This weekend marks the release of The Vow, which is not based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, despite having all the gauzy, drowsy look of a Sparks creation. Based on the real-life story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, The Vow tells the tale of a woman (Rachel McAdams) who loses part of her memory after a head injury and doesn’t remember her husband (Channing Tatum). The trailer shows you the terrible moment where she remembers him so little that she assumes he’s part of her medical team, which didn’t apparently happen in real life.
[Note: Perhaps the best line I’ve heard about this movie comes from my pal Tara Ariano, who noted on Twitter, “The hilarious thing about The Vow is that, even for one second and with a head injury, Rachel McAdams thinks Channing Tatum is a doctor.”]
What’s remarkable about this particular trailer is how many romantic-drama cliches are crammed into a two-minute tease, other than amnesia itself. (Cliches about the treatment of amnesia, however, are allowed.) Let’s count them.
1. Quirky wedding where quirky friend is wearing top hat