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Movie Review - Something New (2006)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Sanaa Hamri |
| Starring: |
Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker, Donald Faison, and Blair Underwood |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sexual references) |
| Length: |
100 minutes |
| Genre: |
Romantic Comedy |
| Tagline: |
She had it all under control. Except her heart. |
| Studio: |
Focus Features |
| Website: |
Something New |
| Release: |
February 3, 2006 |
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PLOT
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Love is an adventure, right? I know that's one of the few metaphors that Bette Midler's The Rose fails to
capitalize on, but that doesn't make it any less true. Unfortunately for Kenya McQueen (Lathan), it's an adventure
she has yet to embark upon.
Kenya's an L.A. career woman who is busy trying to make partner at the prestigious accounting firm where she serves
as a senior manager. She has too much on her mind to pursue a fulfilling personal life. Well, there's also the
fact that it's hard to find one man who possesses all of the qualities of what she considers the ideal man.
One day Kenya agrees to go on a blind date with a landscape architect named Brian Kelly (Baker). There's just
one problem - she had no idea he was white. She quickly ends the date, but she does need her yard
landscaped, so she decides to hire him for the job. Their chemistry slowly develops, and the two must soon
decide whether to follow their hearts or the opinions of those around them. A movie collaboration between two
people named Sanaa ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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I have a confession to make. *takes a deep breath* I am not a professional black woman. I know that's a little
hard for you to believe, but it's true. I don't know what it's like to be part of the 42.4% of black women who
never get married. That's what the movie claims, and who am I to question those numbers? Combine that with the
fact that this is a film directed, written, and produced by black women, and it's fairly safe to say that Johnny
Betts isn't exactly part of the film's target audience.
Never underestimate the importance of connecting with your target audience. Black women in the theater were
laughing, clapping, and amen-ing throughout the entire runtime. It was obvious they were watching characters
they could relate to. I, on the other hand, would have felt like a bit of a poser had I joined in on the
applause and shouts of "you go girl!" when Kenya finally ditched her weave.
However, that doesn't preclude me from finding something to enjoy here. Granted, Something New doesn't
entirely live up to its name in regard to many standard elements of the romantic comedy, but it does offer a little
something new concerning its lead characters. There isn't a plethora of interracial romantic comedies.
And believe it or not, this approaches the subject just a wee bit more seriously than Ashton Kutcher's
Guess Who. Shocking, I know.
The moral of this story is incredibly simplistic. Blair Underwood, doing his best impersonation of a new generation
Billy Dee Williams, sums it up nicely, "Something New is about how you can't determine, define, or pinpoint
who you're going to fall in love with. Can you throw your list out the window, throw caution to the wind, and follow
your heart?"
Thankfully, for the sake of drama, the bootylicious Kenya (who has an equally killer smile) and Mr. Five-O'Clock
Shadow Brian don't find it quite so simple to just follow their hearts. Otherwise, we'd have a five-minute movie.
Kenya's mom, brother, and friends all agree that she needs to continue her search for the IBM. That's "Ideal Black
Man" for those of you not as well-versed in the slang as I. Astute watchers of the romantic comedy should have no
problems predicting how all this will end up, but the solid acting, credible chemistry, and sporadic laughs keep
your interest until the end. Unless you instinctively hate all movies in this genre.
Does Something New offer something outrageously original, creatively clever, and uproariously hilarious?
Nah. But it does offer a little something different than the "date movie" norm. No doubt this will appeal more
to black women who may see a little of themselves in Kenya, but similar to a Johnny Betts movie review the movie
maintains enough universal appeal to avoid exclusion. Just like Brian, some of us might not be able to relate,
but we can empathize.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- The filmmakers' inspiration for the movie came from a Detroit Free Press story that identified 42.4% as the
percentage of black women who have never been married.
- Screenwriter Kriss Turner used some of her own personal thoughts and feelings to flesh out the movie's
details, "When you get to your late 30s and you’re still single, the thing that comes up – especially among
black women professionals – is, are you going to go outside your race? If you want to find love and get married,
you are probably going to have to open it up and think outside the box."
- Sanaa Lathan was partly encouraged to take the lead role in the film because, she states, "Sanaa Hamri and I
both have the same name. Never in my life have I met somebody with the name Sanaa – and, spelled the same way."
True dat.
- Something New is definitely something new for a lot of folks involved. The film marks Sanaa
Hamri's feature directorial debut and Kriss Turner's first feature screenplay.
- John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin from Cheers) has an odd, non-speaking cameo at the end of the movie
as Brian's dad. It's nothing more than a "hey, was that Cliff Clavin from Cheers?" role.
- Sanaa Lathan was in Out of Time with Eva Mendes who was in 2 Fast 2 Furious with Paul Walker
who was in Into the Blue with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with
Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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There are elements here that fail to meet mama's approval. Profanity isn't overabundant, but there are a few
"s" words thrown around. There are also some scenes of sexuality (no explicit nudity) that'll have parents
rushing to cover their children's eyes. Best to leave the youngster's at home for this one.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer is an accurate judge of what to expect.
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THE GIST
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Something New will have the greatest appeal to professional black women and anyone involved in an
interracial relationship, but it handles its subject matter maturely enough to be respectable entertainment
for people who enjoy romances in general.
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