Love Hurts

Love Hurts

Year: 1990

Runtime: 106 mins

Language: English

Director: Bud Yorkin

DramaComedy

A painfully romantic comedy. The story of Paul Weaver and his strained relationships with women and his family.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Love Hurts (1990)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Love Hurts (1990). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Pennsylvania, New York City

The action centers on Karen's wedding in Pennsylvania, with the Weaver family home serving as a central locale during repairs. Paul travels from New York City for the ceremony, giving the story a mix of urban and small-town atmospheres. The wedding venue and the family’s Pennsylvania home anchor the plot and highlight the contrast between past comforts and present tensions.

🏡 Family home 🗺️ Pennsylvania setting 🕰️ Weekend wedding

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:32

Main Characters – Love Hurts (1990)

Meet the key characters of Love Hurts (1990), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Paul Weaver (Jeff Daniels)

A charming but flawed father whose history of infidelity strains every relationship around him. He oscillates between old impulses and a growing sense of responsibility to his children, yet his actions keep undermining trust. His journey probes whether genuine change is possible or if past patterns will prevail.

🎭 Flawed 🧭 Romantic 🕊️ Self-deluding

Nancy Weaver (Cynthia Sikes)

Paul’s ex-wife and the mother of his children, scarred by years of betrayal. She longs for stability and sincerity, while wrestling with residual feelings and the impact of broken promises on the family. Her perspective grounds the emotional stakes of the divorce and the weekend’s drama.

💬 Protective 🌱 Resilient 🕊️ Guarded

Karen Weaver (Amy Wright)

Paul’s sister, the bride-to-be whose wedding is the event around which the family converges. She embodies a mix of hope and anxiety as she steadies herself against mounting conflict. Her wedding acts as a crossroad for loyalties and unfinished business within the family.

💒 Hopeful 👰 Bride-to-be 🧠 Stressed

Boomer Weaver (John Mahoney)

Paul’s father, a charismatic yet flawed figure who embodies old-school pride and stubbornness. His presence brings both humor and tension, revealing how pride and denial complicate responsibility. He ultimately embodies a conduit for tough love and unexpected wisdom.

👨‍👦 Father figure 🍺 Easygoing 🗺️ Old-school

Susan Volcheck (Judith Ivey)

A former love interest who resurfaces in Paul’s life, causing friction and reminding him of past temptations. Her presence adds complexity to the emotional landscape, highlighting themes of attraction, betrayal, and the consequences of past decisions.

💬 Charismatic 🤔 Temptation 🧩 Complicated

Danny Volcheck (Jack Willis)

Susan’s husband, characterized by quick temper and impulsive responses that escalate the weekend’s tension. His volatile demeanor underscores how fragile relationships become under stress and how easily anger can derail reconciliation.

😠 Aggressive 🧩 Complicating factor 🕊️ Tension

Sarah Weaver (Mary Griffin)

Paul and Nancy’s teenage daughter, aloof and perceptive, who uses mischief to dramatize her loneliness. Her actions push parents to confront unresolved issues and the fragility of family bonds during a time of upheaval.

🧒 Teen 🤑 Money-driven 😢 Lonely

David Weaver (Tom Allen)

Paul and Nancy’s son, outspoken and perceptive, often serving as a bridge between two generations. He calls out hypocrisy and helps steer the family toward a more honest, if uneasy, path forward.

👦 Son 🗣️ Blunt 🧭 Bridges gaps

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:32

Major Themes – Love Hurts (1990)

Explore the central themes of Love Hurts (1990), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Infidelity

Paul’s lifelong pattern of cheating drives much of the conflict, creating mistrust and emotional distance within the family. The revelation tests the boundaries of forgiveness and whether trust can be rebuilt after repeated betrayals. The plot uses intimate moments to explore responsibility, guilt, and the complexities of reconciling love with broken promises.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Drama

The narrative delves into tangled family dynamics—divorced parents, a demanding father figure, and children navigating loyalty and hurt. The wedding weekend acts as a pressure cooker where past choices resurface and relationships are renegotiated. It becomes a test of who remains linked by love and obligation when tensions peak.

🎉 Wedding Chaos

What should be a festive milestone unfolds with rain, nerves, and social expectations that intensify personal conflicts. The ceremony and related events reveal honest desires, miscommunications, and the messy path to accountability. The wedding becomes a catalyst for truth-telling and potential reconciliation.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:32

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Love Hurts Summary

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Love Hurts Summary

Love Hurts Timeline

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Love Hurts Timeline

More About Love Hurts

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