by Julie Kelley

            Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams lead the way in this romantic drama.  Rachel McAdams portrays Paige, a woman whom we later find out is from a wealthy and quite Stepfordesque family of an affluent Chicago suburb.  Channing Tatum is just Leo, the man who wins her heart.  Twice.

Leo believes in moments.  One of his defining moments is when he crosses paths with Paige and she returns his glance.  What follows is a darling portrayal of a most genuine love.  Leo and Paige travel through life and actually live life with true enjoyment of even the most small things.  Leo describes their love as a “once in a lifetime love” in the vows he wrote for their wedding.  Both Leo and Paige work in artistic and creative fields and both are very expressive and genuine.

Leo and Paige live each day to the fullest.  Most of us cannot say we do the same and this movie inspires in the little things that make up our every day that can bring us joy we simply don’t allow.  A fluke car accident in bad weather causes a head injury for Paige that results in amnesia.  The amnesia takes Paige back to the time when she was in law school and engaged to a man who is not her current husband.  We further find out that Paige is very estranged from her family, who were not supportive of her creative endeavors, i.e. blue blood or bust.

Leo embarks on a campaign to win his wife over all over again.  Paige’s parents have a much different idea.  After awhile, Paige’s parents’ blue blood requirements become evident, and as it becomes clear that Paige’s amnesia is not lifting, Leo thinks, “how do I look at the girl I love and just walk away?”  Alas, through the influence of Paige’s family, Leo finds himself involuntarily doing just that.  What Paige finally realizes is that Leo accepted her for who she was, and not who he wanted her to be; that he gave her the type of unconditional love she was unable to receive from her own family.

Blah, blah, blah, we get what the movie is about, should we see it?  Emphatically yes! The acting was superb and genuine, the feelings were real.  This is probably one of the truest love stories I’ve seen, with a mix of ‘what if’ thrown in for good measure.  Watch this movie.  Pause and reflect on what matters in your life, what doesn’t, what should, what shouldn’t.  Because if you can truly smile, you have it all.

^^Did I feel like pulling out my cell phone because I was bored rating?^^  LOW