The Vow

I think the movie The Vow is a good example of an Aristotelian romantic comedy. After getting in a car crash, Paige loses all memory of her relationship with Leo. Their marriage is tested, but they end up reuniting. While there is a happy ending, the movie does not show Leo and Paige remarrying or professing their love again. Rather, they decide to get dinner together when they happen to meet outside of their old favorite restaurant.

I like The Vow more than other romantic comedies, and find it more meaningful, because we learn more about the characters and their relationship. We learn about Paige's hobbies, passions, and quirks as Leo tries to help Paige remember her life. Although not much is explicitly stated about Leo, we learn a lot about his character by how he treats Paige after the accident. As Leo tries to win Paige back, we see the routines that make their relationship unique and more realistic.

The Vow definitely has some of the stereotypical romantic comedy aspects, but it says more about human nature than just that "true love" lasts a lifetime. It shows how easily we can lose ourselves, and the necessity of genuine relationships to help us recenter our priorities. It also shows how we often hurt the ones we care about most, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Paige's family betrays her trust, which she finds out after she moves in with them, and Paige hurts Leo by going back to her previous fiancé. Although the relationship between Paige and Leo is romantic, I think the movie comments on what valuable human connections in general look like. In the end, Leo just wants Paige to be happy, no matter which "version" of herself she chooses or if she chooses to be with him. I think that it's meaningful to know what type of relationships we deserve, and The Vow argues that we deserve relationships that will last through changes in appearance, personality, and lifestyle.