{"id":3079,"date":"2016-02-28T18:28:09","date_gmt":"2016-02-28T23:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3079"},"modified":"2016-02-28T18:29:21","modified_gmt":"2016-02-28T23:29:21","slug":"how-to-be-single-tells-four-stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3079","title":{"rendered":"‘How to be Single’ tells four stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted February 28, 2016<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By CLARISSA BUCH<\/p>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day weekend calls for yet another romantic comedy to release in theaters. This year, \u201cHow to Be Single\u201d was it. As a flick geared at 20-somethings, \u201cHow to Be Single\u201d blends HBO\u2019s \u201cGirls\u201d and \u201cSex and the City\u201d into one romance-filled rant preaching the fact that it\u2019s okay to be single, even on Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>Through loud clubs, random make outs and a lot of alcohol, the movie takes viewers on a journey with four single women navigating 21st-century dating.<\/p>\n

Though its set up to be a pseudo-guide on how to be single, the film serves more as an expose of each woman\u2019s different experiences, shamelessly attempting to resonate with every type of movie-goer.<\/p>\n

The script, by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein and Dana Fox, is based on the 2008 novel by Liz Tuccillo. The film was directed by Christian Ditter, who directed 2014\u2019s \u201cLove, Rosie,\u201d another romantic comedy.<\/p>\n

Dakota Johnson, who released \u201cFifty Shades of Grey\u201d last Valentine\u2019s Day, stars as Alice, who recently split from her long-time college boyfriend in hopes of finding herself; Rebel Wilson, who plays Robin, is Alice\u2019s closest friend and makes it her duty to guide Alice through living the single life to the fullest extent \u2013 which means late nights, bar brawls and a plethora of one-night stands.<\/p>\n

Leslie Mann, who plays Meg, is Alice\u2019s over-achieving, \u201cI don\u2019t need a man\u201d older sister. She\u2019s an OB\/GYN toying with the idea of artificial insemination because, again, she doesn\u2019t need a man. And Alison Brie, who plays Lucy, is the ultimate queen of online dating, hoping to find a husband.<\/p>\n

The four Brooklyn-based women share one thing: They\u2019re single. But not all of them want a beau. Wilson prides herself on living a boyfriend-free lifestyle, and Meg preaches that her career takes priority over finding a spouse.<\/p>\n

But, every romantic comedy needs semi-depressed, love-sick characters. Alice and Lucy are them, both searching for men in their own way. Lucy is a fierce proponent of online dating, while Alice juggles exes, one-night hook ups, flings, with the goal of one sticking around for good.<\/p>\n

Though the film appears to be just another chick-flick, there\u2019s a deep message imbedded within the movie. Sift through empty bottles, morning-afters and lots of tears, and find a story of a girl trying to find her own identity sans a man.<\/p>\n

Alice struggles with her newfound independence throughout the story and discovers that she often lets a man dictate her personality and goals. She\u2019s learns that she\u2019s easily morphed by men, like a chameleon that changes colors based on\u00a0its environment.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the film, with the help of Robin, Alice realizes a woman doesn\u2019t need a man to be fulfilled. And, as things often work themselves out, when the time is right, the right man will come \u2013 which is proved in Meg and Lucy\u2019s story lines.<\/p>\n

The most important takeaway from \u201cHow to Be Single\u201d is the understanding that it\u2019s vital to love yourself before you give yourself to someone else. Especially for 20-somethings, the movie reminds viewers that there are decades of years ahead and, often, very little of that time is spent alone \u2013 though it might not feel that way.<\/p>\n

In a very \u201cSex and the City,\u201d Carrie Bradshaw-type way, the movie ends with an inspirational message from Alice, preaching of the beauty and importance of being, living and experiencing life and its wonders alone.<\/p>\n

Though clich\u00e9 and overly predictable at times, the moral of \u201cHow to Be Single\u201d saves it from being just another depressing Valentine\u2019s Day movie.<\/p>\n

For shameless fans of chick-flicks and romantic comedies, \u201cHow to Be Single\u2019s\u201d moral makes it worth seeing.<\/p>\n

But, for everyone else, whether or not you want to shell out $20 (because popcorn and candy are always a movie-must) on this female-centered film, that\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n