Shopgirl

2005

Director: Anand Tucker

Distributor: Touchstone Pictures

Key Elements: Characters – Lines – Message

My Review:

Did you know Steve Martin is a best-selling novelist? I didn’t either until I saw this movie based on one of his books.

The story is about Mirabelle, a lonely girl at a nowhere job who suddenly has two men enter her life. Jeremy is a rough-around the edges, clueless kid. Ray is a wealthy, refined gentleman. Mirabelle chooses Ray. But Ray, it turns out, is only looking for someone to have fun with when he’s in town – not a relationship.

Meanwhile, Jeremy listens to self-help books on tape that show him the error of his ways and inspire him to genuinely love Mirabelle for who she is. I thought that was particularly cool – if we’re open to learning, we can find valuable lessons anywhere.

In the end Ray ends up alone, and Mirabelle finds true love with Jeremy – the real man in the story because he really loves her.

Most movies have completely unnecessary sex scenes – it really is cliché. But this movie is a rare case where the sex is actually part of the story. The message we get is that sex is meaningful and should not be approached casually because people will get hurt. Sex should instead be saved for someone who truly loves and respects you (The Christian knows this person is your spouse!)

One last note, the Jeremy character is hilarious. Jason Schwartzman is an actor I enjoy more the more I see him.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• Mirabelle Buttersfield moved from Vermont hoping to begin her life. And now she is stranded in the vast openness of LA. She keeps working to make connections, but the pile of near misses is starting to overwhelm her. What Mirabelle needs is an omniscient voice to illuminate and spotlight her and to inform everyone that this one has value, this one standing behind the counter in the glove department and to find her counterpart and bring him to her.
• I'm an okay guy, by the way.
• Are you the kind of person that takes time to get to know, and then once you get to know them... they're fabulous?
  - Yes, absolutely... What?
• Hey look at these… ‘How to love a woman.’ You need that one.
  - What?
  There’s more relationship stuff.
  - You’re getting it?
  Let’s just get them all. We’re on the road till February.
  -um, ok.
  Alright?
  - Alright.
  Alright?
  - Alright. Um… I guess I’ll love women now.
• Oh hey Mirabelle’s machine. It’s Jeremy. I’m calling you from ‘the road.’ Um, and I was calling to wish you a happy thanksgiving and all that. And… I think I might have ‘objectified you instead of treating you like the unique being that you are.’ And even better, I get to use the roadie from the hot-tier’s cell phone for free, no charge. So I’m calling you for free.
• So, I can hurt now, or hurt later.
• Here, this is one of my lucky rubber bands. For a rainy day.
  - Thanks.
• I've been reading a lot of books on tape – about getting into the moment. And I think this is the moment. And in the moment, this moment, I think we should kiss. And, um, I’ve stood right here before and I’ve been hurt, I’ve been rejected by you. And I’m going to ask you to kiss me again. And, um, and… Would you just kiss me?
• So what made you do all this?
  - All this what?
  All this success.
  - Well you did.
  I did? How?
  - Well, you said, ‘Just do it.’ So I did it.
  Well that’s not very much.
  - Yeah but… I’ll protect you. …I will.
• But Mirabelle, now feeling the warmth of her first reciprocal love, has broken away from him. And as Jeremy offers her more of his heart, Mirabelle offers equal parts of herself in return. One night, sooner than she would have liked, which made it irresistible, they make love for the second time in fourteen months. At this point, Jeremy surpasses Ray Porter as a lover of Mirabelle, because what he offers her is tender and true.

Stills: