Emmie (Robin Tunney) is in her thirties and is a typical adult--she has left her small hometown in Maine to go to college, marry, and settle in New York.
Jason (Adam Scott) was Emmie's high school boyfriend and has done even worse since he and Emmie separated for college. He's broke, pursuing a dead end career as a painter of frogs and moonlighting as a server in Portland, Maine, where he's dating his co-worker.
The movie opens with Emmie, asking herself whether she made the wrong choice in her marriage with Graham and trying out for a reality show that connects people with their old lovers. The show contacts Jason, who now thinks Emmie wants to get back together and sends her flowers and hand written notes (oh how romantic life can be in the absence of facebook). Emmie has an argument with her husband and decides to flee her marriage to meet up with Jason, who is completely adorable and endearing when it comes to Emmie (much less so with his current girlfriend). Will Emmie abandon her marriage or go back to her husband Graham?
This is a coming-of-age movie for adults. The main characters in the movie (Emmie, Jason, Graham, and Emmie's brother Brandon) are in their thirties and, with the exception of Graham, are still deciding if they're ready to grow up. The movie centers on the dilemma the characters face to remain young (have passionate affairs, work minimum wage jobs, and mooch off their parents) or become stereotypical responsible adults (pay bills, stick it out in a less than idyllic marriage). If you've never had to face this choice in your own life, this movie might not make sense. For the rest of us growing older in the hipster culture of America, it's sure to hit a chord.
I enjoyed the fact that this movie shows the reality of marriage. Typical movies glamorize every aspect of love, but in real life and in marriage, it's not always like that. In this movie, the couple argues when Emmie takes a poo and Graham insists she shower before they have sex. Gross, but real. I also loved the side story revolving around Emmie's grandmother getting a new boyfriend 15 years after the death of her husband. It reinforces the theme that it's never too late to rediscover romance and find love.
