Jennifer Anniston is definitely the most successful member of Friends and has done a ton of movies since the gang broke up all those years ago. I feel as though she severely limits herself by only playing basically the same person in every movie that she is in - that being the lovestruck or lady in waiting that ends up falling in love through a series of funny events.
However, in this film it seems as though this is a more accurate portrayal not just of pals that have different financial situations in life, but also how society as a whole focuses a bit too much on physical beauty when choosing a partner when in all actuality, the perfect person for you might not actually be the one who is your perfect ideal of beauty.
The thing that caught me about this film was that it presents some things that all of us worry about or ponder at parts of our lives: Romance and money. It also goes on to show the very real aspect of life that financial success in a relationship doesn't necessarily mean that things are going to be wonderful between the couples involved. I know plenty of people in rather toxic relationships that are very well off and I also know people that live paycheck to paycheck that live much "richer" lives than people who get a new Mercedes every year.
In this film, all of Olivia (Anniston) is the only one of her close group of old friends that is single and also the only one that doesn't have a great deal of money. She tries to hang out with her friends and even though they are friendly about it, they get a little too involved in pitying her for both her lack of money and lack of romance. They try to give her money, and she doesn't like this at all. I can kind of relate to this because a gift from a wealthy friend can feel patronizing and belittling, even though the intention on their part is good.
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I'm sure this scene was appreciated by a lot of people as well I can also relate to friends feeling as though you need assistance in finding a partner when in all actuality you just really aren't all that interested in finding one. This has been the case for me at many points in my own life and it just so happens to be the case now.
Olivia's friends set her up on a blind date with a guy they think is very attractive and I guess he is meant to be. He also happens to be completely full of himself and is a real jerk. I've certainly known a few very attractive people in my life, both male and female, that thought the world of themselves and treated almost everyone around them terribly because they feel as though they can and should get away with it. They'll get their comeuppance at some point in their lives and this is kind of the story that is told in this movie as well.
This is not a new film, but like a lot of my Netflix choices it was new to me and the only reason why I watched it was because it was featured at the top of my home page. I had never heard of it prior to a few days ago probably because I don't really seek out romantic comedies, they usually just find me.
Given the star-power in this film, I am actually very surprised that they were able to make the entire film for under $10 million. You may recall that Anniston was getting a million dollars per episode of Friends, so this was definitely a huge pay cut for her. The same could probably be said of Joan Cusak and Frances McDormand. I don't know if they had become big stars in 2006 when this movie was made, but they are both certainly regarded as exceptional these days.
Despite the fact that almost all critics liked this movie, it performed very poorly at the box office.
Should I watch it?
It's more of a drama than a comedy, which in my mind is a good thing and it really showcases how Anniston is probably a much better actress than she gets credit for. I really would like to see her take on more daring roles but maybe she, or the industry just isn't interested in giving her that opportunity.
Overall, I think this movie says a lot about society and our perceptions of wealth and beauty; as well as how these two things are not nearly as important as most people seem to think it is. I enjoyed it and didn't even look at my phone very frequently, which as per usual, is normally a very good sign that something is worthwhile.
