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Script My Life: How To Be Single

Being single is the best time to live your best life!


Yes, I have revived the 'Single Ladies' series by public demand. During the hiatus, I have been mingling with different women from all walks of life. I'm seeing that the equation of single women to the ones getting married is actually balanced. Yes, girls are getting themselves that ring-on-it. But there is still that portion who are still on the singles bus; crying, begging and praying to get off the bus. Well ladies, I pulled out a flick for y'all.

Actually, today's 'Script My Life' film can be universal. Yes boys, you are slightly included in the plot. Our case study is 'How to Be Single', as we learn how to be single. So let's go!

Starring Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades franchise), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect), Leslie Mann (The Other Woman) and Alison Brie, the movie looks at four female protagonists who are single. The movie starts off with a party theme, 'Intoxicated'. As the soundtrack plays, Dakota's character, Alice, narrates in the opening monologue about the types of 'single'. She states that there are good and bad ways to be single. She also highlights the perks of being single. She then poses the question, "Why do we want to tell our stories through relationships?"

We watch how she met her college boyfriend Josh. Fast forward four years later, Alice wants to take a break from her relationship with Josh. She states that the time apart will help the couple find themselves. This is followed by the opening credits as Alice goes to New York to find herself.

Alice is living with her older sister, an obstetrics doctor, Meg (Mann). Meg is the workaholic single who chooses not to have children despite assisting in delivering about 3,000 babies. Alice joins a law firm as a paralegal where she befriends party girl, Robyn (Wilson). Robyn is the single who's not ready to leave the party yet. After work, Robyn offers Alice the 'Being Single 101'. The duo go to a local pub where Alice ends up hooking up with playboy, bartender, Tom.

In another scene, please stay with me, Tom meets Lucy (Brie), the desperate single looking for a husband. Lucy explains an algorithm that she devised to help her with the search using peanuts. She is using the free WiFi at Tom's bar, to connect her to dating sites. Tom is rather intrigued by this hopeless romantic. Tom will watch Lucy hook up with losers, while he schools her about the player life.

After hooking up with Tom and realising that there's not much to the single life, Alice wants Josh back. This backfires on her as Josh breaks up with her, citing that he didn't need an experiment to know that he loved her. He is seeing someone else and wants different things now. A heartbroken Alice seeks consolation from Meg who advises her to focus on her career. The two argue as Alice insults Meg for being old and loveless. Meanwhile, Meg decides to have a baby with an unknown sperm donor. Following an apology from Alice, Meg shares her decision and asks Alice to move out. Alice gets a small place of her own downtown. Josh returns Alice's stuff and let's her know that his new girlfriend, Michelle, is moving in with him. Alice attends an alumni networking event where she meets, David Storm (Damon Wayans, Jnr.) At a Christmas party at Alice's office, Meg meets Ken, a co-worker, who she hooks up with.

At Tom's bar, Lucy thinks that she's met her nut, Paul, however he breaks up with her prior to the holidays. She then meets George after a meltdown at a kids book reading. By St. Patrick's day, Alice is dating David Storm, a single dad. She gets along with his daughter, however he flips his lid when Alice gets too close. David ends things with Alice. Lucy on the other hand, tells Tom that she's seeing George. It dawns upon Tom that he might have feelings for Lucy. Heartbroken Tom and Alice hook up one again after meeting their drink count.

A showing Meg breaks things off with an initially ecstatic Ken. Ken is willing to be a stay-at-home dad to Meg's unborn baby. Meg continues to push Ken away using the age logic on him. Alice hosts her birthday party where Josh, David and Tom show up. She tells Robyn that she would rather not see all three guys to avoid drama. David apologises to Alice for the way he treated her. Josh announces that he's engaged but he wants the 'one last time' sex with Alice. When Alice realises that he's using her, she walks out of her apartment, leaving Josh behind. Whilst in a cab, the cab slams into Robyn who's trying to help Meg who's now in labour. Robyn drops off the sisters at the hospital where Meg delivers a baby girl. Ken visits Meg and the baby, and Meg admits that she's in-love with Ken. Meanwhile, Lucy is now engaged to George. Alice starts learning to be self sufficient and enjoy being single. She also patches things up with Robyn whom she discovers is actually rich.

Alice narrates in a closing monologue about being single and perceptions of relationships. The movie ends as she watches the sunrise on new year's day at the top of the Grand Canyon.

The take aways:

I respect Josh for not taking Alice back because we don't play with people's emotions like a yo-yo. But he was a prick for trying to have his last bachelor hook up with his ex. Tom is the honest douche, who explains the life of a player. Sadly, his truth and lifestyle made him less attractive to Lucy, whom he really liked. I do worry about Robyn's random hook-ups. It's the fact that she forgets that she had sex with specific people; she's a venereal disease away. Otherwise, she is actually living the typical millenial single lifestyle. Alice was right in trying to discover herself, although a bit naive in her approach. Lucy is frightening and desperate. It makes sense why she kept on meeting assholes. As Alice said, finding the one isn't about an algorithm, it's more about chemistry. Meg had to learn that you can't push away those who genuinely care about you because you are stuck in your ways.

Despite it's title though, 'How to Be Single' spends too much time on the narrative of finding 'the one'. The protagonists aren't learning how to enjoy being single. It would have been refreshing if all protagonists had different perspectives of singledom. Robyn can't be the alpha and omega definition of being single.

The take away from the movie though, being single is the best time for self discovery.

"Being single is the best time for self discovery."

Enjoy your own company and fall in love with yourself.

Until the next script...

P.S.: Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E

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