"He's Just Not That Into You"

"He's Just Not That Into You" explores the inner workings of different types of relationships, and something can be learned from the experiences of each couple in the film. My favorite couple in the movie, Gigi and Alex, shows how the best relationships can often develop from a friendship in which both people trust each other and respect each other’s opinions. Alex helps Gigi with her love life by giving her insight to understand why she may appear as too headstrong and helping her to accept that a relationship will start if it is meant to be. Gigi exposes Alex for who he is: somebody who is avoiding falling in love in order to avoid becoming hurt. This realization leads to them starting to date each other, and although the viewers do not see what the final result of this relationship is, I imagine that it ends well, because the relationships I have witnessed in real life which are based on mutual trust and respect are the ones which have the best chance of working out.

Another couple from the movie is Neil and Beth. Their relationship would be considered immoral by many in the Catholic Church, because they are living together before they are legally married. However, they have been together for several years, so it is almost as if they are married even though they are not legally married, which is why Neil, initially, does not feel the need to ask Beth to marry him. Ironically, Neil and Beth have a stronger relationship than a married couple in the film, Ben and Janine. In my own life, I have known people who live with their significant others before they were technically married, but they had already made a lifelong commitment to each other, albeit one that was not legally recognized. I think that the Catholic Church should reexamine its stance on cohabitation for certain cases, such as when a couple is engaged already and is committed to waiting to have sexual intercourse until after they are married, or is practicing natural family planning.

Scarlett Johansson’s character of Anna shows that a person needs to know himself or herself before getting involved in a serious relationship. Anna does not know what she wants with her relationship with Conor, and eventually he is convinced that she will want to be involved in his decision of which house he wants to buy. Anna’s insecurity is revealed when she resorts to being a temptress in order to persuade Ben to go with his gut feeling and abandon his wife for her. Ben and Janine’s relationship was becoming strained anyway, but Anna and Ben should have waited to engage in any sexual activity until he had divorced Janine. I think that Ben should have cut off contact with Anna for awhile to see how his relationship with Janine would play out. The divorce rate is becoming higher and higher every year, so couples should take the time to evaluate their marital issues and decide whether they are reconcilable.