Someone Like You

By Brandi M. Seals

Someone Like You is one of my all time favorite movies. I cannot count the number of times I have watched it. It makes for a great movie when all the girls are hanging out or when you are home alone. And everyone once in awhile it is fun to watch it with someone who can give you the male perspective. However, be forewarned that men tend to criticize the movie.

Someone Like You stares Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman, Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tormei. It is a romantic comedy that is light-hearted, funny and endearing. It is the tale of love, heartbreak, and friendship.

The movie was released 2001 and is the story of Jane Goodale (not to be confused with the renowned naturalist known for her work with apes). This Jane works for a talk show - think the Sally Jesse Rafael show or something similar. Jane is responsible for booking talent for the show; Diane is the show's host, Eddie (Hugh Jackman), and Ray (Greg Kinnear) also work for the show.

Ray intrigues Jane. He is the new producer with a girlfriend that just does not seem to understand him. They begin seeing each other despite the girlfriend and quickly get hot and heavy. They even start shopping for an apartment together all while keeping things under wraps at the office. Too bad they happen to run into Eddie one day.

Shortly after that things start to head south. Ray seems disconnected. He keeps finding something wrong with all of the apartments they look at and in the end he leaves Jane. All of which creates for awkwardness at work; especially since Jane's apartment has been re-rented.

Partly due to desperation and partly due to the fact it bothers Ray, Jane becomes Eddie's roommate. The two get along well despite the fact that Eddie is a womanizer that brings someone new everyday.

In her attempts to get over Ray, Jane starts doing research on men. She wants to know why they cheat, what drives them to do it. She becomes so obsessed that she has notebooks filled with factoids. Jane becomes convinced that men are like cows. You see, while doing her research, Jane finds out that a bull will never be with the same cow twice. After he has done is business, the cow looks for a new cow to get with.

Meanwhile, Jane's best friend, Liz (Marisa Tormei), works for a men's magazine that is has considered running a column from a woman's point of view. Liz convinces Jane to write a piece for the magazine all about how men are destined to be cheaters. They concoct a fake author of the article, some old woman that has been studying sexuality all her life.

Later, Ray shows interest in Jane once again. He asks her out for New Years and she accepts. Eddie does not understand why Jane is putting herself through this once again but he is there for her when Ray stands her up.

Later at work Jane sees Diane wearing a shirt that Jane had bought for Ray while they were together. Suddenly it all makes sense. Diane is Ray's girlfriend…the one he went back to on New Year's Eve instead of going back to Jane.

When the article hits the news stands it is a huge hit. Everyone is talking about it and everyone wants to interview the author. That includes Diane. Jane originally tells Diane that there is no way they can get the author on the show, but she changes her mind and decides to do a phone interview.

At the last minute while hiding in her office preparing to do the interview, Jane decides to go on. She wants to admit to the world that she was wrong. Men do not have to cheat and they are not always in pursuit of a 'new cow.' Ray going back to Diane was proof enough of that. As Jane speaks she begins to realize something. Love is about being there for someone when they are at their worse telling them that everything will all be okay. It is then that Jane realizes that she has finally moved past Ray and is actually in love with Eddie.