Valentine (film)

Valentine

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2001 (2001)
Headquarters	San Francisco , United States
Products	Slasher film

Valentine is a 2001 slasher film directed by Jamie Blanks, featuring performances by Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton, and Katherine Heigl. Adapted from Tom Savage's novel, the story centers on a group of women in San Francisco who become targets of a murderer donning a Cupid mask in the lead-up to Valentine's Day.

The film debuted on February 2, 2001, and earned $36.7 million against a production budget of $29 million. Despite its commercial performance, it faced negative reviews largely due to its resemblance to slasher films from the 1980s. It was recognized with three nominations at the Teen Choice Awards.

Plot

In 1988, at a St. Valentine's Day dance for junior high students in San Francisco, an outsider named Jeremy Melton approaches four popular girls with dance requests. Shelley, Lily, and Paige respond harshly by rejecting him; Kate politely declines; meanwhile, their friend Dorothy accepts and shares a kiss with Jeremy. When bully Joe and his group discover this, Dorothy falsely accuses Jeremy of assault. As a result of multiple accusations, Jeremy is assaulted, expelled from school, and placed in a mental institution.

Fast forward thirteen years: Shelley, now pursuing medical studies, receives an ominous Valentine's card and is subsequently murdered by a masked figure whose nose is bleeding. At her funeral, Kate, Lily, Paige, and Dorothy come under police scrutiny. Paige, Lily, and Dorothy also receive threatening notes signed "JM." After losing his residence, Dorothy's boyfriend Campbell temporarily moves in with her. At an art gallery where Lily’s boyfriend Max exhibits work, Ruthie accuses Campbell of being a fraud. The killer fatally shoots Lily with arrows and disposes of her body in a dumpster. Authorities reveal that Jeremy’s parents died in a fire and that his records were erased. Dorothy confesses to fabricating the assault claim against Jeremy to save face. Kate’s neighbor Gary breaks into her apartment but is killed by the masked attacker.

During Dorothy’s Valentine's Day party, the murderer kills both Campbell and Ruthie when Dorothy arrives seeking repayment of an investment. Max informs Kate that Lily never arrived in Los Angeles, implying she may be deceased. Detective Vaughn advises Kate and her friends to stay together; meanwhile, Jason Marquette is released due to insufficient evidence. Paige is electrocuted in a hot tub by the assailant.

After guests depart, Dorothy accuses Adam—Kate’s alcoholic journalist boyfriend—of being Jeremy after cosmetic surgery; however, Kate suspects Campbell because Dorothy knows little about him. An argument ensues over jealousy and past misunderstandings. Kate discovers Detective Vaughn’s severed head and grows more suspicious of Adam after his strange behavior. She finds a gun in Dorothy’s father’s study but is confronted by the killer and drops it; Adam then shoots the attacker.

The murderer is unveiled as Dorothy; Adam explains that childhood trauma fueled her rage. While awaiting police arrival, Adam declares his love for Kate; when she closes her eyes, Adam’s nose begins to bleed—revealing that he is actually Jeremy Melton, the real killer who manipulated events to destroy Dorothy’s reputation and seek vengeance for past humiliations, sparing only Kate due to her kindness toward him.

Development

In May 1998, Warner Bros. Pictures initially secured rights to Tom Savage’s novel but later transferred the project to Artisan Entertainment. Producer Dylan Sellers collaborated with writers Wayne & Donna Powers; Wayne Powers was originally slated to direct. The first screenplay adaptation relocated the setting to a college campus and diverged significantly from the source material's tone. When the project returned to Warner Bros., Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts rewrote the script while Powers stepped down as director so the studio could appoint new leadership. Richard Kelly declined directing duties to concentrate on Donnie Darko, leading to Jamie Blanks—who previously directed Urban Legend—taking over the role. Casting choices included Jessica Capshaw as Dorothy Wheeler and Hedy Burress as Ruthie Walker; Jennifer Love Hewitt was initially considered for Paige Prescott before Denise Richards was ultimately cast.

Filming

Valentine was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, between July 10 and September 8, 2000. David Boreanaz notably wrapped his scenes in less than two weeks, whereas Katherine Heigl was only available for three days due to her obligations with the television series Roswell.

Release

Warner Bros. promoted the movie by providing digital e-card valentines on their official website for email sharing. The lead actors, David Boreanaz and Katherine Heigl—recognized for their TV roles in Angel and Roswell respectively—made an appearance at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Festival.

The film debuted at Hollywood Post No. 43, American Legion, on February 1, 2001. It earned $20.4 million domestically and $36.7 million globally, surpassing its production budget of $29 million.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Valentine holds an approval rating of 11% based on 79 reviews, with an average rating of 3.4 out of 10. The critical consensus describes it as a conventional pre-Scream slasher that lacks genuine suspense. Metacritic assigns it a score of 18 out of 100 from 17 critic reviews. According to CinemaScore audience polling, the film received a "D+" grade.

Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle characterized it as a disturbing slasher reminiscent of the 1980s era, highlighting strong performances by the cast. Ben Falk of the BBC awarded it two stars out of five, noting its predictability and absence of originality despite some inventive death scenes.

In contrast, Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times commended it as a "smart, stylish horror film" featuring compelling roles for young actors. Dennis Harvey from Variety found it visually striking but lacking in character and depth, particularly criticizing its weak conclusion. Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide gave it one star, questioning why four writers were involved in adapting what she considered a generic novel. Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times described the movie as formulaic and uninspired, observing that even the cast appeared disengaged.

Director Jamie Blanks addressed the mixed feedback in 2007: "Please forgive me for [Valentine]. I receive a lot of criticism for that project, but we truly put forth our best effort."

A 2015 retrospective by BJ Colangelo for Icons of Fright defended the film’s thematic exploration of Valentine's Day lore, describing it as "entertaining" and deserving of another look.

Accolades

The movie received three nominations at the Teen Choice Awards, including Choice Movie — Horror/Thriller.

Home media

Warner Home Video released Valentine on DVD and VHS formats on July 24, 2001. Later, Scream Factory issued a Blu-ray version on February 12, 2019.

Soundtrack

Don Davis composed the musical score for Valentine. The soundtrack includes songs from artists such as Linkin Park, Disturbed, Static-X, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Orgy. The collection was notably parodied by Saturday Night Live due to its inclusion of lesser-known groups with unusual names.

External links

• Official site