Prompt #3: Molly Hopkins

One of my favorite things to do to relax is to either go see or watch a good movie with a few of my friends. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are two very famous actors right now. Michelle Williams is nominated for best actress in a leading role for My Week With Marilyn and Ryan Gosling was nominated for the Golden Globe for best actor in a leading role for Ides of March. Both Gosling and Michelle are amazing actors and these nominations are well deserved, however, a film that they both starred in that many people either have not heard of or did not see was Blue Valentine. I saw this movie last year when it came out in theaters and absolutely loved it.

My friend Kaylee insisted that we go see it, even though it did not look like the typical movie that I would like. I really only ever watch one genre and that is romantic comedies. I absolutely live for the happy endings that most romantic comedies have and the often, bad humor that they contain. But, I hesitantly decided to go see it with her.

Blue Valentine is the story of a young couple who are raising a young girl. The story begins with them in present time constantly fighting and clearly headed for divorce, but throughout the movie it flashes back to when they first met and how they fell in love. Their relationship faced many problems early on, but they always overcame them because they had each other. In the movie, when they were young, Williams plays a typical teenage girl looking for love and Gosling plays a teenager who is pretty much on his own, not going to school, yet still an extremely caring character. He takes an interest in Williams while on the bus one day, and from that point on becomes infatuated with her. There comes a point in the movie where he would be willing to do anything and make any sacrifices he had to, in order to help Williams. And he does make these sacrifices, for her.

By present day, about seven years after they first met, Williams’ character seems extremely angered and tired by Goslings character. She seems happier when she is not with him. The plot of the movie centers around Gosling trying to hold onto the love that they once had for each other and trying to make it work.

While this movie is not a romantic comedy, it might be the most real portrayal of a relationship in a movie I have ever seen. There are extremely heartwarming parts of this movie that will make you smile and some that will even make you laugh, but there are also parts that will break your heart and just make you want to cry. Coming from someone who doesn’t usually love serious dramas, I would recommend Blue Valentine to anyone looking for both a heartwarming and real movie with actors who do a phenomenal job playing two very difficult roles!