Spring Break
'He's Just Not That Into You' brings big screen romance down to earth
Kathleen McKiernan
Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Entertainment
02/24/09 -Are you the exception or the rule? In two hours, "He's Just Not That Into You" tries to answer this question that has been baffling women for ages -- whether they are single and trying to meet that special someone or married and having doubts to whether they had met that someone.
The definition of a romantic comedy, "He's Just Not That Into You" offers not only good laughs and a few breakaway tears, but cut and dry advice for women in the dating scene.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, who were writers for "Sex and the City," which I think is enough to establish their credentials on writing about women and dating.
The movie turns the straightforward self-help book into a dating story that intertwines the lives of an all star cast, including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long.
The movie starts with Goodwin's character, Gigi, who narrates, beginning her story with the complex dating issue most of us have faced.
At the time, she's five. She likes a boy. He calls her poop face. Oh, the drama. But that simple exchange is where it all begins, where women begin brainwashing each other. One girl gets dumped and her friends support her by telling her that some ineptitude on the guy's part led to the dumping, or that the guy was too intimidated by the girl's perfection.
Women around the world are afraid to face the real truth that it isn't because the guy is afraid of commitment, had a hard childhood, or thinks you're too good for him. No, he's just not that into you.
It takes Gigi a while to contemplate this idea that a guy may just not be into her. She has the inextricable hope that she will meet the man of her dreams one day if she just keeps trying despite her embarrassing, but comical attempts at dating. Whether she's waiting by her phone for Conor (Kevin Connelly) to call her or making guffaws with a guy who says "happy hour isn't happy without her," Gigi only begins to put her keenness in analyzing dates to a rational use when she meets Alex (Justin Long).
The definition of a romantic comedy, "He's Just Not That Into You" offers not only good laughs and a few breakaway tears, but cut and dry advice for women in the dating scene.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, who were writers for "Sex and the City," which I think is enough to establish their credentials on writing about women and dating.
The movie turns the straightforward self-help book into a dating story that intertwines the lives of an all star cast, including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long.
The movie starts with Goodwin's character, Gigi, who narrates, beginning her story with the complex dating issue most of us have faced.
At the time, she's five. She likes a boy. He calls her poop face. Oh, the drama. But that simple exchange is where it all begins, where women begin brainwashing each other. One girl gets dumped and her friends support her by telling her that some ineptitude on the guy's part led to the dumping, or that the guy was too intimidated by the girl's perfection.
Women around the world are afraid to face the real truth that it isn't because the guy is afraid of commitment, had a hard childhood, or thinks you're too good for him. No, he's just not that into you.
It takes Gigi a while to contemplate this idea that a guy may just not be into her. She has the inextricable hope that she will meet the man of her dreams one day if she just keeps trying despite her embarrassing, but comical attempts at dating. Whether she's waiting by her phone for Conor (Kevin Connelly) to call her or making guffaws with a guy who says "happy hour isn't happy without her," Gigi only begins to put her keenness in analyzing dates to a rational use when she meets Alex (Justin Long).
