There is a certain type of romantic comedy that I’ve come to
call New York style. These comedies began with the films of Woody Allen and
more and more are making their way to the screen. I call them this because they
almost always seem to take place in a world that few know, that present an
idealistic world in the city of New York and tend to take on the most
cosmopolitan atmosphere. Characters in these movies live in one of the highest
priced markets in the country yet seem to have jobs that afford them the
opportunities to live in extremely nice houses/apartments, the ability to stay
at home to work writing and to raise a group of children who go to private
schools rather than the public school system we’re always told is in need in
the city. As I said, an idealistic world. But that isn’t a criticism.
In MAGGIE’S PLAN we’re introduced to a quirky young woman
named Maggie (Great Gerwig), a career counselor at a university who has decided
she wants to have a child. She doesn’t want a husband or father for the child,
just the child. In trying to achieve this goal she asks a friend named Guy
(Travis Fimmel) to donate his sperm to the cause to which he agrees. Before
this takes place she makes the acquaintance of a young writer/professor named
John (Ethan Hawke).
As she and John become close he asks her to read his novel
in progress which she does, complimenting him with each page. In a marriage to
a Georgette (Julianne Moore), a woman who seems out of touch with real emotion,
John feels trapped and soon finds himself in love with Maggie. The same night
she attempts artificial insemination (with a turkey baster no less) he shows at
her doorstep and the two end up in bed together.
Maggie does indeed become pregnant and John makes the
decision to leave Georgette and marry Maggie. All goes along for several years
until Maggie makes the decision that perhaps she isn’t really in love with John
after all. After meeting Georgette and talking to her she also begins to
consider the distinct possibility that John and Georgette were actually meant
for one another. And so begins her plan, her attempt to push John out the door,
manipulating him along with Georgette, to return to his former wife and family.
As I was saying the concept of switching from one woman to
another usually results in bitter feuds and divorce cases in most movies. In
this “sophisticated” type of comedy the wives become friends instead and work
together to achieve a mutual goal. A moment or two is spent on the children
involved from his first marriage and how they are affected while little is done
to the child John and Maggie have together due to her age. In addition to this
Maggie also has well to do friends, a married couple played by Bill Hader and
Maya Rudolph, who also seem on the upward track when it comes to career and
housing.
As a romantic comedy it does have its moments, several of
which may actually make you laugh out loud. The acting is very well done by all
involved with, the only exception of which might be Moore and her accent. Her
cold and unfeeling character comes alive after John has left her and it makes
it difficult to believe that she ever felt anything prior. At moments I worried
that even her children would like Maggie better than her and want to stay with
Maggie instead. I even wondered if they would prefer Maggie to both of their
parents at one point.
I doubt that this movie will make anyone’s top ten list but
it will offer a night’s entertainment that will have you guessing what will
happen until the end. A nice little tag in the last few moments offers a sweet
surprise that I though was charming. In all I found it a movie that I could
watch again with ease but with a finger on the fast forward button to move
through a few moments a second viewing might require. But during a first
viewing my guess is most will find they will never have to touch that button
and will find themselves charmed by this young woman who wants nothing more
than her own child and in the end gets more than she bargained for.
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