Stuck In Love

Year of Release: 2013
Director: Josh Boone
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Kristen Bell, Liana Liberato

I mentioned in my last post that this film was one I have been dying to go and see. When I went to watch it I was still a bit unsure what to expect. As I said before, it seemed like it could be one of those films that is either really great or really bad. Happily, I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised – I loved it.

     As the title suggests, the film is about different experiences and expressions of love. There is William Borgens (Greg Kinnear), a successful writer struggling to let go of his wife who left him for another much younger man. Undeterred he resorts to spending his nights spying on his ex-wife from the bushes in her back garden and still insists on setting a place for her at thanksgiving, insisting that she will return. His son, Rusty (Nat Wolff), is a hopeless romantic who spends much of his time writing and fantasising about a girl named Kate (Liana Liberato) from his school. After being urged by his father to leave the safety of his bedroom to gain life experiences, Rusty manages to land the girl. Sadly, Kate is not quite as sweet as she seems – she turns out to be a drug-addict with a lot of personal issues that Rusty isn’t very well equipped to handle. 

And then there is William’s daughter, Samantha (Lily Collins), who makes every attempt to avoid love altogether. After witnessing the pain her Father went through after being left by his wife, she shuns any possibility of romance opting for promiscuity instead. That is until Lou stumbles into her life (Logan Lerman), a sweet and lovable guy who determinedly wills her into giving him a chance.

     I know the turbulent and often rocky love lives described above make this film sound rather depressing but it really is an uplifting and enjoyable story. It has charm, humour and wit, and for every down there is an up – a silver lining if you will. Relationships blossom over shared interests, be it songs, books and writing, and it is shown that sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect. This is a truly engaging and entertaining film with relatable storylines and a fantastic cast who do a fantastic job of bringing lovable and memorable characters to life. It will make you both laugh and cry and will most certainly leave you with a ridiculous smile on your face.

My rating: 8/10