How to Be Single (2016)
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A group of women in New York City navigate their different approaches to being single.
The story
After breaking up with her college boyfriend, Alice moves to New York City to work as a paralegal. She moves in with her sister Meg, an OB/GYN who prefers her independence. In the city, Alice meets her wild co-worker Robin and a local bartender named Tom, both of whom have very different lifestyles. Meanwhile, her friend Lucy uses dating sites to find 'the one.' As the women navigate their lives in the city, they each face different challenges and choices regarding their relationships and personal lives.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Alice moves to New York City to work as a paralegal and live with her sister Meg. Alice befriends her co-worker Robin and a bartender named Tom, while her friend Lucy seeks a soulmate via dating sites. The narrative follows their intertwining lives: Meg becomes pregnant and hides it from her boyfriend Ken; Lucy experiences a string of bad dates before finding a connection with George; and Alice enters a brief relationship with David. After a series of complications—including a breakup with David and a realization about her past with Josh—the women navigate their feelings. At a party, the truth about their feelings for various men comes to light. Ultimately, the women find clarity in their personal lives: Meg reconciles with Ken, Lucy marries George, and Alice finds peace in her own independence, eventually fulfilling a dream to see the sunrise in the Grand Canyon alone.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Christian Ditter
- Writers
- Abby Kohn · screenplay; Marc Silverstein · screenplay; Dana Fox · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dakota Johnson · Alice Kepley; Rebel Wilson · Robin; Damon Wayans Jr. · David Stone; Anders Holm · Tom; Alison Brie · Lucy; Nicholas Braun · Josh; Jake Lacy · Ken; Jason Mantzoukas · George; Leslie Mann · Meg Kepley
- Genres
- romantic comedy; buddy comedy
- Themes
- independence; sisterhood
- Tone and mood
- romantic; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- female-led; urban
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel of the same name by Liz Tuccillo
- Reception
- mixed reviews from critics
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 45% · review count: 155; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 32
- Awards and nominations
- Favorite Comedic Movie · People's Choice Awards · lost
- Production trivia
- Drew Barrymore was initially attached to direct; Dan Stevens was cast but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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