“Stuck In Love” Movie Review

So I had heard this movie was good and thought to myself…

Why the hell not.

So I sat down with a cup of green tea, some graham crackers, and my trusty ole pal Netflix and gave it a whirl…

and boy am I glad I did.

It’s basically a must watch if you are a writer.

And a must watch if you are a human.

The story revolves around the ups and downs of life for the Borgens family; a family of writers.

The dad is a well known writer, the daughter is an up and coming writer (and studying to become a better one in college), and the son is realizing writing is closest to his heart while he tries writing about his invisibility to the high school girl he has fallen in love with from a distance. Full Plot Here.

The Movie Stars a few familiar faces…

Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff and Logan Lerman.

The Netflix description reads:

This quirky tale follows a year in the lives of the Borgens clan, which is in a tailspin thanks to the family patriarch’s obsession with his ex-wife.

Ok so I don’t know about you but that synopsis did absolutely nothing for me. It’s very vague and I felt like there wasn’t much of a hook. Instead of the comedy-drama which it actually is. I thought I was going to be faced with a weird obsessed father figure out to redeem his ex wife with creepy intentions. I wasn’t entirely convinced it would be a good watch. But I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised.

“If that was your opening line of a book, your reader would be hooked.”- Bill Borgens

“Stuck in Love” with it’s back talking college daughter afraid to love and it’s somewhat hopeless romantic of a son quietly captures your heart. And in the drama that is a failed marriage and serious issues like infidelity, divorce, the trials and tribulations of navigating high school life, and even death, there is a quiet whisper of smiles, of laughs, of sweet sarcasm. The acting in it is so natural and so realistic, it makes you feel like you know this family. Or even as though you’re a part of it. I swear I’m the girl version of Rusty!

“You’re cute Lou, but you reek of romance and good intentions”- Samantha (where do I sign up Lou?)

Lily Collins nails her role as “Samantha” and blends nicely with Logan Lerman’s character “Lou.” It’s a dynamic we’ve all seen; girl grows up with a broken home, which turns her off to the idea of looking for love. She stays promiscuous, but shy’s away from the good guys, to shelter herself from getting hurt. With a sarcastic verbal crotch grab to the one decent guy who ever actually wanted to get to know her for her, knocking him down before he even gets a word in. Ya know on the off chance he gets too close. Lerman delivers every girls fantasy; a sweet guy, who was raised with respect and integrity and who values a girl for who she is. Hey Lou, if Sam doesn’t want you…come find me 😉

Nat Wolff’s character “Rusty” is a closeted romantic. The more you watch the more you realize the similarities between he and his father played by Greg Kinnear (Bill) are uncanning. Both in love with love or the idea of love. Both writers. Both not wanting to let go of the possibility of reaching for the love they shared or could share with the woman in their life. Rusty is a young teen who has little life experience to write about. So in order to write better, he channels more into life, and tries really living it.

Kinnear is the driving force as the father “Bill” to this dramedy. He narrates as the story unfolds. His voice reeling you in, making you want to know what happens next. His “obsession” with his ex-wife; who has since moved on and remarried, consists of him continuously wearing his wedding band, stalking and spying on her and her new husband in their own home, failing to look for new love outside a convenient “friends with benefits” relationship, neglecting to write new material, and setting a plate for her at every thanksgiving stating that “she’s coming back.” It’s been three years. Now mind you that may sound creepy and it is to the casual onlooker. But when you get to the root of the issue, which is being in love with someone so much that it consumes your life, that it consumes your heart and soul, that you can’t live without them. Or in some strange way you can breathe and live, but you’re not liv-ing. Then how can you blame him. How can you fault him. How can you cast aside a man who loves like that. That’s not a crime. If anything not feeling like that at least once in your life, is the true travesty. That’s what I think true love actually feels like. Because if life is not about love, then what the hell do we have left.  It’s a beautiful story and Kinnear plays it in a way where you not only forgive him for the stalking, but you feel for him and in some sense it leaves you rooting for the once married couple, to get back together.

It was just a beautiful story. Great acting. Great writing. Seamless Directing. There are such beautiful moments in this movie, such beautiful lines, poetic even. I’m telling you this will touch your heart. And for all those writers out there, it will give you new faith, and inspire you. I know it did for me.

It’s a shame, I read that it had limited theatrical release in the United States on July 5, 2013. I honestly don’t remember hearing about it. But I’m glad that Beauty Guru Meghan Rienks recommended it, in a recent Favorites video. So shout out to Meaghan…thanks girl! Glad I watched it! And you should be glad too…get on that.

“Stuck In Love.” Netflix it. Now.

-<3-