Who Really Stars in Valentine’s Day? A Screen Time Breakdown
Why analyze the screen time of Valentine’s Day?
Valentine's Day has a massive ensemble cast. The original trailer lists 17 massive celebrities and they didn't even mention Taylor Swift or Taylor Lautner. The movie was specifically manufactured to fill up a theatrical poster with as many A-list names as possible.
But in a movie filled with people who are used to being the star, who actually gets the most screen time?
To solve this, I went frame-by-frame through the entire 118-minute movie. I tracked the 21 main characters using "background actor" rules, meaning if even just a leg or the back of their head was in the shot, the timer was running. If the film's runtime was split perfectly evenly among all 21 characters, they would each get 5 minutes and 37 seconds. Here is what actually happened.
Who has the most screen time in Valentine’s Day?
The movie is undoubtedly an Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner joint. Kutcher's character (a flower shop owner) acts as the glue for the entire story, giving him a massive lead.
Here are the top 5 characters with the most screen time:
Ashton Kutcher: 24:08
Jennifer Garner: 19:07
Anne Hathaway: 12:31
Topher Grace: 12:03
Jessica Biel: 9:31
Surprisingly, Bryce Robinson, the young kid in the movie, managed to snag the 6th most screen time in the entire film with 9:14, beating out multiple Academy Award winners.
Who has the least screen time in Valentine’s Day?
Some of the biggest names on the movie poster were barely on set.
Kathy Bates: Despite her name being prominently featured everywhere, she only gets 1 minute and 17 seconds of screen time in a single filming location.
Taylor Lautner: He clocks in at just 2:36.
Queen Latifah: She plays Anne Hathaway's boss but only gets 3:02 of screen time.
Taylor Swift: She only gets 3 minutes and 55 seconds of screen time, which ironically is the exact same length as her hit song "Love Story".
How much was Julia Roberts paid per second?
Julia Roberts agreed to do the movie as a favor to director Garry Marshall, securing $3 million upfront plus 3% of the gross sales. Since she is only in the film for exactly 5 minutes and 43 seconds, she was paid an incredible $8,746 for every single second she is on screen.
Even weirder? George Lopez (6:04) and Jessica Alba (5:44) both have more screen time than Julia Roberts.
Did this massive ensemble cast strategy work?
Yes. Despite scathing reviews, Valentine's Day was a massive box office success. The movie cost $52 million to make and brought in over $216 million worldwide. It worked so well that the studio immediately copied the exact same formula for the movie New Year's Eve.
Watch the Full Cut Up Investigation! Want to see the hilarious frame-by-frame breakdown, find out who won Worst Actor at the Razzies, and see why Anne Hathaway's phone-sex storyline is so bizarre? Watch the full Cut Up episode above!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is the main character in the movie Valentine's Day (2010)? Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner are the main characters of Valentine's Day. Kutcher has the most screen time by far at 24 minutes and 8 seconds, while Garner has 19 minutes and 7 seconds.
How long is Taylor Swift in the Valentine's Day movie? Taylor Swift is only in the movie for 3 minutes and 55 seconds. Her co-star and love interest in the film, Taylor Lautner, is in the movie for even less time at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.
How much did Julia Roberts make for Valentine's Day? Julia Roberts was paid $3 million upfront plus 3% of the gross sales. Because she only has 5 minutes and 43 seconds of screen time, her upfront pay equates to $8,746 per second.
