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Love Potion #9

Everyone thinks Sandra Bullock’s breakout role was opposite Keanu Reeves in Speed, but I fell in love with her opposite Tate Donovan in "Love Potion No. 9." As the title implies, this movie is about love potions, just like the song, “Love Potion No. 9”, although the film concentrates mostly on Love Potion No. 8. This film is one of my all-time favorites for a lot of reasons.

First, it’s funny. Mary Mara as a chain-smoking prostitute/thief? Oscar-winning Anne Bancroft as the Gypsy owner of all the love potions? The film’s distinct characters and whimsical, magical plot (completely ludicrous, yet original) were built for laughs. And Donovan and Bullock humorously demonstrate what would happen if the nerds of the world suddenly had their choice of the opposite sex. Like kids in a candy store…

Second, it’s everyone’s fantasy. Who didn’t wish in junior high that they had the secret formula for attracting the opposite sex? Who didn’t fantasize about men or women worshiping their very presence? (The film adds a slight side-effect, causing people of the same sex to loathe you at the sound of your voice…A small price to pay.) Though a fantasy, the fantasy-world is seamless, making people believe there might actually be a Gypsy somewhere with the cure for loneliness and heartache.

Lastly, Bullock & Donovan have decent chemistry. The film doesn’t spend much time developing their romance-—most is covered in a montage and assumed because they’re two of a kind-—but Donovan and Bullock seem genuinely interested in each other, perhaps because they were once engage in real life. Their comedic chemistry transforms a so-so “chick flick” into a real comedy.

I don’t own it yet, but it’s definitely on my list. Check this hidden gem out to see if it strikes your fancy.

Written by: Katherine E. Webb

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