One Day

Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Rafe Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott

Dir. Lone Scherfig
Scr. David Nicholls (based on his book of the same name)

I really wanted to like this movie. I haven’t seen a good romantic tear-jerker since I can’t remember when. So, with tissues at the ready, I waited for the lights to dim and cinematic magic to begin. But, it didn’t. Well, it did, in fleeting moments. But, by the end, I felt somehow cheated and distant. There is a lot to like in One Day – it certainly doesn’t lack ambition – but, unfortunately, it simply doesn’t deliver that ultimate slam-dunk to your heart.

After one day together (15th July 1988), aspiring writer Emma (Hathaway) and wealthy playboy Dexter (Sturgess) begin a lifelong friendship. Through the years that follow, we encounter Emma and Dexter on many 15th of Julys – sometimes spending the day together, sometimes apart. Sometimes with a significant other, sometimes alone. Sometimes lonely. Through ups and downs, fights, tears and laughter … you get the picture. Always gravitating towards each other, whether that’s the healthy option or not. If you’ve read the book, I assume you know what happens. For those who haven’t, let’s just say, there was the need for a tissue at least once.

The journey for the audience through the 90s and 00s is a treat. Trends and fashions – good and mostly bad – are on display. This movie certainly looks good and doesn’t suffer from a lack of nostalgic warm fuzzies. There is also a real effort to develop these key characters, in every aspect of their lives. And while there is depth to Emma and Dexter, the rest of the cast are largely two-dimensional plot devices. This depth did not translate into a real connection with these characters however and, even after all they go through, I felt strangely distant. By the end, it was all overly sentimental and melancholic. I wasn’t uplifted, though I suspect I was supposed to have been. I was simply a little sad and, frankly, a little bored.

The talent on display in One Day is very good indeed. Hathaway is funny and enchanting, although her accent is all over the place. She carries a sadness with her, which was very compelling. Sturgess is less nuanced than Hathaway, but appealing nonetheless. Dexter’s personal growth is more dramatic than Emma’s and Sturgess gets it right. Clarkson and Stott, as Dexter’s parents, are a delightful bonus. I think I was most impressed by Spall, who plays Emma’s love interest Ian. Always living in the shadow of Dexter, he plays Ian with a wit and melancholy and anger that was surprising and engaging.

This isn’t a terrible movie. Far from it. But it just doesn’t seem to deliver. If you want to witness something truly special from this director, see An Education.

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Dexter: I'd still like to read that poetry. What rhymes with Dexter?

Emma: Prick. It's a half rhyme.