It's Complicated is Actually Super Complicated

Nothing attracts a young woman to a movie more than Meryl Streep lying naked in bed, looking guilty as hell, more when looking for a good romantic comedy to watch. When deciding to spend time watching films advertised more predominantly towards women, there was an obvious first choice. It’s Complicated probably isn’t the first movie that comes to mind when thinking about the hundreds of great movies streaming currently. Somehow this film with a deeply moving

story, star-studded cast, and hilarious scenes has found its way to the back of people’s minds.

The romantic comedy was released in 2009 with a huge cast list. Meryl Streep plays the aging divorcee, Jane, who gets caught up in a sexual affair with her married ex-husband, Jake, played by Alec Baldwin. While exploring the love she lost after 15 years of marriage and 10 years of divorce, Jane starts a budding romantic relationship with an architect (Steve Martin) who is updating her family home. There are some other big names in odd roles like John Krasinski as the future son-in-law and Hunter Parrish as one of Jane and Jake’s three children. While the movie itself is pretty good, it is not a single one of the named actor’s greatest movies. For some, it feels like a stepping stone to better roles in bigger movies and for others it feels like a movie made in the lull of their great careers. Perhaps that’s why this movie isn’t considered one of the great romantic comedies of our time.

In a movie this raunchy, there isn’t much to complain about. There are scenes where sex is highly suggested and a hilarious scene where Jane and Adam smoke a joint before going to a house party on their first date. Despite what you may have heard, or what Rotten Tomatoes told you with its 59% rating, this movie is actually super funny and incredibly heartfelt. The story gives voice to a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling through the loneliness that comes with an empty nest without a partner. At the beginning, Jane is a woman desperate to be loved, even if it means having an affair with the man who cheated on her, ending their fifteen year marriage. By the end of the film, she is confident in her decisions about love and is given the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with her adult children about love and divorce.

The great thing about this movie is that it’s not all about the romance between the characters. Jake is not a character the audience hopes for Jane to end up with, even though Jake promises her all the things they’d had in their marriage and more. Adam presents himself as the more responsible romantic decision for the main character. He is a funny guy with his own rocky marriage history. By the end of this movie, Jane seemingly chooses herself and her children, giving up the desperate desire for romance and sex, but keeping an open heart and mind for it. It is through the complications in Jane’s life that she learns the effects her relationship with Jake has on her grown children. Though ten years have passed since their parent’s divorce, the kids still feel the ache of their broken home, and their feelings become confused after learning of their parents' affair. Jane takes their feelings into consideration and apologizes to her children for not acknowledging their feelings sooner.

This film does a great job showcasing the complicated relationships of people who have children and are divorced. Most people don’t return to their marriage after the divorce has been finalized, but the struggle to move on and go forward with life is one many divorced people struggle with. It is a story that is relatable in many ways to varying ages of viewers, and I highly suggest it for anyone looking for a good story and a good laugh.