The Vow - Movie Review

★★★

Starring Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill, Jessica Lange, Scott Speedman, Wendy Crewson and Jessica McNamee.  Directed by Michael Sucsy.

The Vow has a straight-forward concept with a "What would you do?" element for the audience.  It's inspired by real events, and it was cool afterwards to read some of the details of the real couple.

This Hollywood spin has two lovebirds, happily married, Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum), when a car accident changes everything.  He has some scrapes and bruises, but she has brain damage, and when she wakes up, she has no memories of the past five years, including ever meeting, let alone marrying, Leo.  He must win her over all over again.

It isn't a very deep movie. The presense of Neill and Lange as her parents only emphasizes that these talents are capable of much more than the script asks them to do.  And McAdams and Tatum, while good together, are no match for the chemistry McAdams and Ryan Gosling once made in The Notebook.

But on its own featherweight ambitions, I liked it, especially McAdams.  It's a decent date movie.