Aww. No, really! This was very sweet, and just shy of cloying.

This deserves pointing out (and will continue to deserve it until there’s a bit more parity on this front), but this film aces the Bechdel test throughout. Yes, there’s a romantic subplot, but it’s a subplot - there is a lot more going on, and it’s more important than all that kissin’.

Can any Texans verify if Ellen Page can pass as one or not? I heard the odd “y'all” here and there, but for the most part she sounded a bit… refined? Not that that’s a problem. And Marcia Gay Harden (which, sorry, is a hilarious name) is sublime.

It’s also a big fuck you to Hollywood execs who talk about appealing to core demographics, because you know what? This is relatable on a few huge levels, and interesting, and I didn’t need some blond-haired-blue-eyed-betesticled proxy to get that effect.

It was billed as a comedy when it came out, and I’m not sure about that - there are laughs, but most of them come from feel-good places. There are emotional points, but it’s generally all quite light and fluffy. Which is fine! You don’t have to kill off your characters to create emotional investment!

Generally, besides the automatic points for breaking gender conventions (and, seriously. That shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is) this was solid, and pretty good. Not a classic, but fun to watch.