Review: “You Again”

A week or two back I watched “You Again,” a 2010 film my daughter liked but my wife didn’t much care for.  It had quite a cast:  Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Betty White…  My daughter is a fan of Kristen Bell and wanted me to see her in a movie (I’ve seen a few clips of her online)

 

I thought it was interesting, actually—a little long, but interesting; mostly, I suppose, for sociological reasons.

The premise is that Marni (Kristen Bell) was a total picked-upon in high school.  Now, eight years later, her brother Will (James Wolk) becomes engaged to Joanna (Odette Yustman)—the girl who tormented her.  When they get together for the wedding rehearsal, Joanna doesn’t recognize Marni.  Nevertheless, Marni decides to sabotage the engagement.

Turns out that Joanna’s aunt Ramona (Sigourney Weaver) always felt one-upped by Marni’s mother Gail (Jamie Lee Curtis).

Gail never realized that Ramona felt one-upped—so she never felt the need to apologize (indeed, should she?)

Joanna, on the other hand, fully understood what a total heel she had been in high school; after graduating, she became involved in various humanitarian causes.  Nevertheless, when Marni demands an apology for the way she treated her in high school, Joanna replies very superficially.

Which is the first problem for me.  Joanna realized years earlier what a jerk she was, and changed her life; but now, faced with one of the results of her earlier bad behavior—the sister of the man she supposedly loves—she is flippant.  I didn’t quite accept this in the character.

I realized also that, because of my own personal history, I was never badly bullied in school.  It’s a challenge for me to believe these characters, either the bullied or the ones bullying.

But I still found this an enjoyable and (as I said) interesting film.