I had The Vow on my TBW pile for a while before U finally watched it today, Valentine’s Day, when watching something sappy seemed to be my marching order for the day. The movie is inspired by the real love story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, who authored a book by the same name.

After a car accident leaves Paige Collins (Rachel McAdams) with serious brain trauma, her husband Leo (Tatum) struggles with her inability to remember him and the life they share. In the aftermath of her amnesia, Leo vows to make her love him again as he deals with her estranged family and her ex fiance, amid a web of complicated relationships and different priorities.

There is a reason The Vow became one of the highest grossing romantic dramas of all time. First, casting The Notebook alum Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum together was a surefire way to get hard core chick flick fanatics on board. Even before Magic Mike, Channing Tatum has been known to send female hearts a-flutter because of his natural charisma and charm. It doesn’t hurt that he’s so hot and talented and he can do anything — comedy, drama, action — he can dance and in this movie, he also plays the guitar. Rachel McAdams, on the other hand is such a sweetheart that she doesn’t even have to do anything for audiences to like her. The combination of these two and the positive chemistry that they collectively inspire makes for a really solid foundation for this romantic drama.

I loved the contrast in the life of Paige before and after the amnesia because it clearly depicted the challenge that Leo faced to get her back. And the pureness of Tatum’s portrayal of his love for Paige was just so heartwrenching. In the moments when he was in pain, he was like a adorable puppy dog kicked once too often, but in the moments when he was goofy, he was super charming. There was no main villain in this film — just a lot of imperfect people whom, at the end of the road, find their place in the big picture.

The story itself is inspiring, and will surely bring on the waterworks for most romantics. How often does a guy give up everything to win the girl that he loves second time around? What does it take to turn one’s back on a once in a lifetime love in order for the other to find true happiness? This film gives audiences a real look at true love and not the fairy tale kind where the girl wakes up one day and everything is okay. This film is based on a true story of a real life couple so it gives audiences a warm feeling to know that having a love story like this is possible.

All in all, I loved The Vow because it wasn’t too sappy, which is a major turn off for me. As a chick flick, it works on all levels because audiences can’t help but root for the main stars and fall in love with the characters. It didn’t oversell the drama but instead focused on just telling an amazing love story. Its a story about hope and new beginnings and not giving up. Its everything that a love story ought to be.