Things You Forgot Happened In Valentine's Day
There's a lot going on in Valentine's Day, which packs in as many A-list actors and rom-com storylines as it can. Audience members might remember that mostly everyone falls in love in this film — it takes place during the love holiday, after all — but there are plenty of smaller details that are easy to forget. Viewers might not even remember which couples actually end up together.
From Jennifer Garner's character Julia Fitzpatrick having her heart broken by a doctor played by Patrick Dempsey, to Larry Miller appearing briefly as an airport ticket agent, Valentine's Day's storylines are multitudinous. The characters don't have much time to develop, a fact for which critics dinged the film. But as in New Year's Eve, the second installment in Garry Marshall's unofficial trilogy of holiday-themed romantic comedies, the audience knows the characters' paths are somehow going to cross at some point. Love Actually perfected the ensemble cast rom-com formula, and movies like Valentine's Day followed suit by swinging for the fences and attempting to make each and every character fall in love.
For anyone who'd like a refresher, we're here to reacquaint you with the events of Valentine's Day.
Reed falls for Julia, despite proposing to Morley that morning
Audience members might remember that florist Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher) proposes to his girlfriend Morley Clarkson (Jessica Alba) at the beginning of the movie, but it's easy to forget that his engagement doesn't last long. In fact, it doesn't even make it until the end of the day. Moreover, despite being crushed after Morley breaks off the engagement because she's — here comes a rom-com trope — focused on her career, Reed stays relatively upbeat for the rest of the movie.
Reed goes on to kiss his best friend Julia. Their first kiss is awkward, as they've been friends for a long time and not romantic partners. But then, they kiss once more. Valentine's Day magic kicks in, putting them under its spell. That's all very well and good, but remember: Reed proposed to the person he thought was perfect for him at the beginning of that same day. It's nice that he ends up with his true soulmate by the movie's end, but jeez, maybe take a day to think about it?
George Lopez and Ashton Kutcher play best friends who deliver flowers
There's a lot to unpack here. For starters, since numerous A-listers made the Valentine's Day roster, it's easy to forget some of the actors crammed into the film, not to mention the roles they played ... especially if you haven't seen this movie since its release. For example, comedian and actor George Lopez not only stars in Valentine's Day, but his character, Alfonso Rodriguez, is best friends with Kutcher's character, Reed. And if you forgot that detail, then you likely don't remember this either: Throughout the movie, Alfonso and Reed deliver flowers. This is, to say the least, a different and refreshing look for these actors: When a rom-com features characters who work as florists, they're pretty much always women.
Alfonso is still happily in love with his wife. As one of the only characters who appears to have love down, he gives a broken-up Reed sage advice about the secret of marriage: Alfonso's relationship is still thriving because he married his best friend. This makes the love lightbulb go off in Reed's head, as he has been secretly in love with his best friend Julia the whole time.
Anne Hathaway's character moonlights as an "adult phone entertainer"
Audience members might remember that Liz Curran (Anne Hathaway) falls in love with Jason Morris (Topher Grace), but it's easy to forget the path she took to get there. Liz moonlights as an "adult phone entertainer," which is code for a phone sex operator. Her day job is as a receptionist for Paula Thomas (Queen Latifah). Paula is an agent who represents NFL quarterback Sean Jackson (Eric Dane). Although Liz hides her side hustle from Jason out of fear of judgment, she eventually tells him about her side hustle, which she works because she has a massive student loan to pay off.
This might not sound too absurd for someone who's from Los Angeles, which is where the movie takes place, but Jason is a small-town kid from Muncie, Indiana. The wildest thing he's ever done? He left Muncie, Indiana. But because these types of movies like to force unlikely characters into a relationship, especially if the holidays are involved, Liz and Jason end up together with nary a peep of protest. As for Paula, well, she receives a call from one of Liz's clients at her office and decides to entertain it.
Taylor Swift is in this movie, and romances Taylor Lautner
Taylor Swift had star power when Valentine's Day hit theaters in 2010. She wasn't, however, the unquestioned icon she is today. Therefore, it's easy to forget that she was in this film at all, especially since a plethora of stars share the screen with her. It's even easier to forget that she shared an on-screen romance with Twilight star Taylor Lautner.
Swift plays a high school dancer named Felicia Miller. Felicia loves everything about Valentine's Day, as well as her boyfriend, Lautner's Willy Harrington, a track star. The two portray a stereotypical high school couple who are madly in love and aren't afraid to indulge in PDA, even when a news station is at their school.
Swift's hit, "Today Was a Fairytale," is also featured in the movie, another detail that can be easily forgotten. The song is perfect for Valentine's Day, full of lyrics that are about, of course, being in love. Swift has gone on to pen many more love songs, though the ones she's producing today tend to be a bit more complicated.
Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts' characters spend most of the movie on a plane
Actors aren't always placed in the most physically comfortable spaces. For example, Ryan Reynolds' character is trapped in a coffin for the entirety of Buried. As for Valentine's Day, Holden Wilson (Bradley Cooper) and Captain Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts) spend most of the film on a plane, a setting that tends to lack personal space and privacy.
Holden is a well-dressed man with means. A town car arrives to pick him up from the airport, after all, which gives off a Mr. Big from Sex and the City vibe. In contrast, Kate is in the U.S. Army, and only has one day to visit a mysterious person. While a typical rom-com story would have these two characters falling in love, they actually go their separate ways and play a role in two of the biggest twists of the movie. But because the plot moves quickly and all the characters' stories can feel like information overload, it's easy to forget Holden and Kate's ending — not to mention the fact that these characters spend most of the movie squashed onto a plane.
Sean Jackson comes out during a press conference
Valentine's Day's Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is actually a pretty non-stereotypical rom-com character. Sean is an aging football player who's perceived as a playboy and a general man's man. It's apparent that he's struggling to make a big decision, and he sets up a press conference to disclose whatever he's chewing on. Audience members who haven't seen this movie in a while might remember that Sean's press conference entails the future of his career in the NFL. However, Sean also comes out as gay during this event and shocks the sports world.
Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx), a sports journalist who's not fazed by this announcement, asks Sean the question the reporters are there for: Is he retiring from football? Sean responds that he's going to continue to play. The movie makes it seem like he's struggling with his retirement decision, but what he's actually trying to decide is if he should let the world know a deeper truth about himself. His plan to come back for another season was decided all along, in fact. This event, arguably the most surprising part of Valentine's Day up until this point, also sets the stage for an even more surprising moment.
Holden comes home to Sean
After spending the entire movie casually flirting with Kate on a plane and telling her how lucky her mystery man must be, Holden comes home ... to Sean Jackson.
In a final play to presumably get in her good graces, Holden lets Kate use his town car so she can get to her destination faster. Kate would likely be surprised by Holden's final destination, as she points out how one of the flight attendants keeps looking at Holden while they're flying. But no, Valentine's Day throws a major curveball. Holden, who presumably saw Sean's press conference, comes home to the man he's in love with, star quarterback Sean Jackson. Although this is one of the biggest twists of the film, it's still not easy to remember, given the way all of the movie's stories come together, one after the other, at the film's end. In an attempt to neatly package all of its characters' arcs, Valentine's Day ends up making it impossible to remember them all.
Kate doesn't go home to be with a man — she returns home to see her son
Although it's implied that Kate is going home to be with a romantic partner, she actually returns to her son, Edison (Bryce Robinson). That's not easy to remember, especially since Holden flirts with Kate throughout their flight. In Holden's defense, Kate never corrects him — and hey, Kate also doesn't know he's with Sean. Maybe she finds Holden attractive, or just appreciates his company? She might also be exhausted, as she only has a short amount of time away from her job before she has to return to duty.
The movie's end, once again, tries to jam all the stories together in a small amount of time, making it hard to remember every single detail, no matter how big or shocking. Either way, Kate making it home to see her lonely son on Valentine's Day is one of the more welcome and sentimental moments of the movie.
A young and almost unrecognizable Emma Roberts plays a high schooler named Grace Smart
Since Valentine's Day was released in 2010 and features some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Emma Roberts' role might have gone over the heads of most audience members. Roberts, needless to say, wasn't as big of a star then as she is today. The first season of American Horror Story, a horror anthology series that Roberts routinely stars in, didn't even hit TV sets until 2011.
In Valentine's Day, Roberts plays a high schooler named Grace Smart. Grace and her boyfriend Alex Franklin (Carter Jenkins) are planning to have sex for the first time. Yet their planned encounter is ruined when Grace's mother comes home during the middle of the day to find a naked Alex waiting for Grace. In the end, Grace and Alex decide that they want to wait.
Grace is amazed that Edgar Paddington (Héctor Elizondo) and Estelle Paddington (Shirley MacLaine) have been each other's only lovers, as they're an older couple who have been married for years. This sets in motion another bundle of troubles and reconciliation, as a guilt-ridden Estelle confesses to Edgar that she once had an affair.
Estelle Paddington is an old movie star
Edgar and Estelle Paddington briefly separate after Estelle comes clean about the affair she had with his business partner years prior. Estelle is deeply sorry, and claims she never meant to hurt Edgar. Upset and stunned by this news, he leaves to collect his thoughts. He then goes on a journey you very well might have forgotten about, which pairs him with an unlikely friend: The much younger Jason Morris.
Because this is a romantic comedy in which love always finds a way, Edgar and Estelle reconcile after she finds him at an outdoor movie. This is when it's revealed that Estelle is an old movie star, as one of her films is playing at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. As a younger version of Estelle kisses a man on the screen, Estelle and Edgar kiss in the present moment. Jason sees how Edgar forgives his wife, which gives him the courage to forgive Liz.
Morley Clarkson and Dr. Harrison Copeland don't find love
Since Valentine's Day is a rom-com which takes place during the most romantic day of the calendar, one would think that everyone would end up in a couple. But that, unfortunately, isn't in the cards for Morley and Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey). That's right: As you might not remember, not everyone ends up coupled in Valentine's Day.
That's doesn't mean they don't end up happy, however. Morley just isn't ready to be in a committed relationship that involves marriage — she's "married to her career." Her final appearance is of her walking her dog at night. This is a perfectly fine ending for her, at this point in her life: It's what she wants, and nothing less.
Harrison's tale, in contrast, is riddled with infidelity. Not only does he cheat on his wife, but he tells Julia that he's no longer with her. This blows up in his face at dinner when Julia surprises Harrison and his wife, disguised as their waitress. Julia serves up the truth, leading to Harrison's wife realizing she's one of his lovers. She promptly leaves him. Harrison ends the movie alone, playing out all the mistakes he made in his head.
But Valentine's Day, luckily, ends on a happy note. All the people who were looking for love and happiness find it.