a record for highest first-week sales by a female artist. Taylor Swift's song "Jump Then Fall" from the Platinum edition of her album Fearless
Fearless (Taylor Swift album)
Fearless has been well-received by music professionals, with many praising Swift for her introspective lyrics, as well as her mature sound. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an...
also featured on the soundtrack. Debney's score album, including "Every Time You Smiled", (written by Debney and Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
, and not included on the song CD) was released digitally on April 7, 2010 by Watertower Music.
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
also recorded a song for the film which is called "Quit Your Job". It appears in the film but not on the soundtrack however, because of profanity in the verses.
"I Gotta Feeling
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D., produced by the French DJ David Guetta. The song was released on May 21, 2009 and debuted at number two on the Canadian and Billboard Hot 100 on the week of June 27, 2009, behind the group's "Boom Boom...
" by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
was used for the film's trailer.
Track listing for the score album:
- "The Proposal/Trying to Tell Her" – 2:20
- "The Makeup/First Kiss" – 2:25
- "Apartment Dwelling/Hollywood Loft" – 0:48
- "Arrival/Airport/Catching Julia/Gotta Stop Them" – 2:55
- "Flower Shop Talk/To the Restaurant/The Realization/Mi Familia" – 3:27
- "Light Conversation/Chivalrous Gestures/He's Married/Forget Me Not" – 3:25
- "Liz Leaves/Having Sex/I Have No Life" – 3:10
- "Julia Sees the Light/Edgar & Estelle/Young Love/First Time" – 3:31
- "She Said No/Don't Go/I Like Her" – 3:50
- "My Life's a Mess/This Is Awkward" – 1:22
- "Ride Home/Guys Talk" – 1:47
- "Mom's Home/Soccer Practice/Bike Ride" – 2:23
- "Reed and Julia" – 2:26
- "Valentine's Day" – 2:31
- "Every Time You Smiled" (Carina RoundCarina RoundCarina Round is a British singer/songwriter from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.Comparisons are frequently drawn to PJ Harvey, though Round would contend that she is more directly influenced by Patti Smith.- Background :...
) – 2:53 - "Today was a Fairytale" (Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
) - 3:58
Box office
The film debuted with $52.4 million its opening weekend, grabbing the number 1 spot over the holiday that shares its name. The film ousted two other high-profile openings; 20th Century Fox's action fantasy Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
, which debuted at number 2 with $31.1 million over three days, and Universal's werewolf film The Wolfman, with $30.6 million. It is currently the third-highest opening weekend in February. On Monday, February 15th, 2010, Valentine's Day went down to #2 behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians:The Lightning Thief, but then went back up #1 on Tuesday. On Friday, February 19th, it went down to #2 behind Shutter Island then to #3 the next day. By Friday, February 26th, it went down to #5 behind Shutter Island, The Crazies, Cop Out and Avatar. By March 18th, it went down to #14. It stayed in theaters until May 6th, 2010. With that record, it is the second biggest opening for a romantic comedy film behind Sex and the City with $57 million. The passing of the Valentine's Day holiday later had the film's box office results quickly declining with a total of $110 million in the United States and Canada as well as an additional $106 million overseas for a grand total of $216 million worldwide.
Critical response
Despite being a box office success, Valentine's Day received largely negative reviews from critics and average reviews from the community.Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a rating of 18% based on 163 reviews, with an average score of 3.8/10. Among Rotten Tomatoes' selected top critics the film holds an overall approval rating of 16% based on 32 reviews. Its consensus states: "Eager to please and stuffed with stars, Valentine's Day squanders its promise with a frantic, episodic plot and an abundance of rom-com cliches."
Metacritic, which assigns a normalized
Normalization (statistics)
In one usage in statistics, normalization is the process of isolating statistical error in repeated measured data. A normalization is sometimes based on a property...
rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 34%, based on 33 reviews.
Yahoo movies critics averaged the film's grade as a C-.
Giving the film 3/4 stars, the overall opinion of Carrie Rickey's review for The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
is that "It is a pleasant, undemanding movie that takes place over 18 hours on V-Day and considers Very Attractive People whose romantic destinies converge, diverge, and cloverleaf like the interstates threading through California's Southland
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
".
Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times commented that "The effect of all those spinning songs, stars and scenarios is merry-go-round-like, producing a sort of dizzying collage that no doubt some will adore, while others will just get nauseous...".
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
called the film a 'greeting card full of vomit'. Rene Rodriguez for the Miami Herald gave the film 2/4 stars, describing the film as "surfing through the channels of an all-chick-flick cable service." Rodriguez also criticized the film's blandness, stating the film should have "shed some of its blander plotlines[…]and spent a little more time exploring the thrill and elation of being in love – or at least just being horny".
Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
movie critic Dana Stevens
Dana Stevens (critic)
Dana Shawn Stevens is a movie critic at Slate magazine. She is also a regular on the magazine's weekly cultural podcast the Culture Gabfest.-Life and career:Stevens grew up in Scarsdale, New York...
wrote that the film "lacks in charm, humor, and intelligence...".
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone gave the film one star out of four. Travers' analysis of the film simply states that "Valentine's Day is a date movie from hell".
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
was not complimentary either on his Film 2010
The Film programme
The Film programme is a British film review television programme, broadcast weekly on BBC One, presented by Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh. The title of the show changes each year to incorporate the year of broadcast, with the current series being Film 2011, but when referring to successive...
show. He said "I thought the film was just awful".
Valentine's Day is noted for sharing similarities with the British film Love Actually
Love Actually
Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
, particularly the basic premise of multiple storylines occurring around a popular holiday, and sometimes identical subplots. Many British bloggers and online critics described Valentine's Day as "an American copycat version of Love Actually," focusing on how Valentine's Day, like Love Actually, has an all-star cast whose characters' storylines intertwine with one another.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 MTV Movie Awards 2010 MTV Movie Awards The 2010 MTV Movie Awards was the 19th annual ceremony which took place on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Aziz Ansari served as a host for the 19th annual ceremony. Voting the nominees began from a list of eligible contestants on March 29, 2010, and ended on April 9, 2010... |
Best Kiss | Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner | |
| 2010 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Choice Movie: Romantic Comedy | Film | |
| Choice Movie Actor: Romantic Comedy | Ashton Kutcher | ||
| Choice Movie Actress: Romantic Comedy | Queen Latifah | ||
| Choice: Chemistry | Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner | ||
| Choice: Breakout Female | Taylor Swift | ||
| Choice: Liplock | Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner | ||
| Choice: Scene Stealer - Female | Anne Hathaway | ||
| Choice: Scene Stealer - Male | George Lopez | ||
| Choice: Hissy Fit | Jessica Biel | ||
| 37th People's Choice Awards 37th People's Choice Awards The 37th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2010, were held on January 5, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET... |
Favorite Comedy Movie | Film | |
| 31st Golden Raspberry Awards 31st Golden Raspberry Awards The 31st Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies is a parodic award ceremony that was held on February 26, 2011, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood to honor the worst films of 2010. The nominations were announced on January 24. Per Razzies tradition, both the nominee announcements and... |
Worst Actor | Ashton Kutcher | |
| Worst Actor | Taylor Lautner | ||
| Worst Supporting Actor | George Lopez | ||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Jessica Alba |
Home media
Valentine's Day was released on Region 1 DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on 18 May 2010.
Proposed sequel
A sequel announced by director Garry MarshallGarry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
was in the works. It will be called New Year's Eve and will be set on December 31-January 1. Marshall is expected to return for the film and writer Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate is an American film and television writer and producer.-Biography:Fugate is the creator of the TV series, Army Wives. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from University of California, Riverside. Fugate and her aunt, the actress Barbara Eden, are direct descendants of...
has already written the draft. Marshall also wants some of the original film's cast to return for the sequel. Filming will begin in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in late 2010. The film is scheduled for release on December 9, 2011.
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
and Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
are set to star. On December 8, 2010 it was revealed that the film is a not a sequel to Valentine's Day and that Jessica Biel and Ashton Kutcher would play different characters.