Photo courtesy of Richard Sandoval, Wikipedia
Netflix’s newest original film “Someone Great” was released on the platform last Friday. This movie, while advertised as the average rom-com, was much richer in plotline and included a much-needed diverse cast.
The movie follows the story of Jenny (Gina Rodriguez), a music journalist who lands a job across the country with Rolling Stone, which leads to the breakup of her nine-year relationship with her boyfriend she met in college.
Before she leaves New York City, Jenny and her two best friends get together to help cope with her breakup and to enjoy one last hoorah as a threesome. The plot is new and empowering. It is refreshing to see a diverse group of women help their friend get over a breakup rather than watching the repetitive storyline seen in many romantic comedies of the girl trying to win her ex-boyfriend back.
Gina Rodriguez plays the character of Jenny with a modern twist. It is clear that the writers of this film are aware of the truth and modernity of Western popular culture. The characters in this film felt real, and the lines and dialogue were just short of corny, but not to a fault.
One of the pieces of this film that made it so authentic was the diverse cast. The breakdown: a Latinx lead with two African American costars, one of which plays a gay woman who is dating another woman of color. Netflix is famous for shining the light on a plethora of minority groups who are commonly misrepresented in Western media, and this is clearly exemplified in this film. The combination of innovation and diversity in “Someone Great” was for the most part a breath of fresh air.
However, there was some stereotypes oddly presented in this film. The presence of alcohol and marijuana being an example. Sure, it is relevant to mention drugs in a film about hip young adult friends in the city. However, this film could have excused this element as it was not necessary to the plot.
It seems that women with broken hearts in American films are always bound to rely on alcohol or marijuana in order to cope with their breakups. This film could have easily turned around this cliché and created a clearer moral that all you need is love and support from friends and family to heal a broken heart.
With this aside, “Someone Great” is truly a great film; it’s pure, fresh and new. Netflix hit the nail on the head with this lovely adaptation of a seemingly real group of people going through a very real romantic rollercoaster.
4 stars
ddeange1@ramapo.edu
