Love Happens is a 2009 American romantic drama film starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston.
Burke Ryan (Eckhart), is a successful Ph.D. and author of a self-help book that gives advice about dealing with the loss of a loved one. He writes the book after his wife dies in a car accident as a way to deal with the grief. While giving a workshop in Seattle, where his wife was from, he meets Eloise (Aniston), a creative floral designer who owns her own flower shop.
This film contains examples of:
- The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Burke wrote a self-help book that gives advice about dealing with the loss of a loved one after his wife dies in a car accident as a way to deal with the grief, but it soon becomes clear that Burke himself has not been following his own advice and has not been able to deal with the loss of his wife. It is later revealed that, in the car accident in which his wife died, he was driving the car, and not her, as he previously maintained, and due to this he blames himself for her death.
- Hapless Self-Help: Burke Ryan wrote a self-help book about getting over loss, but he doesn't follow his own advice and has not healed from his wife's death. At least part of this is guilt that he was driving the car, and not her as he claimed.
- It's All My Fault: Towards the end, Burke confesses that he was driving the car during the car accident in which his wife died, and not her, as he previously maintained, and that due to this, he blames himself for her death.
- The Lost Lenore: It's clear that Burke took the death of his wife very hard.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Eloise is a quirky flower shop owner that teaches Burke how to love again and heal after his wife's death.
- Rom Com Job: Of the "Creative Media" and "Shop Owner" types, respectively; Burke is a self-help book writer and Eloise is a flower shop owner.
