I enjoyed the ending. I would have been angry if Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde) got together in the end. If they got together it would have turned into a typical romantic comedy. This ending made it more realistic.
shareLOVED the ending. It's getting a lot of flak from people who can't seem to understand that these two made perfect friends but would have made bad partners. That was the whole point of the ending. The moving scene was genius because that was a microcosm of real life. They were great together when things were fun, but a little conflict and difficulty and they're yelling at each other. She can't help him with his cut hand; when he goes home, his fiancé is diving into the medicine cabinet for him. His love with Jill was real. That love persisted and the friendship with Kate was mended. I don't know how much more perfect the ending could have been.
shareI never even thought about the moving scenes like that! That is genius. I don't know why people are saying the acting was bad. The scenes between Luke and Kate were so genuine it seemed like the actors were actually having fun. I can totally see why this film is a 71 with mostly positive reviews.
shareExcellent points, geraldpayne! I didn't initially see it that way, but I think you're absolutely correct. That's why I love these boards: people always seem to see things in movies that I miss.
"She's, like, a biscuit older than me..."
I liked the ending because it reinforced that all they could really be was 'drinking buddies' with unresolved feelings for each other.
It was a lovely way to end the film: they playfully make up after the terrible fight, and he does it by offering her his 'banana' - which she promptly turns down.
The only thing I didn't like about the film was the characterization of Kate. I'm not even sure Wilde likes her own character: she seems to take advantage of Luke's feelings for her. She tries so hard to be 'one of the boys'...only to be inter-personally exploitative. There is the suggestion (recognition?), though, that she is an alcoholic using drink to buddy up to male friends, and seems incapable of feeling anything other the highs and lows associated with alchahol ( friendship, work, casual sex).
If he and Kate had gotten together it would have not been as satisfying for viewers if he had dumped his nerdy gal for her. It was good in the sense that everyone was rooting for Jill because Kate was the hottie and was expected to get the guy. I also felt differently in he and Kate were in love. I feel they were both selfish and wanted each other for themselves as friends.
shareThat's a good point. His girlfriend was unconventional and nerdy and more introvert, but he still didn't leave her just because his hot friend was throwing herself at him and flaunting her single-ness and making him jealous. In movies, they make it seem like no guy can resist that, but in reality(like they portrayed) he knew he had something way more wonderful than hooking up with a hot friend. They made it even more believable that he danced around the idea of it, but in the end it was no contest and he still kept a goofy fun friendship with Kate without being weighed down by sexual tension all the time.
sharegeraldpayne is spot on.
Also, as another poster noted, when he offers Kate his (obviously metaphorical) banana and she refuses it, and then he tosses it in the trash, it signifies that they have resolved the sexual tension aspect of their relationship and realize that good friends --drinking buddies -- is how they are best suited for each other.
A great ending to a very good -- if at times poorly paced -- film. 7/10
LOVED the ending. It's getting a lot of flak from people who can't seem to understand that these two made perfect friends but would have made bad partners. That was the whole point of the ending. The moving scene was genius because that was a microcosm of real life. They were great together when things were fun, but a little conflict and difficulty and they're yelling at each other. She can't help him with his cut hand; when he goes home, his fiancé is diving into the medicine cabinet for him. His love with Jill was real. That love persisted and the friendship with Kate was mended. I don't know how much more perfect the ending could have been.
LOVED the ending. It's getting a lot of flak from people who can't seem to understand that these two made perfect friends but would have made bad partners. That was the whole point of the ending. The moving scene was genius because that was a microcosm of real life. They were great together when things were fun, but a little conflict and difficulty and they're yelling at each other. She can't help him with his cut hand; when he goes home, his fiancé is diving into the medicine cabinet for him. His love with Jill was real. That love persisted and the friendship with Kate was mended. I don't know how much more perfect the ending could have been.
I loved the moving scene, too. Did you notice that it's the only scene where they aren't drinking? And that's when they fight? It just reinforces that they really are ONLY drinking buddies, and beyond that, there isn't much between them.
I liked the movie a lot. I thought it did a great job of showing the differences between love and attraction. As other posters have said, most movies would have ended with Luke and Kate together, which would have left the audience with the belief that those fluttery butterfly-in-the-stomach types of feelings are more real than a stable, loving relationship.
I get frustrated with a lot of movies that seem to push for the strong attraction over the emotional connection and support. Real relationships (and real love) doesn't always FEEL all-encompassing and joyful and get your heart beating out of your chest. A lot of times it's in those simple moments of taking care of each other or just being understanding of the other person, and in the end, that's a lot more sustaining than attraction and flirting.
The other scene that was very telling was when Luke saw that Kate had not removed a single thing from a prior birthday party in her apartment. The apartment was dirty & disorganized. She even said she'd never seen the bottom of her kitchen sink before once Luke helped her clean up. Compare that to the cozy home Jill had made for them. And I'm guessing that Kate does takeout only.
shareI wanted them to get together the whole time ... Until the ending. Then I realized it was more realistic the way it ended. Just because two people have crushed on each other doesn't mean they need to be together. Also hormones have a tendency to confuse love in a friendship sense and real passionate love just because the friends are opposite sex. It was nice to see that they realized being friends was more satisfying than hooking up. And Luke acknowledged that regardless of the flirting and deep friendship with Kate, he was truly in love with Jill and Kate was too similar to him to even come close to the dynamic and chemistry that he and Jill had.
shareYeah, I liked it. It's refreshing when movies don't have a typical expected ending.
shareI thought the ending was great; especially when Luke resolved things with his fiance. There was this obvious tension between the two of them throughout the film, and finally seeing them take care of each other in such different ways, it provided a clear picture of why they were together in the first place. Based solely on that scene, they are a better match than Luke and Kate ever could be, if only because they are able to be honest with one another, and they're willing to work at their relationship even when it's hard.
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just caught this on netflix. reminded me a lot of a few relationships i've had. loved the ending too. decent picture
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"I hated it." But reading other's comments, I see stuff I didn't notice before. Or well, I did notice, but dismissed it, for whatever reason.
I don't know now. I'm a happy endings person. It wasn't really a happy ending, not for Kate. But then, I think in part it's her own fault.
So, uh, yeah. I no longer hate the ending, but I'm not gonna say I loved it either.
I'm not weird. I'm limited edition.
I love it. Appreciate the realism of it. On one hand, they may just accept what things are. On the other, they might have moments of "What if...?" thinking in the future. But in the end, Luke really loves Jill.
What I've got in my head you can't buy, steal, or borrow. I believe in live and let live.
I also liked it, like others have said they are great as friends but would make a terrible couple, Kate seems immature and Luke too jealous.
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