Valentine (2001)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Jamie Blanks

Writers (WGA):

Tom Savage (novel)
Donna Powers (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 February 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Love Hurts.

Plot:

Four Friends start to receive morbid valentine day cards. Someone out there is stalking them....someone they all spurned when they were younger. And Valentines Day 2001 is the Day she/he gets their revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Valentine | Valentine's Day | Dance | Revenge | Rejection

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Denise Richards	...	Paige Prescott
David Boreanaz	...	Adam Carr
Marley Shelton	...	Kate Davies
Jessica Capshaw	...	Dorothy Wheeler
Jessica Cauffiel	...	Lily Voight
Katherine Heigl	...	Shelley Fisher
Hedy Burress	...	Ruthie Walker
Fulvio Cecere	...	Detective Leon Vaughn
Daniel Cosgrove	...	Campbell Morris
Johnny Whitworth	...	Max Raimi
Woody Jeffreys	...	Brian
Adam Harrington	...	Jason Marquette
Claude Duhamel	...	Gary Taylor
Wyatt Page	...	Evan Wheeler
Benita Ha	...	Kim Wheeler

Also Known As:

Love Hurts (USA) (working title)
Valentine's Day (USA) (working title)
Día de venganza (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Ölümcül bedel (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Mortelle Saint Valentin (France) [fr]
Namorado (Portugal) [pt]
O Dia do Terror (Brazil) [pt]
Saint-Valentin (Canada: French title) (TV title) [fr]
Schrei, wenn Du kannst (Germany) [de]
Un san Valentín de muerte (Spain) [es]
Valentine (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Valentine - Appuntamento con la morte (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence, some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) (Canadian Home Video rating) | South Korea:18 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #37936) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Katherine Heigl didn't read the whole script before accepting her role. In a 2005 magazine interview, she said she regretted the decision after seeing the final cut of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the funeral near the start of the movie Adam kisses Kate on one cheek then the camera changes and we see him pulling away from the other cheek.

Quotes:

Kate Davies: He's no angel, but he's not a killer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Let the Church Say, Amen (2004)

Soundtrack:

Pushing Me Away

Not just a silly slasher film

A group of model-caliber San Francisco women who have been friends since elementary school are suddenly being threatened and attacked by someone sending them bizarre Valentine's Day cards. Who is the killer and why is the killer after them?

My rating will often change on subsequent viewings of a film--sometimes slightly up, sometimes slightly down. However, I can't remember another film where my rating has changed as drastically as it has for Valentine. The first time I watched it, upon its theatrical release, I thought it was pretty awful--I gave it a 4 out of 10, the equivalent of an "F" letter grade. Watching it for a second time last night, I can't remember what the heck I didn't like about it. I can only assume that maybe I was really in the wrong mood to watch it, or maybe I just didn't get it. In any event, I loved it this time, giving it a 9 out of 10, or an "A".

It might sound ridiculous saying I didn't get a film like this, but there is something to get. Valentine is almost a comedy/horror. Director Jamie Blanks, who was also responsible for 1998's Urban Legend, takes the stereotypical teen horror formula that became so popular in the late 1990s in the wake of Scream (1996) and pushes most of the elements up a notch, making Valentine intentionally cheesy/campy almost to the point of absurdity (where absurdism is a positive stylistic term). On top of that, he gives us a film imbued with humorous commentary on romantic relationships. The humor is unusual in that it has the same exaggeratedly campy tone as the teen horror aspects. Most of the situations in the film, and the modus operandi of the villain, humorous or not, are tied in to the Valentine's Day theme.

Many viewers will likely subtract points from the film for its various cliché-rooted but implausible scenarios and plot developments. However, in light of the above, the film is intentionally clichéd, implausible and ludicrous. It's as if Blanks is attempting (and mostly succeeding) to transcend the typical teen slasher by mocking/spoofing the conventions of the genre while also satirizing eros. That's the attraction to the irony of basing a horror film on Valentine's Day. It's an incongruity that is cleverly woven throughout the film, and that is itself at the heart of the slasher genre, making it prime fodder for Valentine's extravagant lampooning. Scream had a similar aim with its horror material, but the twist there was that the film was "self-aware". Valentine's Day is intentionally not self-aware; the viewer has to rely on contextual clues for satire. Lest some think I'm "reading too much" into the film, it's worthwhile to note that Blanks said in interviews that he "didn't want to just do another slasher film after Urban Legend" and producer Dylan Sellers said he wanted to do something "more adult".

Other viewers may dislike the fact that Valentine's Day differs so much from its putative source material, the novel of the same name by Tom Savage. The novel's characters, setting and plot are very different from the film. Sellers has said, "While it was a fine book, I didn't think it was the right story for a film". So instead the novel, which is much dryer and more serious in tone, was used as a launching pad, a motif to create variations on for a horror/thriller story centered on Valentine's Day. While those facts won't help purists familiar with the book like the film, it's helpful to understand why the film has its divergent plot and attitude. It's probably better to look at the film as an independent entity with a similar theme.

Blanks' direction is impeccable visually. Valentine's Day has a lush look throughout, with complex, deep colors, interesting sets, and good staging. Blanks is admirable for keeping his villain and attack scenes not too dark, with clearly conveyed action. He also directs his actors with aplomb, catalyzing often slyly humorous performances. David Boreanaz, as Adam Carr, is involved in many of the funniest moments.

While Valentine's Day is no masterpiece, it's a very good horror/thriller film that seems strongly prone to misconceptions. If you watch it expecting something more tongue-in-cheek you may find yourself appreciating it a lot more.