We eat meatloaf and oatmeal with raisins before discussing Blue Valentine. The exploration of the good and bad behavior and personality traits in the film may be too intense to be entertaining. The slow heartbreak throughout the film explores the control and manipulation in a relationship. Are there sides that we gravitate to based on our own biases, or is everyone just messed up? We may be able to use this film as a means to discover red flags in relationships before they become part of our lives.