By: Holley Sinn

Verdict: (with an "oh brother" roll of the eyes) Denied

It's pretty customary for Hollywood to bequeath the American public a sweet and sappy romantic comedy around Valentine's weekend.  We expect some syrupy story about "friends turned lovers" or "love at first sight", and those of us who go see those movies are clearly looking for that sort of story...otherwise, we'd stay home.  But, this year's offering....presented by the once great Garry Marshall....is a trainwreck of overdone cliches.  "Valentine's Day" is meant to explore the variety of ways different couples (or non-couples) celebrate Hallmark's greatest creation.  Instead, it's basically a box of conversation hearts in cinematic form - bland and tasteless with a variety of shallow messages. 

To try and explain every storyline in this film would be impossible, so I'll give you the highlights.  Ashton Kutcher stars as "Reed", a flowershop owner who has just proposed to his girlfriend, played  by Jessica Alba.  His best friend is "Julia", played by Jennifer Garner, an elementary school teacher in love with a rich doctor played by Patrick Dempsey.  When Reed discovers that Julia's beau is married, he obsesses over whether to tell her.  By the same token, Julia knows that Reed is making a mistake in getting married, but she is keeping it to herself.

Other storylines involve Emma Roberts obsessing over whether to bed her high school boyfriend for the first time...Shirley McClaine revealing a hurtful secret to her longtime husband, Hector Elizondo....Jamie Fox covering the "Valentine's Day" phenomenon for a local television station...and Topher Grace deciding whether to date Anne Hathaway, even though she moonlights as an adult phone entertainer. 

All of the mini-plots represented in this film are filler surrounding the Kutcher/Garner story which goes exactly the way you think it will...but I won't tell you, just in case you are bored to death and can think of nothing better to do than to go see "Valentine's Day".  Garry Marshall has managed to take a bucket full of really stellar actors and make them seem terrible.  THAT is a real talent. 

It is probably pretty obvious that I am not approving "Valentine's Day", which is, by the way, rated PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity, but I WILL give you a list of MY favorite "rom-coms", peppered with some faves from our viewers as well.  Besides, curling up on the couch with your sweetie in front of a warm fire and a lovely movie is much better than sitting in a crowded theater anyway. 

Holley's Picks

• "Chocolat"
• "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
• "When Harry Met Sally"
• "Four Weddings and a Funeral"
• "Bridget Jones' Diary"
• "Bed of Roses"
• "Notting Hill"