Movie Review: One Day

As book-to-film adaptations go, this one falls somewhere between extremely well done and tolerably done, and I can't really pinpoint where on the spectrum it fits.  I do think if a viewer hadn't read the novel before seeing the film they might have enjoyed it more than I did, simply because it was so fresh in my mind and I was busy cataloging omissions and alterations.  That said, I found it very watchable in spite of myself.

Most of my hunches about this film turned out to be right.  It was produced by Focus Features, which guaranteed a certain artistry and visual appeal, so I was not let down there.  Anne Hathaway and particularly Jim Sturgess gave solid performances, and Sturgess was particularly heartbreaking in his portrayal of Dexter's downward spiral.  Additionally, the under-utilized Patricia Clarkson was great as Dexter's ailing mother, and I definitely wouldn't have been opposed to seeing a bit more from her.  I knew going into the movie that it was going to be difficult to translate a lot of the character's interiority that we get to see in the novel, and that is probably where the film suffers the most.  Someone mentioned in another review that it was hard to figure out at times why these character stuck by one another for so long (particularly Emma once Dexter started evolving into a grade-A jerk), and I could see how this was a problem-- the book just does a much better job explaining why they each need each other so much, but in a way that couldn't really have been put onscreen unless they inserted a lot of monologue-ing, which would definitely have gotten old.  For similar reasons some of the movie's segments felt rushed, like they were jumping from year to year too quickly and not giving us enough time to immerse ourselves in each episode individually. 

All these problems were minor for me because I'd more or less expected them, and if you do the same you'll probably enjoy the film for what it accomplishes, which is a convincing portrayal of a modern love story, complete with realistic obstacles and outcomes.  One thing that was very frustrating for me, however, was how one-sided the writers/directors made things in the first third or so of the film-- it definitely looked as though Emma was (even a bit stupidly) head over heels for Dexter while he had her firmly in the "friend zone," when in the novel this was not the case.  There is a great "almost" moment regrettably omitted from the film in which we see Dexter drunkenly compose a lengthy letter to Emma during these very early stages of their romance, confessing some of his feelings and begging her to meet him in India.  In the novel he never sends the letter, but the feeling of "what could have been" achieves a very strong sense of emotional connection that not only helps the reader stick with Dexter when he slides the slippery slope into douche-dom, but also establishes a fear on both characters' parts of actively pursuing their love for the other, one that lingers for many years to come.  I think this might have been the most grievous omission from the film, because it could have conveyed so much in such a brief and simple way.

For all my complaining, though, I enjoyed the film.  It was equal parts romantic (and at times cheesy) and funny, just like the novel.  The way the last few chapters of Emma and Dexter's story were handled was particularly affecting, and it will probably tug more than a few tears from you.  But perhaps the best part of the film is that it really does retain the "real" factor of the book, allowing the audience to feel a larger connection with these two very ordinary characters who happen to stumble upon something much larger than either of them.

Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls

This novel is yet another in the alarming trend I've begun of reading books that hit entirely too close to home.  Yes, One Day is on the surface a love story, a romance between two people told over twenty years, but it's about so much more than that.  Nicholls examines the condition of young people in the modern age with such stark honesty and unapologetic truth that, for the recent college grad only beginning to embark on the "rest of my life" path, a lot of the story (most particularly the parts that aren't intended as tragic) read with a profound sadness.

Emma and Dexter officially meet on the day of their graduation from university, July 15th 1988.  They spend the next 24 hours getting to know each other (no, not in exactly the way you're thinking, though there is some snogging), and their relationship is revisited on July 15th of each subsequent year, during which they always have some sort of significant interaction or event taking place in their respective lives.  Each of them veers down a misguided path at different points, and though many readers would probably jump to vilify Dexter for the caddish drunk he becomes in his late twenties, there is something even more regrettable about Emma's descent into boredom and complacency, her refusal to take chances and for a while, to pursue her true ambitions.  Both characters spend much of the story lost in this manner, unsure of themselves as they attempt to navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood with little initial success.  They are utterly miserable and you feel miserable reading about them, especially as it becomes clear that the lone bright spot in either of their lives is the other, a fact that they spend entirely too many pages refusing to realize.

There is also an overarching theme of wasted time, and the opportunities we miss out on in life and in love.  We see several moments when Dexter or Emma very nearly takes the plunge, trying to change the status of the relationship, but they are foiled again and again by their circumstances or their own respective cowardice.  This is a story that, contrary to what the advertisements for its film adaptation (more on that in a bit) would have you believe, does not have a happy ending.  What I loved so much about it though was that I didn't want it to.  This story has a painfully real ending, and it is everything these two characters both do and don't deserve.  Nicholls takes us on a journey that we can empathize with because it could so easily be my story, or yours or his or hers.  It's universal, this struggle to be that we watch Emma and Dexter endure, and the book concludes on a bittersweet note, one that has stuck with me (and, I expect, many other readers) as a lesson, or perhaps a glimpse of what our own futures might hold if we aren't careful.  One Day is a snapshot of life as most of us know it, and it is a better story for making no apologies for that.

As for the film adaptation, which opened in theaters yesterday, I am definitely interested to see how it pans out.  I can already tell where there might be some creative liberties taken, and those changes may or may not translate well on screen.  There are several factors, however, which encourage me to think it might be a reasonably good adaptation:  the performances of Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway, both of whom are more than capable of delivering the kind of emotional connection this novel begs; the fact that Nicholls himself wrote the screenplay, thus hopefully ensuring that the original intent of the story will not be lost; and most importantly the fact that this film is being released by Focus Features, which for me is as good as a guarantee of it's quality.  Some of the reviews I've read (I don't like to read too many going into a movie, at the risk of biasing myself) have been very negative, while others have indicated that it might be right up my alley.  I am determined to find out for myself, hopefully soon, and will have my full thoughts here once that happens.  In the meantime, I encourage anyone looking for a heartfelt, genuine read to give One Day a chance.