The Vow

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and celebrities are kissing on movie posters. That means it’s time for films like The Vow, a shameless tearjerker that feels targeted toward a specific half of every couple that goes to see it.

To say it’s a chick flick isn’t really fair to female moviegoers who don’t care for this sort of mildly touching but mostly manipulative romance that, naturally, is inspired by a true story.

In fairness, the film features some decent performances by stars Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, and it — just barely — doesn’t indulge in as much sappy melodrama as the average Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

Nevertheless, the entire plot hinges on an impulsive moment of colossal stupidity between Chicago newlyweds Leo (Tatum) and Paige (McAdams) — specifically, the decision to stop their car in the middle of snowy city street for a long kiss. That’s when a truck rear-ends the couple, sending Paige through the windshield and to the hospital with severe head trauma.

She awakens from a coma with a form of short-term amnesia, causing her to forget about her relationship with Leo but remember selected episodes from her childhood. With Leo forced to start over with his wife, frustrations mount during Paige’s recovery time just as her estranged parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) swoop in with ulterior motives and an old flame (Scott Speedman) sees an opportunity for reconciliation.

The Vow is filled with cutesy romantic moments without much subtlety or surprise. The narration is trite and heavy-handed, and the screenplay is generally predictable as Leo and Paige struggle to accept and adapt to their new reality after the accident.

Tatum and McAdams help to smooth out some of the rough spots by conveying a convincing chemistry that is vital toward eliciting some audience sympathy.

Yet they can’t rescue a film that trivializes Paige’s condition by using it as a character development device and a springboard to detour into irrelevant subplots. In fact, the volume of contrivances is enough to make the audience wonder how much of the story is true in the first place.

Whether viewers will experience the intended emotional reaction and reach for the tissues will depend on their individual ability to forgive the script’s logical flaws.

Rated PG-13, 103 minutes.