Isn't It Romantic

“Isn’t It Romantic” is a parody about the rom-com genre where everything is perfect, including the development and ending of love stories—where the characters live happily ever after. Natalie, a pre-teen living somewhere in Australia, is watching the movie “Pretty Woman” (1990) and fantasizing about being like Julia Roberts’ character. Her mother walks in and promptly reminds her daughter to stop believing in those fantasies. She explains that women like her and Natalie, both curvy, never get the perfect ending; they are reduced to being either a one-night fling or a mistress, at best. Despite her mother’s jaded attitude, young Natalie believes that she can have the perfect romance.

Twenty-five years later, Natalie (Rebel Wilson) is working in New York as a low-level architect for a small firm. She is often dismissed by her colleagues and clients who treat her with little respect. However, she has two friends she can count on: Whitney (Betty Gilpin), her assistant and Josh (Adam Devine) a fellow architect; Natalie is oblivious to the fact that Blake is attracted to her. Natalie has become jaded and has given up her hopes of finding true love.

One day, on her way home from a business meeting, she is mugged in the subway. She fights off her attacker, but hits her head on a pole in the process, which causes her to black out. When she awakes, she finds herself in a luxurious hospital room and with an attractive male doctor tending to her wounds. When she leaves the hospital, dressed in couture, as her clothes were destroyed, she finds herself in a fantasy version of New York, where everything is perfect. There are no polluted smells like the ones to which she has become accustomed. Instead, everywhere she turns is filled with fresh smelling flowers. She also notices the rapidity in which people become smitten with each other.

Natalie encounters Blake, a client of the firm she works at, who becomes immediately smitten by her. He takes Natalie to her apartment where she discovers she lives in a luxurious suite with everything she has ever dreamed of owning. When she is in distress, her friend Donny (Brandon Scott Jones), a homosexual, suddenly appears to give her advice. This is in reference to the cliché that a Gay man is in a romcom to play the part of the best friend and confidant.

When she returns to work, Natalie is horrified to discover that her best friend Whitney is now her archnemesis. Overwhelmed, she finds Josh who has remained the same, except when he becomes suddenly smitten and quickly begins courting Isabella (Priyanka Chopra), a yoga ambassador.

During a trip to the Hamptons with Blake, who she is now dating, Josh and Isabella announce that they are getting married. Natalie realizes in that moment that Josh is her happily-ever-after. She tries to reason with Josh, but he tells her he tried to show his interest in her, but she always blew him off. He insists that it is time for him to move on.

A heart-broken Natalie decides to return to New York. Her friend Donny (Brandon Scott Jones) shows up and convinces her not to give up on Josh. She decides to stop the wedding. In the process of declaring her feelings to him, she realizes that she does not need a man to complete her; she is enough. She leaves the church accepting Josh’s choice to marry Isabella.

Self-Image

Today, it is easy for one to become confused between a healthy self -image and a distorted one due to societies standards of the perfect person. Natalie is a smart and attractive woman, she is overlooked because of her weight. In the real world, she is dismissed by Blake, her crush because of her physical features and general demeanor. However, in the fantasy world, Blake is smitten by her. This makes Natalie uncomfortable because she has become accustom to the negativity surrounding her physical appearance.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” —Genesis 1:27

Natalie spends more time trying to be invisible, while her friend Whitney points out that “people would have an easier time if you were more open.” However, along her journey, in the fantasy version of New York, she comes to realize that she is enough, that her inner beauty has value, and that she is worth loving.

As Christians, it is important to build a healthy self-esteem in Christ. We should never keep our eyes focus on what the world deems as attractive, but instead focus on what God deems as attractive—one’s obedience to Him.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Matchmaking

God is the ultimate matchmaker. For those who are single, there is nothing wrong with asking God for a man. Cheryl Martin, author of the book 1st Class Single, cautions Christians that it is okay to ask for favor with someone one might be attracted to, but once that request is voiced, let God do his work. “If you are trusting Him to bring you the right person at the right time, you can ask for favor.” In the meantime, do not manipulate the situation; God knows exactly what we need.

In fantasy New York, when Blake has told her he is moving on with Isabella, Natalie tries to manipulate the situation by suddenly participating in the things he wants to do, such as participating in karaoke. However, in real New York, she realizes that Blake saw her for who she is the whole time.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17

Moviemaking Quality

• The film is choppy and hard to follow. It could have used better editing. At times, a story line would commence only to be replaced by another, without closure to the previous one.
• Fantasy New work is colorful—right out of a story book—which is pleasant to the eye.
• Although billed as a comedy, I did not find this to be a laugh-out-loud kind of film.
• Disregarding the moral issues (below), the moviemaking and entertainment quality are not worth the normal price of admission, and the film will quickly be moved to Netflix internationally (February 28, 2019).

Content of Concern

Viewers should be aware that vulgarity and other issues strongly diminish this film.

• Vulgar/Crude language: Very Heavy— • mother-f***er • “he has a f**king giant p*nis” • f-word (plus uses bleeped or silently mouthed) • vulgar middle finger gestures • Sh*t-bag • s-words (13), incl. “shithole” and “masterpiece of sh*t” • “Happy little wh*re” • “He’s like CW hot” • “man chick” • boning (sex) • “My hands are right on your j*nk” • “Let’s get wasted and make bad decisions tonight” • “Gay Beetlejuice” • t*ts • b*llsy • b*tch (2) • “p*ss off”
• Profane language: Heavy— • J*sus • Jez • Oh my G*d (20+) • Holy sh*t • G*d d*mn (2) • G*d (4) • H*ll (3) • d*mn
• Sex: • Gay kissing, including on a billboard • sexual comments • sexual sounds • comments about a man’s large genitals • kissing
• Nudity: Mild— • cleavage • shirtless men
• Violence: Minor to Mild
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.