Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) fall in love. For Dean it's love at first sight. His persistence, his adoration and his dedication to making Cindy happy win her over. Not long after the start of their relationship, Dean discovers Cindy’s pregnancy with a child that probably isn’t his. She can’t go through with an abortion. He doesn’t bail. He’s willing to start a family. Cindy’s ex-boyfriend and his friends jump Dean and give him a merciless beating. Dean is still ready to stick by Cindy’s side. Six years later, parents to one little girl, Dean and Cindy are no longer the couple they used to be. Cindy is desperately unhappy. Dean doesn’t seem to know why. He tries his hardest to mend the marriage but Cindy’s heart seems closed. They spend the night at a hotel upon Dean’s insistence, for a night of drinking and lovemaking. They drink. They do not make love. Instead, they fall asleep on opposite sides of a closed bathroom door. The next morning Cindy leaves Dean sleeping to go to work. Dean takes the bus back home and causes a scene at the hospital where Cindy is a nurse. Cindy wants a divorce. Dean begs for her to keep her vows, for better for worse, to keep their family together; but it’s over. Thus ends the story of Dean and Cindy, a six-year old girl in her mother’s arms, crying for her dad to return, as he walks away down the street, tears pouring out of his eyes.
There are many reasons why Blue Valentine is a really, really, well done film. The chief reason has to be its poetically simple depiction of a very specific situation. A relationship. Of what love can be. Love can make your heart skip beats but love can also make your heart stop beating. The only part of the film that left me wanting was that it didn’t tell me if I should side with Cindy or Dean? Now I understand that relationships are complicated, but I think the writers failed in their lack of commitment to whether or not there was fault here, and the follow through on their decision. If Dean really was an alcoholic they should have shown us. I didn’t see a lack of drive I saw a man who was happy making a living painting houses. I didn’t see a wronged wife I saw a woman who maybe had made the wrong decisions. That’s not her husband’s fault. Wait. Could this platform for debate be the intentional doing of the writers? If not then in this way the film failed. It can be forgiven, however, because everything else is perfect and I still come away knowing that I watched a very good thing.
Ryan Gosling, what can I say, his performance was unbelievable? That’s a heavy word. Unforgettable. I throw down my shield sir. My body is yours for the piercing. I don’t remember a nomination for an Award. I remember that Michelle Williams earned one. I remember that she didn't win. Which brings me to this question.
Why wasn’t Blue Valentine nominated for an Oscar in any other category? Why not a nod for the writing? The dialogue was the most memorable and most well written I’ve heard in some time. (Sorry Black Swan, but you’re not as good a movie. It's true. It isn't. Feel free to disagree in the comments section.) How about direction? Not possible? Soundtrack? I’m not asking for wins, just nominations.
I conclude that sometimes Hollywood does get it right. Sometimes they give us films about the things that matter and do so unadulterated. The question I found myself asking at the end of the film, one I've been asking for a while now is, Is Love worth it? My conclusion is a resounding No. Not with even as little as a 0.2% chance that it ends like it did in Blue Valentine.
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