"The Vow" is a 2012 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Sucsy. It stars Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum as Paige and Leo Collins. The film was written by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, and Jason Katims. It is based on the true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. Other actors in the film include Sam Neill, Scott Speedman, Jessica Lange, and Jessica McNamee in supporting roles. As of 2013, "The Vow" was the eighth highest-grossing romantic drama film made since 1980. This was Spyglass Entertainment's final film before the company closed in 2012. Spyglass Entertainment reopened in 2019.
Plot
Paige Collins and her husband, Leo, leave a movie theater on a snowy evening. On their way home, at a stop sign, Paige unfastens her seatbelt to lean over and kiss Leo. At that moment, a salt truck crashes into their car from behind, and Paige is thrown through the windshield. Both are taken to the hospital.
Leo shares his thoughts in a voice-over, saying that "moments of impact help in finding who we are." His relationship with Paige is shown through their meeting, engagement, and wedding at the Art Institute of Chicago, all connected to the present. Paige is placed in a special sleep and later wakes up, but she has forgotten all her memories. Paige's parents, Bill and Rita Thornton, learn about this and visit her, meeting Leo for the first time.
Paige does not understand how Leo could be her husband but has never met her parents. She also does not know why she left law school, ended an engagement with her former fiancé, Jeremy, or lost contact with her family and friends. Leo plays a voice message to prove their relationship. Paige decides to return to Leo, hoping it will help her remember. She is welcomed home with a surprise party from friends she does not recognize, which makes her feel overwhelmed.
The next day, Paige goes to a café she used to visit but gets lost on the way back. She calls Rita for help and returns to Leo. That evening, Bill and Rita invite the couple to dinner. Later, Paige's sister, Gwen, and her fiancé invite them to a bar. Leo feels he does not fit in with Paige's family. At the bar, Paige meets Jeremy again. She begins to feel drawn to him, but Leo continues trying to help her remember. Paige secretly meets Jeremy at his office and asks about their broken engagement. He does not give a clear answer. While Leo shows her his studio, she suddenly becomes angry with him. As Gwen's wedding approaches, Paige decides to stay with her parents. Leo asks her on a date and spends the night with her, but their relationship is hurt when Bill tries to convince Leo to leave Paige, leading Leo to attack Jeremy. Paige returns to law school, and a heartbroken Leo realizes her memory may never return.
At a Trader Joe's, Paige meets Diane, an old friend who does not know about Paige's amnesia. Diane explains that she had an affair with Bill, which is why Paige was not close to her family. When Paige confronts Rita, Rita says she stayed with Bill because of his good qualities, not because of his mistake. Reuniting with Leo, Paige learns that he wanted to earn her love instead of pushing her away from her family. In class, Paige starts drawing again. Despite Bill's concerns about her leaving law school, Paige assures him she will always be his daughter. She continues her art, returning to sculpting and drawing. Jeremy admits he ended his relationship to try to win Paige back, but she turns him down, saying she needs to know what life would be like without him.
As the seasons change, Leo again reflects on "moments of impact," realizing their power to change lives in unexpected ways. In her room, Paige finds a menu card where she had written her wedding vows. Later, she meets Leo at the café. Though they admit their relationship has ended, they agree to have dinner and walk away together, holding hands.
Production
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum were cast in the film The Vow. This information was shared by Variety in June 2010. The movie was filmed in Toronto and Chicago from August to November 2010.
The Vow is based on the real-life story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. They wrote a book about their marriage, also called The Vow. Ten weeks after their wedding on September 18, 1993, the couple was in a serious car crash. Krickitt suffered a traumatic brain injury, which caused her to forget all memories of her relationship with Kim and their marriage. Kim remained deeply in love with his wife, but she no longer recognized him after the crash. In 2018, Kim admitted to having an affair, and the couple divorced.
The film was first planned in 1996 when Caravan Pictures purchased the rights to the book. Later, the project was moved to Spyglass Entertainment. Stephen Herek was initially chosen to direct the film. At first, Disney was the film’s distributor, but the rights were sold to Paramount Pictures. Eventually, the film was released by Sony.
The soundtrack for The Vow was released on February 7, 2012, by Rhino Records. The film’s score, created by Rachel Portman and Michael Brook, was released digitally on the same date by Madison Gate Records. The digital version of the soundtrack also includes the song “England” by The National.
Release
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 30% approval rating from 132 reviews and an average rating of 4.95 out of 10. The site’s consensus states, "Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams do their best with what they’re given, but The Vow is too shallow and familiar to satisfy the discriminating date-night filmgoer." On Metacritic, which calculates an average score based on reviews, the film received 43 out of 100 from 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."
Emma Dibdin from Total Film gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting, "There’s an essential sweetness at work here, thanks partly to McAdams and partly to an unusually chaste love story that ultimately keeps melodrama at bay." Helen O’Hara from Empire also gave 3 out of 5 stars, calling McAdams "excellent" and Tatum "surprisingly heartbreaking." She concluded, "The few weaknesses in the plot can be overlooked as The Vow makes for a wonderful – if a bit teary – romance that is brilliantly acted." Stephanie Merry from The Washington Post wrote, "It’s a shame things are so black and white because the movie has more promise – and more laughs – than trailers suggest." She added, "Tatum, while a bit deficient in the dramatic acting department, delivers some memorable quips. He and McAdams also have chemistry."
Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, calling it "pleasant enough as a date movie, but that’s all." USA Today wrote, "It may appeal to the most rabid fans of tearjerk romances like The Notebook, but it’s a hard-to-swallow, maudlin tale." Betsy Sharkey from the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Despite the sweet story, this is a movie that leaves you wanting more. To care more, to cry more, to love more." James Berardinelli from ReelViews was very negative, stating, "With its would-be crowd-pleasing contrivances and rote adherence to formula, [this film] offers almost no redeeming characteristics. […] This is for young women what Transformers is for young men." He described the film as a "heartless, soulless product."
The Vow debuted at number one in its opening weekend, earning $15.4 million on the first day and $41.2 million over the weekend. On Valentine’s Day, it grossed $11.6 million, breaking Hitch’s previous record of $7.5 million for the highest-grossing mid-week Valentine’s Day. That record was later surpassed by Bob Marley: One Love in 2024 with $14 million. The film also earned about $9.7 million internationally that weekend.
From February 24–26, The Vow became the first 2012 film in North America to cross $100 million, and the third film worldwide to reach that mark, following Underworld: Awakening and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. The film earned $125 million in North America and $71.1 million internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $196.1 million. It is the eighth highest-grossing romantic drama film since 1980.
The film’s DVD and Blu-ray Disc were released on May 8, 2012, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.