bad ending

i dont understand why the movies in this growing genre (alfie remake, high fidelity, hitch, et all) all have the "guy realizes that he wasnt happy and he falls for some girl and it works out" ending.

Carnal Knowledge is an older film that is similar and has an even more disturbing ending, but at least it is different.

in my opinion the main character's 'tao of steve' DID work. he had to use it in order to find a girl who he really did care for.

also the movie does not show what happened with his relationship with Syd. i suspect that she would be unfufilled in the long run by his needy behavior -going to new york unannounced, clinging to her while in bed the morning after, not being excellent in her presence in general.

his real problems were that he was overweight and that he smokes and that he needs to pursue full time employment

these things may not be a barrier for girls to be into him, but in the long run it made his 'tao of steve' fraudulant because he did want to change at least some of those things.


Unrelated to this, are we sure that he really did not recognize Syd in the beginning?