One True Loves

Last updated

One True Loves
One True Loves poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andy Fickman
Screenplay by
Based onOne True Loves
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Produced by
  • Adam Beasley
  • Sarah Halley Finn
  • Arianne Fraser
  • Petr Jákl
  • Ryan Donnell Smith
  • Willie Kutner
  • Betsy Sullenger
  • Andy Fickman
  • Michael Jefferson
Starring
Cinematography Greg Gardiner
Edited byJeff Freeman
Music by Nathan Wang
Production
companies
  • R.U. Robot
  • Highland Film Group
  • BuzzFeed Studios
  • Volition Media
  • Blue Rider Media
  • Thomasville Pictures
Distributed byThe Avenue
Release date
  • April 7, 2023 (2023-04-07)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

One True Loves is a 2023 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Andy Fickman as an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The film stars Phillipa Soo, Simu Liu and Luke Bracey.

Contents

When Emma's husband Jesse disappears in a helicopter crash, she moves back home in an effort to recover. Four years later, Emma enters into a relationship with her childhood friend Sam, and they soon become engaged. Jesse is suddenly found alive so, completely torn, she must now choose between a husband and a fiancé.

One True Loves was released in the United States on April 7, 2023.

Plot

Emma recalls meeting her eventual husband Jesse 15 years previously at a high school keg party with her best friend Sam. Now, at her parents,' celebrating her recent engagement to Sam, she gets a shocking call from Jesse, saying he's still alive, four years after he was declared dead.

Emma remembers her first kiss with Jesse in the police station, taken in for attending the underage party. Both, anxious to leave their small life and experience the world, head out to do it, Jesse as a photographer and Emma as a writer. Exploring the world, he proposes after six years. They marry in Maine by a lighthouse near his cabin.

After Jesse disappears in a helicopter crash a year after the wedding, on his way to an Alaska assignment, Emma moves back to Acton Massachusetts in an effort to mend her life back together. Working at her family bookstore in town, her older sister Marie constantly tries to guide her.

Four years later, Emma runs into her old best friend, Sam, and they become inseparable. Newly engaged, she receives an unexpected phone call revealing Jesse is alive. Completely torn, Emma must now choose between a husband and a fiancé.

Jesse's return is heavily televised. Just before he arrives to his parents', they warn Emma that Jesse knows nothing about her new engagement. They have an empassioned kiss on camera, but in the house she tells him about being engaged.

Later, at home with Sam, after he expresses insecurity after seeing Emma kissing Jesse on TV, they make love. Waking, as he sees she's not wearing his engagement ring and has mixed feelings about who she loves, she temporarily moves out until she can figure out her feelings.

Marie, her older sister who's been pushing Emma for years to move on from Jesse, takes her in. She picks him up by car and sees her family briefly, as they're driving to the Maine cabin for the weekend. When Emma doesn't respond to text messages Sam sends her, he has a meltdown in his high school band class, eventually keeping them and much of the school listening until the end of the day talking about Emma.

At the cabin, Jesse and Emma discover new things about each other. She has tatoos and, since moving back east her life focus is different. Emma is more sedentary and is content to run the family bookstore, no longer interested in their nomadic lifestyle. Moving back to New England, she eventually was able to heal from the pain of Jesse's believed death. Emma now wants kids, which they'd never discussed.

Although his license was revoked upon his declared death, Jesse and Emma get pulled over for speeding. Showing the officer the articles about his disappearance-reappearance he gets let off the hook, but in the process not only sees that Emma reverted to her maiden name, but he also finds a letter addressed to him.

Climbing the nearby lighthouse, Jesse reads the letter. In it, Emma explains how her grieving process over him evolved. The first three years, her feelings evolved. First in denial, then Emma submerged herself in books not about death or love. Then she crossed paths again with Sam, and the former best friends eventually begin a relationship. By the time Jesse finishes the both he and Emma realise they no longer work.

Back in Acton, Emma seeks out Sam. Accidentally rear-ending him at a stop light, they both get out of their cars and profess their love for each other.

Two years later, a pregnant Emma gets a letter from Jesse. He's moved on, in California and in a new relationship.

Cast

Production

One True Loves is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The feature film from Highland Film Group was announced on June 2, 2021, with Andy Fickman attached to direct and produce and Phillipa Soo, Simu Liu, and Luke Bracey set to star. [1] In September 2021, the film's distribution rights in the United States were sold to The Avenue and Michaela Conlin joined the cast. [2] [3] In an interview, Liu said producer Sarah Finn, casting director for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowed him to choose which lead role he would portray after inviting him to star in his first film after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings . [4] He added,

It's always been important to me to constantly challenge people's perceptions of myself, as well as of Asian people as a whole. While I celebrate legendary actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Bruce Lee, I know that my path is very different. I am not a master of kung-fu, after all; I am an actor who trained very hard to embody the character that I was hired to play. As such, I'm beyond excited to step into Sam's shoes for this movie that I am deeply in love with. [4]

Filming was originally set to take place in Massachusetts. [1] By August 2021, Highland Film Group was in negotiations with the South Carolina Film Commission to shoot the film in South Carolina instead. However, the studio failed to secure insurance due to the state's low vaccination rates and increasing cases of COVID-19. [5] As a result, the production was moved to North Carolina, where filming began in Wilmington on October 11, 2021. [2] [6] On that day, a scene was shot at 1938 South Live Oak Parkway in which a news crew covers a reunion between a family and a loved one who had been missing. [7] [8] On October 25, 2021, it was reported Lauren Tom, Michael O'Keefe, Tom Everett Scott, Cooper van Grootel, Oona Yaffe, and Phinehas Yoon would also star. [9] At the American Film Market in November 2021, a first look image of the film was released. [10]

Release

One True Loves was released theatrically on April 7, 2023, digital format on April 14, 2023 and video on demand on April 28, 2023. [11]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 25% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.9/10.The website's consensus reads: "Cheap-looking and tonally confused, One True Loves wastes an interesting premise on a romantic comedy that largely lacks love and laughs." [12] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 35 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (June 2, 2021). "Phillipa Soo, Simu Liu & Luke Bracey To Star In Adaptation Of Taylor Jenkins Reid's One True Loves". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Ramachandran, Naman (September 20, 2021). "Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu's One True Loves Sells Wide for Highland Film Group (Exclusive)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  3. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 29, 2021). "Michaela Conlin Joins Adaptation of One True Loves". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Sun, Rebecca (November 1, 2021). "Simu Liu on His Romantic Leading Man Role in One True Loves and Reclaiming the Narrative". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ Koyer, Kalyn Oyer (August 27, 2021). "Movie featuring Marvel star pulls out of filming in SC due to low COVID-19 vaccine rates" . The Post and Courier . Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ Williams, Alexandria Sands (September 10, 2021). "Wilmington lands new film projects, Jenkins Reid adaptation pivots from SC for safer Covid trends". Port City Daily. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ "One True Loves starring Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu to film in Wilmington next week". WECT . October 5, 2021. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  8. ↑ Malhado, Carolina Sobral (October 10, 2021). "Monday, October 11 Filming Locations". On Location Vacations . Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 25, 2021). "Lauren Tom, Michael O'Keefe, Tom Everett Scott & More Join Simu Liu In Romance One True Loves". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ Dalton, Ben (November 2, 2021). "AFM First Look: Simu Liu, Phillipa Soo in romantic drama One True Loves (exclusive)" . Screen Daily . Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  11. ↑ Amin, Arezou (February 14, 2023). "First 'One True Loves' Images Show Phillipa Soo Caught Between Simu Liu and Luke Bracey [Exclusive]". Collider . Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "One True Loves". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ "One True Loves". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
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