After grossing more than $8 million, “Love Happens” has made it to No. 4 in the box office charts this week.

With the touch of good writers and a cast known for quality performances, this fall flick will certainly win the approval of many blockbuster moviegoers.

Jennifer Anniston and Aaron Eckhart star in this romantic comedy that sheds light on the meanings behind Lord Alfred Tennyson’s classic poetic saying, “It is better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all.”

Although not different than most Hollywood love stories, “Love Happens” does have the ability to engage audiences in a thematic score of the hardships of reality and the need for the capacity to move on.

Aaron Eckhart plays the role of Burke, a widower who in order to cope with the loss of his wife, wrote a self-help book on how to muddle through the stressors that come with the death of a loved one. In doing so, he wound up creating one of the best-selling books to hit the market.

Convinced to take a trip to his late wife’s hometown of Seattle by his publicist, Lane (Dan Fogler), to lead a seminar on his book, Burke is forced to combat all the feelings of loneliness, anger and depression he has tried so hard to escape.

Starting to question the ethical implications of the profit margins on a book that he wrote in order to deal with his dead wife, Burke drinks in order to numb the realities that are his life.

Meanwhile, Eloise (Anniston), a reserved floral shop owner, has sworn off the dating game upon learning of her boyfriend’s recent infidelity.
By luck of the draw, Burke and Eloise unexpectedly bump into each other after Eloise does the floral arrangements in the same hotel in which Burke is conducting the seminar.

Eloise originally tries to avoid making any real discussion with Burke, as she has taken this new vow of independence due to a slew of bad relationship decisions she has made in the past.

But for the first time since his wife’s death, Burke seems to spark an instant attraction to Eloise, and he stops at nothing to get her to pay attention to him — even if it means taking the risk of losing a major marketing deal concerning his book.

This concerns Lane, who although wants the ultimate happiness of his friend, but also wants Burke to focus on the responsibilities of his career.

But Burke is not so concerned with his career at this point and can only focus on creating a wonderful friendship that helps him to finally feel alive.

With the help of Eloise, Burke is then obligated to face the truth of his past and the present — and finally attempt to own up to same motivational strategies the he preaches to his readership.

Directed by Brandon Camp (co-writer of TV series “John Doe”), “Love Happens” has brought nothing new to the paradigms of the typical comical romantic-drama, yet it is worth the time of a touching anecdote.

With a career climaxed in the popular television show “Friends,” Jennifer Anniston has appeared on the screen nearly 40 times, touching audiences with her “girl next door” appeal.

Anniston creatively manages to bring that same appeal back with the role of Eloise, a woman who just wants to lead a simple life, yet seems to have a tendency of getting herself into complicated romantic situations.

Aaron Eckhart, who until this film has been recently noted for his role as Harvey Dent in the latest Batman rendition “The Dark Knight,” does a convincing job of portraying a man that can’t let go of the past despite a career in which he teaches others to do so.

The movie is full of other recognizable characters, including Martin Sheen, who plays a bold and conservative ex-marine that is Burke’s father-in-law.

For those who enjoy a love story that will bring forth a series of various emotions, “Love Happens” is sure to be added to list of movies to check out this fall.

Reach the reporter at bryan.brougham@asu.edu.