Yeah, I'm blogging at midnight on a Saturday. Also: Spoilers.
This movie is really genius. On a whole bunch of levels, I think, because even though it has a cast full of stars - seriously A+ actors and actresses - the main character is a girl who is just hopeless in romance. I don't mean that she is a hopeless romantic - I mean that the girl is seriously incapable of dating. And currently in my life I feel the exact same way, and I know so many other young women who can relate to this character. She goes out on dates with guys that won't call her back, that only want sex, that really just don't like her, and the whole time she agonizes over why they don't call her back. She tries too hard and looks desperate. She seriously borders on stalking some of these dudes in her enthusiasm. The other characters in the movie are equally important, really, because they tackle relationship topics like cheating and breakups and engagements and divorce. There is no heartbreak situation that this movie does not cover, it shows the promise and excitement of new love and the heartbreak of a decaying relationship. But Ginnifer is my favorite.
But aside from the character played my Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long's character is my favorite. Because he provides some insight into men, really, and I wish that people could just be that honest. One of the ongoing themes in the movies is that women have been misled from childhood to believe that men are interested in you when they mistreat you, and Justin Long's character is all no - he just doesn't like you. Move on. It makes me wish that I had a friend like that who was completely honest about guys in my life because I have such trouble reading them. Does he just want to be friends? Is he interested in a relationship? Justin Long would know. Do any of you have his number? I feel like he could really help me out here.
I'm a very honest and upfront person because I don't want to lead anyone on, and I don't like wasting my time. So I wear my heart on my sleeve and if you ask me a question about how I feel you will get an honest answer. The problem I've found is that men don't really think the same way, and I've discussed this before. They expect you to just know what they're thinking magically and not actually have to tell you, "hey, I like you" or "hey, you're a good friend but that's all I want" - we are just expected to know. Women, on the other hand, like to drop subtle hints. Men do not "get" these hints.
I really think the world would be a better place if we all just adopted my system of telling people how you feel.
Anyway. I think my favorite part of the movie is the end, not because it is a sappy happy ending - which is actually my least favorite thing about the movie, because it sort of doesn't sit right with the whole theme of the movie, in my opinion, but I guess for it to be a RomCom it has to be happy at the end. For everyone. And it isn't realistic and it sort of reinforces all of the stereotypes that the movie just spent an hour and a half attempting to break. But when GiGi is narrating at the end of the credits she says this, and this I believe:
"Or maybe the happy ending is just this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope. "
This explains everything about why I refuse to actually get bitter about all of the guys who don't call back and don't actually want anything serious, and all of the guys who act like they are interested but then blow you off, and why I will in all liklihood continue to misread signals and put myself out there just to get rejected and disappointed all over again. Because I genuinely believe that some day I will find someone who makes it all worth it and I am going to appreciate the hell out of that man for however long he is in my life.
