Last night I watched I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker. I think it deserves a review because, although I watch a whole lot of movies, this one is sticking with me despite it's fa la la Hollywood ending.
SJP plays an over-extended mom of two, wife of one, employee of "high powered financial firm" {insert grimace here}. Her life is hectic...filled with trips all over the country to meet fund managers, long days at the office, school bake-sales she feels she has to fake her way through, birthday parties, and list making...all the while she tries to maintain a cheery disposition and squeeze in romance with her doting and very patient husband, play by Greg Kinnear.
She works with almost all men...other than one woman referred to as "a robot" for her work ethic. "Momo" (not pictured) is an impeccably dressed, styled and groomed beautiful woman who works as though her life depends on it. SJP's character, though obviously good at her job, struggles to juggle everything in her life. She references "juggling" many times in the movie, noting that successfully juggling is more about throwing than catching. SJP gets a huge chance for professional success when her retirement fund idea is taken up by one of the big bosses in NYC (she is in the lowly Boston office). She has to travel back and forth to NYC multiple times per week, leaving behind her kids and husband, who, by the way, has a demanding job of his own. The boss in NYC falls in love with her, adding another level of difficulty to her life. She is obviously in love with her husband and handles the situation mostly by ignoring it. {insert another grimace here} I felt completely uncomfortable for her whenever there was an awkward moment with the NYC boss and totally frazzled for her just about every other minute of the movie. I was just thankful her husband didn't have something going on with the nanny...something I could have seen the writers throwing in there. In the end, she is victorious...setting her NYC boss up with a friend, convincing her husband and kids that she loves them and will try harder and getting the promotion at work. All in the span of about 3 months...right.
I enjoyed the movie for all of its beautiful Boston scenes...I always love that. I also liked how it pretty accurately portrayed the difficulty of trying to manage everything as a woman in the professional world. There are interviews with her friend regarding childcare and the double-standard in the office. If a father leaves to be with his sick child, he is a selfless loving parent. If a woman leaves to be with a sick child, she's a liability, unreliable and a let down to her team. Ugh. I don't have kids yet but I sure am glad I got out of the office I was in before because this was exactly the attitude there! I'm not sure why the movie has left a lasting impression on me...it's like a dream I can't shake...keep popping into my head. I hope this post isn't too sporadic. I typed as I thought and don't plan to edit very much...at all actually because I am out of blogging time for the day!
Did you see this movie? Did you like it? Feel the same as I do? Feel nothing at all? I want to know! xoxo
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