One Day on Netflix… bingeworthy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the thread that ties them together is that Emma was so different from him--less privileged and in some ways more free because of the lack of any parental pressure or expectations--and she turns him down on graduation night...which was probably a first for him. By simply not putting out, he was likely intrigued by her and quickly developed an attraction and respect for her over the next day...and then in the ensuing years.

She becomes a shoulder to lean on over the years and a grounding force. I think on some level he wants her to respect him...in many ways he's trying to earn her respect.

Then he goes on with life and lands the kind of girl his family would expect: a pretty girl from an affluent (albeit weird) family. She loves him, but she doesn't respect him...which is why she cheats. She wants a successful alpha male, which he actually isn't...at least not at that moment.

But all the while Emma is there in the background...of his life and his thoughts. It's always been her, but he was too busy going down the road he was expected to travel rather than having the courage to pivot.

And she is strong. I thought Anne Hathaway probably did a better job playing the character in the film but the actress who plays her in the series does a fine job of portraying Emma as strong (stubborn?) as well as insecure, and free as well as a bit stuck. She comes across as judgmental which is precisely what the character had to do: because the push/pull is that Dex desperately wants *her* respect...perhaps since she basically says she doesn't respect him at the beginning of the story (grad night in her bedroom).

A bit of a typical plot, but it's grounded in reality imho.

I mean, as a Gen X gal, it was obvious that you could spark even more interest in you if you weren't easy. Guys like to chase.

so good!

[Anonymous]

Omg 😳 this is so lame
It’s a contrived plot. In the book they had a socioeconomic disparity but they were both attractive. They were also both white but that’s neither here nor there. Although it was a bit unbelievable that his parents embraced her quite like that despite her rudeness and quite so many differences

[Anonymous]

It was the 1980s after all and then early aughts. Unlikely.

[Anonymous]

In the most superficial sense, Emma is actually very pretty from the side. She has a lovely profile. Sure her personality and her face have some unattractive qualities. But when attracted to someone you see the good stuff.

Dex, on the other hand has some terrible angles where his eyes look all sunken and he gives us Macauley Culkin vibes. Plus he sleeps around. Even the most posh bimbo in his circles would hate that.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s more believable that she wasn’t the “standard of beauty”. I’d find it harder to believe it if she was just as attractive- it would have made it harder for them to stay “just friends” and for people not to feel threatened by their relationship. It also shows that at some point looks aren’t everything and people can fall in love for personality and shared histories.

[Anonymous]

Not sporty attractive people. We just don’t think like that.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t enjoyed a show this much since Normal People—but I love stuff like this where people have these deep friendships but can’t figure the relationship part out.

Regarding casting: I think Emma is attractive, but for me it made sense for the storyline that she wasn’t as “model” beautiful as Dex, because her insecurity kept them apart. But I still think, lookswise, they’re a completely believable couple. Think George Clooney and Amal. And I thought they had great chemistry.

I didn’t find Sylvie any more attractive, frankly. And I’m a pale white chick.

[Anonymous]

Well, I would agree Sylvie is not traditionally attractive but is a lot more attractive than Emma so she would have been a perfect Emma instead of Emma

I will say; my spouse and I and all our friends went to colleges like that. We all were popular and attractive. Some of us are now chubby and bald. This is not coming from a place of arrogance. Let me be clear. None of us would have ever picked Emma as she was depicted.

Folks, this is a bad message, it’s not true ad it’s misleading

Is Ambika attractive? Yes! In real life her personality is winning. She’s not terrible looking. But she admits she’s not traditionally attractive and she can’t even close her eyelids over her eyes at all and has problems breathing. She probably has a genetic issue.

[Anonymous]

I’ll admit that Emma’s/Ambika’s looks were a little distracting at first. Maybe he was attracted to her at a drunken party even though she wasn’t conventionally pretty (or because she wasn’t conventionally pretty) but she looked HAPPY and fun and they clicked from there.

The director/cameraman did a great job in building up the physical attraction throughout the movie especially in the Greece episode. From the sunblock application to the close in shot of her running her fingers over the wine glass…so much sexual tension. I bought it.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone else notice that the photo on the Netflix website is of Dex and Silvie, not Dex and Emma? Apparently, Netflix's marketers have an opinion on Emma's attractiveness.

That really bothered me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone else notice that the photo on the Netflix website is of Dex and Silvie, not Dex and Emma? Apparently, Netflix's marketers have an opinion on Emma's attractiveness.

That really bothered me.

I’m not seeing this now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone else notice that the photo on the Netflix website is of Dex and Silvie, not Dex and Emma? Apparently, Netflix's marketers have an opinion on Emma's attractiveness.

That really bothered me.

I’m not seeing this now.

PP here. Interesting. I remember reading a few years ago about how Netflix has multiple photos they use for their show icons and have kind of paid attention to it ever since-- I always notice when a show on my watchlist suddenly has a different photo. Your post makes me think that different viewers are given different photos. 80% of what I watch on Netflix is international content, mostly Korean but also Indian and from other non-white countries. But apparently Netflix thinks I'll be more likely to watch a romantic series with a pale redheaded female lead. Huh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone else notice that the photo on the Netflix website is of Dex and Silvie, not Dex and Emma? Apparently, Netflix's marketers have an opinion on Emma's attractiveness.

That really bothered me.

I’m not seeing this now.

PP here. Interesting. I remember reading a few years ago about how Netflix has multiple photos they use for their show icons and have kind of paid attention to it ever since-- I always notice when a show on my watchlist suddenly has a different photo. Your post makes me think that different viewers are given different photos. 80% of what I watch on Netflix is international content, mostly Korean but also Indian and from other non-white countries. But apparently Netflix thinks I'll be more likely to watch a romantic series with a pale redheaded female lead. Huh.

Just to add/clarify-- the Netflix algorithm mostly feeds me Korean and Indian content, so this photo thing is weird. The last 5 shows I've watched on Netflix: 3 Korean, 1 Indonesian, and Queen Charlotte.

[Anonymous]

Sylvie in mine too. TBH it did make me watch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sylvie in mine too. TBH it did make me watch

PP here. Yes, it made me watch also because I loved her on Poldark and didn't immediately connect the show to the movie, which I watched a long time ago and like a lot. It just seems so disrespectful to the female lead of a 14 episode series to advertise the show with a photo of a supporting character who only appears toward the end.