MovieChat Forums > One Day (2011) Discussion > Why don't they ever notice the date

Why don't they ever notice the date

posted 11 years ago by Mitzishark
3 replies | jump to latest

(By this I don't mean, why don't the characters notice the CGI date appearing in the shot of each new year. That would be dumb).

No, I mean- why don't the characters ever pick up on the fact that so many important events occur on the 15th of July? It always niggled at me. I mean, surely they'd remember that the 15th of July was the first day they properly met as it was St Swithin's Day. Especially Emma, as she's always recording things down in poetry in her notebook. And it just seems like something you would remember.

And they never seem to realise that all these other things occur on the 15th of July- when they have that fight that leads to them not talking for ages, when they then re-unite at the wedding, when they kiss again in France and decide to start a relationship, when they decide to try and have children...

The only thing that is picked up on is that Emma dies on St Swithin's Day- but even then, when Dexter takes his daughter to that mountain- why then doesn't he remember, "Oh, this was where Emma and I went the first proper day we spent in each others company- oh and that was on St Swithin's Day too!"

I mean, I know it's all very coincidental, so maybe David Nicholl/the producers etc. felt that the audience would pick up on this more if the characters referred to it? That's all I can think of.

[–] stuartajamieson-944-652316 10 years ago

I don't think it's explained in the film, but they generally only agree to meet up once a year, on St Swithins day.

Apart from when they bump into each other at weddings etc.

[–] amber-1991 10 years ago

How do you know that they don't? I thought the whole point of the "one day" title was that they would meet up or communicate or even just do something on that day in honor of them meeting for the first time. I always assumed it was done that way on purpose, that's why he took his daughter on the walk on that day.

[–] Hecate-3 10 years ago

I suspect that Dexter took his daughter up the mountain on that day specifically because it was St. Swithin's Day, the anniversary of the day when he and Emma began their friendship. As for the rest of the years, it actually was mentioned in an odd, indirect way when Ian came to Dexter's coffee shop. Ian said something about July 15th lying in wait for him even during the years when he hadn't really been aware of it.

But I don't think Emma and Dexter ever made a special plan to always spend St. Swithin's Day together or even just to talk on that day. I think it was just a way for the author to move the story through the years, showing how Dexter and Emma changed, how they changed their lives, and how their relationship grew over the years. I don't think the anniversary became especially meaningful to Dexter until after ... well ... you know what.