Fools Rush In

I picked up this movie in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart a few years ago. I'd had kind of a bum day and just wanted to go home, heat up a frozen pizza for dinner, watch a light-hearted movie, and relax. I had never seen this particular movie but had grabbed it on a whim, and I liked it just fine but I don't recall it making much of an impression on me till I pulled it out a few months ago and watched it again. Since then, it has easily been in my Top 5.

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 Here are 5 things I love about "Fools Rush In" (spoilers ahead):

1. Seeing Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon. It's always fun to see places in movies that you've visited in person.

2. The festive, feisty, family-oriented portrayal of Mexican culture. (Wasn't going for an alliteration there, it just happened.) This is even more fun after having been to Mexico this year on a mission trip.

3. The scene where Alex is watching Isabel dance around the kitchen as she prepares dinner and is clearly taken aback by her beauty as though he were seeing her for the first time.

4. The wedding scene at the end that features the song "Fools Rush In." My mom sang this song to my brother when he was a baby (I don't remember this but I have heard her talk about it all my life) so it has special meaning. Plus, the scene is just sweet.

5. The very counter-cultural promotion of choosing someone and committing to them as opposed to using casual dating to "shop around" for the "ideal person;" as well as the fact that after much conflict and second-guessing, the couple decides it's worth it to sacrifice some of their personal desires in order to stay together.

Yes, the movie begins with a one-night-stand, but as the story unfolds you'll find a picture of love and commitment not quite typical for Hollywood. If you're looking for a chick-flick, I'd recommend this one in a heartbeat!