Netflix Hidden Gems: ‘One Day’
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Netflix is the home to romances of all kinds. Some cheesy, some new, old or just simply not enjoyable. It may be a journey to sift through and find one worth watching. But, once you do, it is beyond fulfilling. If you happened across the film One Day and are considering watching it, it truly may be one of the best romances you’ll ever see.
One Day is the story of two people, on two separate courses of their lives, and how 20 years can develop them in strikingly different ways. The film moves through the 20 years by focusing on one specific day a year; the day they first met, July 15th, 1988.
The Story
It was graduation night from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Anne Hathaway plays Emma, a girl with dreams to become a writer but is struggling to get her start in London. Rex played by Jim Sturges, comes from wealth and with a variety of opportunities at his finger tips. After almost sleeping together that night as celebration, they decide to stay best friends. The day officially becomes their “friend anniversary”.
As much as they may want to, they do not meet on every anniversary. Sometimes they celebrate together in Paris or London but there are other times he is crying for her to pick up the phone in a drunken fit while she is on a blind date. Each year we get a snippet into their lives, and hint at the ups and downs they experienced that year.
There is an obvious connection between the two. Even if they deny what they have between them, the eyes tell a different story.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is watching the two cope with growth and adulthood. Emma starts her career working at a Mexican restaurant, having lost her drive for writing while Dexter becomes a wildly popular TV host right out of college. Dexter is bursting with pompous success, and encourages Emma to keep fighting for her dream. However, it is hard for her to find that fighting spark.
Growth and Maturity of a Relationship
Dexter soon turns into a man that Emma does not recognize, as he continues to stay in this youthful mindset while she grows up. As he drinks, has one night stands, and snorts lines of cocaine in dirty club bathrooms, Emma is teaching English and putting on plays for her younger students. It is this reality of love and maturity that makes this story so heart wrenching to watch. Not everyone is perfect for each other at the right time. Dexter always had a special place in his heart for Emma, but was scared to let go of his playboy past. Emma, on the other hand, was ready for something serious while this was going on, but did not want to be just another girl to him.
When he matured, she was in a relationship and when she was ready for him, he was getting married. It sheds light on how love can grow and mature, and how people change to adapt to what their hearts need at that time in their lives.
When the time is right for them, the unthinkable happens. Why after 20 years of waiting for each other to finally be ready for their kind of love, would it end sooner than it even started? That is because, that is how life works. No one, no matter how strong a love may be, can control the universe and its plans. The years they had as a couple were beautiful, romantic, and everything they could have possibly dreamed of back in July of 1988.
The Conclusion
While this is a story of love, it is also one of growth, healing, recovery and triumph. It is one of falling down and collecting there obliterated pieces and trying to glue the fragments back together. One Day portrays the realities of life, no matter how earth shattering they may be.
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