Pop Culture #2

"The Vow"

One of the newest, but most adored movies to come to life in the love story world. The touching story of a man's deep love for his wife, as he tries to bring her to falling in love with him all over after a traumatic car accident in which the woman is unable to remember her life from the time of meeting her husband to the present. The actors in this movie do a great job at their roles as they express and convey the emotion of the experiences and challenges faced throughout the movie.

 

In the beginning of the movie we are introduced to Paige and Leo, a young college girl who moves to the city and meets the handsome, young, charming Leo. They fall madly in love and eventually decide to get married. After reciting very memorable vows, a set that is so sweet and well known, that people spoke about them for quite some time after the movie came out. Young girls were smitten with the vows they recited to each other, even though the couple was wed by a friend in a museum, and their ceremoy cut short as they were chased out by security guards; the scene is still a romantic one and girls yearn to have a love like that.

 

Here is the sweet scene and the vows that they recited.

 

 

 

Soon after being married, while going out one night, the couple is involved in a terrible wreck, in which Paige is thrown forward into the dash, causing a severe brain injury. Upon waking up in the hospital, with Leo right at her side, Paige has no recognition of who Leo is, or why he is there. The doctor then comes in to explain Paige's brain injuries were so bad, she has a form of amnesia and her memory can only recall her life before she met Leo. The couple decides to try to reconnect all over by going about their normal life routines, but when this seems to fail, Paige moves back in with her parents and slowly begans to forget about Leo, or so it seems.

 

We see time and time again as Channing Tatum, the lead male role, shows acts of love and kindness as he tries to get his wife to fall head over hills for him again. Most of these times, he is turned down several times by Paige.As the movie goes on we see the couple become more and more frustrated with each other as they slowly drift apart.

 

Soon, as the end comes close, the two lovers decide to depart each other and try to get on with their lives. Heartbroken Leo leaves his beloved Paige to live her life as she pleases, only to end the movie with her coming back to him, asking to try their life together again because she realized she really did love him.

 

So once again, as in all fantasy love stories, it's a happily ever after.

 

Although, I personally love this movie, there were a couple faults with their relationship. As the story starts out, before asking Paige to marry him, instead Leo asks her to move in. This is one thing that is seen quite frequently in relationships today. The idea of marriage has simply turned into living with each other, or having sleep overs instead of putting a ring on the finger and making a promise for life. The fear of commitment is a big reason for this, and is a big reason why their are so many broken relationships.

 

Another factor was the fact that when the couple got married, we learn later in the story, they never told Paige's parents, and although their reasoning seemed good (Paige hadn't spoke to her parents in years because of an incident the story later explains) but in all reality, if Paige would have fixed her relationship with them first before getting married, then her and Leo may not have had as many problems trying to reconnect after their car accident.

 

In my opinion, this movie is a great love story. It shows perserverance and dedication, however with the problems I mentioned above, it gives people the belief that marriage isn't neccessary essential, or that big of a deal in some circumstances.