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The Vow Review

Release Date: Feb 10, 2012
Rated: Sexual content, partial nudity, some language and an accident scene
Runtime: 1 hr. 44 min.
Genres: Drama, Romance
Director:Michael Sucsy
Cast:Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange, Sam Neill, Wendy Crewson. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

3.5

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

Hey ladies... Read full review

4.0

Grae Drake Profile <h3>Grae Drake</h3> <p><strong>Movie maven about town</strong></p> <br /> <p>Grae Drake began her love affair with cinema as a wee bairn, as she spent every weekend corralling her friends over to the local...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/grae-drake">Read full profile</a></p>

You had me at "coma." Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

3.0

43

out of 100

Metascore^®
Mixed or average reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
25

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
It's a tragedy, really: According to the hapless team who made the movie, Our Paige is a relatively interesting young liberal who knows her own mind before the accident and a rather tedious, girlish conservative who fusses about keeping her hair smooth afterwards.

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50

out of 100

USA Today Claudia Puig
It may appeal to the most rabid fans of tearjerk romances like "The Notebook," but it's a hard-to-swallow, maudlin tale.

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50

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy
Such heart-tuggers have their appeal to some people in any era, but earnest hokum of this nature has become increasingly rare. And for a reason.

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See all The Vow reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 14+

Predictable romantic drama lacks depth.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this true story-inspired emotional drama, which is cut from the same cloth as the very romantic The Notebook, also stars Rachel McAdams (here she plays a young artist who wakes up from a coma with absolutely no idea that she's happily married to Channing Tatum). It's a tearjerker that deals with some heavy material, including family estrangement, infidelity, divorce, loss, and identity. Expect sexual innuendo, kissing and making out, and partial nudity (a man's backside), as well as some swearing ("s--t," etc.) and social drinking. The sexual content is presented within the context of a couple's deep love for each other.

Families can talk about The Vow's messages about relationships. What is it saying about marriage? The nature of love? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding relationships.
Do you consider Paige a role model? Why does she let others make decisions for her? How does she break out of this rut?
The movie was inspired by true events. How accurate do you think it is? Why might filmmakers change the details of a true story when making a movie?

The good stuff

Messages: The movie's main messages are that we should accept everything that comes our way and try to take it in stride and that love can conquer all (even if "all" includes extreme amnesia and strong parental opposition). Also, if you love someone, set them free. If it's meant to be, it will be.
Role models: Leo is very patient and gentle with Paige, who tries to respond in kind but doesn't always succeed. Their friends appear very supportive. And even Paige's parents, though deeply flawed, come around in the end. On the other hand, the movie doesn't present Paige as particularly strong/empowered, especially post-accident; it's as if it robbed her of the ability to think for herself. And a family snubs a young man apparently because he's not as well-off as they are (they have the bigger house, better car, more expensive clothes, etc.).

What to watch for

Violence: A pivotal car crash sends one main character through a windshield, with glass breaking and serious injury. One guy punches another. Some yelling.
Sex: A man's naked backside is glimpsed; but even more frequently on display are his pectorals, since he often appears shirtless. A woman strips to her underwear to jump into a lake. Some kissing and making out. A couple is shown entwined under a sheet; they're presumably naked underneath.
Language: Fairly infrequent use of words like "s--t," "c--k," "d--k," "hell," "goddamn," "ass," "damn," and "oh my God."
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some social drinking at parties and restaurants.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.