Fall and Get "Stuck in Love"

Rachel Smith ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

These are the days that having Netflix is a gift from the indie movie gods. Stuck in Love was released in July to limited theaters but Netflix has put it up just in time for Valentine’s Day. Here is a film that will break your heart and put it back together in 97 minutes.
The three relationships explored in the film show the innocence of first loves, the courage of looking for more than a one-night stand, and what “til death do us part” really means.
This romantic comedy stars some easily recognizable faces . Greg Kinnear plays Bill, a hopeless romantic and struggling writer trying to put his life on track after his wife leaves him for another man. His children, Samantha and Rusty, played by Lily Collins and Naked Brothers Band alum, Nat Wolff (Nickelodeon glory days flashback), try to help their dad move on and also attempt to follow in his writer footsteps.
“It hurt to look at her.” That is how Rusty describes his feelings for his high school crush. He is the underdog to root for from beginning to end. Rusty, who is not very popular and relatively unconfident, has his father encourage him to go after the girl and to have as many experiences as possible, because that is, his father believes, what will make him a real writer. Rusty follows this advice and by the end of the movie has a hefty amount of material for his future novels.

Sam and Rusty may share DNA but they are still polar opposites. She is the girl that sleeps around and lives life like it has no consequences. It makes her a great writer but ultimately leaves her empty. Sam is afraid of love because of her parents’ divorce but fear not, Perks of Being a Wallflower star, Logan Lerman shows up in the form of awkward prince charming, Louis.
Louis has loved Sam from afar and is annoyingly persistent in efforts to make her see him. As if he didn’t capture our hearts already, he is a true gentleman in all of his efforts, though some are unwelcomed by Sam.
The film moves through the kids’ relationships but is based primarily around their father. Jennifer Connelly plays his ex-wife who begs him to let her go but he still holds on, based on a promise they made in happier times.
Every Thanksgiving he sets a place for her in hopes that she will come back. It will make you wonder how marriage will be, how far forgiveness should go and how hard it is going to be to make a Thanksgiving dinner.
Overall, Stuck in Love is not like generic romantic comedies. The writing (Josh Boone) is fantastic from beginning to end and the casting is perfectly matched. Thank you Netflix, for bestowing the gem upon your subscribers.
Overall Grade: A-