Love at First Sight Embarrassing Movie Recommendation. Look. Here at THiNC., our bread and butter films are mindjob movies that force the audience to think. To grapple with the content, and figure out what the heck just happened. So, to say that Love at First Sight isn’t that, is possibly the most obvious thing I’ll say this year. This is decidedly not that. Not only that, but it’s the antithesis of the standard THiNC. film.
And yet, Columbus is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’m sorry, pardon? What does Columbus have to do with recommending a Rom-Com?? Wait for it, be patient man! Haley Lu Richardson. She’s the common thread here. Not to mention the fact that as far as a rom-com goes? This is a pleasantly well-written script from the school of … maybe 4 Weddings and a Funeral? Which, is one of the greatest comedies of all time. So, it has that going for it as well.
Not to mention the fact that I turned it on on a lark, and it just didn’t get turned off. It just rolled. And if that isn’t a vote of approval, then what is?
Love At First Sight Movie Overview
Hadley Sullivan is late. By 4 minutes, she’s late. Specifically she’s late for a flight to London to attend her father’s wedding. And as a result, she encounters Oliver Jones, a 22-year-old Yale statistics student from England, at the airport. Their connection begins with a simple act of kindness when Oliver offers to lend her his charger. What starts as a casual encounter soon deepens as they strike up a conversation and share a meal. Hadley assumes that Oliver, carrying a garment bag, is also en route to a wedding, a notion he doesn’t contradict. Their connection grows stronger when a broken seat belt leads to them being seated next to each other on the plane. Throughout the flight, they open up to each other, and Hadley confides in Oliver about her strained relationship with her father, who had moved to London to teach poetry and eventually divorced her mother.
Oliver becomes Hadley’s confidant and encourages her to consider attending her father’s wedding and mending their fractured bond. Their connection grows, and a nearly shared kiss marks a poignant moment in their journey. Yet, as the flight lands, they are separated by the customs line, and the opportunity to exchange contact information slips away when Hadley’s phone dies, and she accidentally drops it. Sure, yes, it strains credulity, this crappy phone of Hadley’s, but as far as credulity straining script devices go… this is decently unstrenuous of the strainings I’ve seen. Seems like screenplay writers are determined to blow our minds with insanity of late.
When she finally arrives at her father’s wedding, Hadley grapples with her conflicting emotions, realizing the significance of her presence in her father’s life despite their past. Her loss, her family’s loss, etc. And eventually, she overhears a conversation about a memorial service at Peckham House, a place Oliver had mentioned earlier, she decides to attend on a whim, uncovering the truth that it’s not a wedding but a memorial for Oliver’s mother. Who still happens to be alive. (Come on, it’s clever. If not morbid.)
At Peckham House, she meets Oliver’s family. And Oliver’s mother, having chosen not to pursue treatment for her recurring cancer, is wanting to celebrate her life, her family, her friends. Hadley confronts Oliver about his tendency to rely on statistics to navigate life, rather than acknowledging his true feelings. Hurtful words are exchanged, and she leaves, but Oliver soon realizes his mistake and apologizes.
As Oliver delivers a moving eulogy for his mother, he expresses his struggle with quantifying life through numbers and his inability to reduce his mother’s significance to statistics. Meanwhile, Hadley, trying to return to the wedding reception, gets lost and calls her father for help. During their heartfelt conversation, she finally asks him about his separation from her mother, leading to reconciliation and a return to the celebration.
After the memorial, Oliver’s family encourages him to take a chance on love and follow his heart. Inspired by his father’s wisdom about embracing life’s uncertainties, Oliver decides to find Hadley. He discovers her at the reception venue, admitting his fear of unexpected outcomes, including heartbreak. Their connection deepens as Hadley responds with a kiss.
As the narrator shares, Hadley and Oliver embark on a lifelong journey together, destined to be married for 58 years. They will share both joy and sorrow, from holding each other’s hands during their mothers’ passing to welcoming their daughter into the world, all while marveling at the wonders of fate.
So What Did I Enjoy About Love At First Sight?
First off… our narrator (Jameela Jamil), fate, is our thread that strings this story together from beginning to end. She jumps characters throughout the movie… from stewardess, to park visitor, car driver? Just various random characters that cross paths with this duo across their strings of their stories. Who kept the larger picture of their connections and the ways in which the story could easily go off the rails, but didn’t.
Secondly, Haley Lu Richardson. Full stop. I mentioned earlier that her work in Columbus was perfect. Engaging, impassioned (not passionate… or florid, but impassioned… emotionally deep and mature. To see two people engaging with one another… whether love is involved or not [preferably not – but genuine feeling, genuine, heartfelt being. I just don’t know how better to put it.]) she was a sensation to behold.
Thirdly, the screenplay was cleverly unique. The interweaving of the randomness of the ways in which these characters were drawn together was fantastic. When you watch a rom-com (dramedy?) you KNOW that the duo will collide together, and end up happily ever after, but the ways in which the story unfolded was clever. The “memorial,” that turned out to be a pre-death party that was constructed of random performances and speeches, etc? It was just a lovely detail, backstory, everything. The wedding, the complications of the father. The complications of the dying mother. Just really light-heartedly poignant, and enjoyable.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of talking films. I’ve posted many, many times about the great dialogue-driven films that I am infatuated with. I point to films like Tape, films like Before Sunrise, films like Columbus, 10×10, Hippopotamus etc., etc. Whether they are based on romance, intrigue, thrillers, whatever… the movies that are driven by realistic, heartfelt dialogue are a real experience to be enjoyed.
Edited by: CY