As 2023 begins and we reflect on the past year, the friends we made, the dates we didn't go on, we watched the rom-coms where characters shed their former selves for the sake of love.
13 Going on 30
Prime Video
What if a kid lived an adult’s life? That is the basic premise of 13 going on 30. Jenna, after a disastrous 13th birthday party in which she is abandoned by everyone in attendance (except her best friend Matty), wishes to be 30 years old. And so, she wakes up, an adult, in a New York City apartment, with a boyfriend who walks around half naked and calls after her remorselessly with the pet name “sweet bottom”. Confused by her adult state, Jenna seeks out Matty, with whom she eventually falls in love. And in her adult life, Jenna’s 80s kid mentality leads her toward success. Her school yearbook themed redesign for Poise (the fashion magazine where she works) is loved by her superiors, and she is able to revive a dying work party by putting on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Sure, some of these moments teeter into the ambit of corniness, but corniness, when done right, is delightful (Jenna and Matty doing the “Thriller” dance is one of the movie’s highlights). Jenna and Matty are also great together. Jennifer Garner (Jenna) and Mark Ruffalo (Matty) perform well and seem to click. Ruffalo, in particular, has a hip smartness to him that really works with his character (for example he has a retort instantly ready when insulted by a former classmate). And so, if you can get past the sheer cheesiness that this movie sometimes exhibits, 13 going on 30 is a fun watch with some really great performances. Directed by Gary Winick.
-Gabe
Enchanted
Disney+
Enchanted follows Giselle, a woman from the animated land of Andalasia, who is pushed into a well which leads to real world NYC. Here she meets Robert, a divorce attorney, and the two ultimately get together. The film is very enjoyable. Giselle (Amy Adams) is such an idiosyncratic and high energy character that she carries the whole movie on her back effortlessly (Giselle is always singing, dancing, and finding ways to bring people together). And this is leaving out her sensational sartorial skills. Half the reason this movie is so enjoyable is the costume design. Giselle, throughout the film, makes dresses out of the various patterned fabrics she finds around Robert’s apartment (curtains and blankets and such). And these dresses all match Giselle’s flowery, colourful personality and help sell the character even more. Giselle also serves as a way for the film to poke fun at many of the tropes of Disney’s animated princess movies. Trying to sing for the assistance of animals in New York? You won’t get songbirds and deer, but rather rats and cockroaches. And on the topic of singing, it is important to note that this movie is a musical. And while the songs aren’t ground-breaking, they’re fun and performed well (who knew Amy Adams had such pipes). All in all, this a fun film that creatively parodies and pastiches the animated fairy tale Disney films of yesteryear with love and respect. And if that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then I recommend giving this movie a watch. Patrick Dempsey is Robert. Directed by Kevin Lima.
-Gabe
The Princess Diaries
Disney+
Okay, so The Princess Diaries might not be the first thing that you think of when you hear 'rom-com' — and it really isn't the world's most positive example of a transformation, either. Sure, it's great that Mia gains the confidence to take on royal duties, but the whole 'straighten your hair, ditch the glasses' makeover schtick is hardly the type of aspirational content it's easy to binge-watch each January.
Still, there's a quiet irony to the transformation. In one of the movie's worst betrayals, Paolo, Mia's beautician, upends his young client's life just to get the credit for her new look. He couldn't care less about Mia's feelings (or Genovia's standing on the global stage) — apparently, in the heartless world of beauty, the only thing that matters is your reputation. Unfortunately, the makeover is still celebrated (and Paolo is eventually employed again; clearly he isn't enough of a liability to the PR team), but it's nice to see at least a little bit of pushback against what is otherwise a pretty standard early-2000s makeover scene.
Looking past the makeover, The Princess Diaries is a great film to watch if you're considering some big life changes. Mia gets a lot of great advice, most of which applies pretty broadly (you won't have to inherit your own kingdom to appreciate novelist Meg Cabot's wisdom). Since the winter 2023 semester is starting soon, I'll leave you with this quote from Prince Philipe:
"From now on you’ll be travelling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey."
-Demetra
Miss Congeniality
Amazon Prime, Starz
Miss Congeniality is one of those movies, along with Legally Blonde and some others, that are an important remnant of my childhood that I repeatedly return to for some sweet nostalgia. While, like most early 2000s films, it has its problems I can not hate the movie for them due to this nostalgic filter. This is one of the films that I would watch with my mother on a bad day and I still get that same pick me up.
The film follows Grace (played by Sandra Bullock), a strong empowered woman who works for the FBI. Her biggest flaw is her tom-boyishness and her strong headedness (her lack of decorum one might say) which she has to overcome to successfully pull off a mission during a pageant competition.
This film is strongly branded by early 2000s feminism and general tropes. Which is something to keep in mind if you’re watching the film for the first time. It is cheesy and it doesn’t subvert tropes and it fits neatly within the social climate of the time. So if that’s not your thing, it is understandable and hopefully this warning helped.
If you’re like me and either grew up with the film or are able to enjoy it despite its flaws I recommend this film. Sandra Bullock is funny in her own specific way. I appreciate the film for its attempt at portraying a story not surrounding a love interest (although yes he does exist, and clearly so) and rather focusing on supporting women in whatever they choose to pursue. Again, do they pull it off well? Debatable. But it's a feel-good film that I think handles its tone well
-Stacy
Honor Society
Paramount+
Honor Society is a coming of age story of modern times that deals with the challenge high school students face when applying for post-secondary education…mixed in with some juicy teenage romance. The main character, Honor, is determined to do whatever it takes to get into Harvard university so she can escape her stifling home town. This takes her down a manipulative path to sabotage the other top students in her class also vying for a Harvard recommendation from their guidance counsellor.
The film is not a common coming of age tale in a traditional sense, Honor breaks the fourth wall throughout the film as a kind of “omniscient narrator“. This gives insight into Honor’s thoughts and feelings and how her kind spirit overcomes her manipulative intentions in the end. This also enables Honor to point out small details to the viewer that help shape her plans…while also manipulating the audience for future plot twists.
With a cast of characters that encapsulate all the modern stereotypes (theatre kids, nerds, attractive popular sports players), Honor uses her ingenuity to break the stereotypes her peers are stuck with and meshes them together to create beautiful friendships that she grows to value more than her Harvard admission. If you enjoy strong female leads, plot twists, and a healthy amount of teen drama, then this movie is for you!
-David
Om Shanti Om
Netflix
When it comes to Bollywood classics, Om Shanti Om tops the list. Om, a junior artist with dreams of becoming a huge movie star forms a bond with Shanti, one of the most iconic actresses of her time. But when a renowned film producer— Shanti’s husband— orchestrates her murder and Om dies trying to save her, Om is reborn. In this life, he becomes a beloved movie star, while a doppelganger of Shanti strives to achieve the same level of success as he. When Om starts to remember his past life and the star that was mysteriously murdered, he plots to take revenge on the film producer who took both their lives.
When thinking of the phrase, “new year, new me”, no movie takes it further than Om Shanti Om. After all, being reborn as an entirely different person who has achieved every goal imaginable probably sounds pretty appealing to most of us near the beginning of the year. However, the heart of Om Shanti Om comes from Om’s realization that, though he didn’t have much in his past life, it was enough. He had fiery passions, a best friend who was always there for him, and a mother who held so much love for him that she never stopped looking for him even 30 years after his death. So, he wasn’t a renowned movie star adored by millions. But the little things were what made his life worth living.
As the year continues on, hopefully we can let go of the aspiration to achieve everything we want to immediately and shed the disappointment that comes when we don’t quite get there. Instead, let’s be grateful for what we do have, and know that things will fall into place eventually. As Om says in the movie, “Just like in our films, in life too, finally, in the end everything is fine. Happy endings! And if it’s not happy, it’s not the end, my friends. The film isn’t over yet!”
- Oishe
Sunshine on Leith
Tubi TV
Very few things are better than a Scottish musical, and Sunshine on Leith proves that. After serving in Afghanistan, Davy and Ally return home and must reacclimate to a simple life in Edinburgh. Ally is reunited with his girlfriend, Davy’s sister Liz, while Davy starts to fall for Liz’s coworker, Yvonne. However, the two are faced with a myriad of family issues and the pain left over from their tour in Afghanistan.
Sunshine on Leith is full to the brim with heartwarming romance and musical numbers that you can’t help but smile at, but it can also pack a real gut punch. While it portrays romance with such beauty, it also encapsulates how difficult it can be for both Davy and Ally to separate the calculated, disciplined behaviour they adopted in the military from the sweet, easy going men they were before. On top of that, the secondary characters struggle with the dualities in their own identities— Liz struggles with wanting to maintain her passionate relationship with Ally, but being scared of settling down, Yvonne deals with her love of Edinburgh and the people she’s met, and the chance to leave and see more of the world, while Davy’s father, Rab, must juggle the family he has, as well as an estranged daughter who suddenly shows up in his life. In this way, Sunshine on Leith embodies the idea of “new year, new me” through the changes in every character’s life. In the end, characters manage to fulfil their desires while keeping parts of the good things in their old lives. Sunshine on Leith is a great little movie to put on if you’re looking to smile and sing some fun tunes.
- Oishe