He's just not that into you... oh wait, I lied.

Last night I watched He's Just Not That Into You.

I read the book back when it came out:

And, before that, saw the Sex and the City episode that spawned the book that later spawned the movie.  To all of this I will say: it should have stopped with the SATC episode. T

he book isn't bad (although it's been a while since I read it so I'd have to re-read it to form a thorough opinion).  There are a lot of women who are, as the film clearly points out, conditioned to believe that men act like assholes to show you that they like you.  Seriously, isn't it insane when it's worded that way?  But many women believe it's true, telling themselves the man isn't ready for a relationship, has intimacy issues, loves them so much that it scares him, blah blah blahdie blah blah.  (Full disclosure: I have said all of those things myself - at one point, all about the same man.  But in my case it was true.  Ha.  No, we didn't get married, but whatever - I know what I know.) For the woman that still use these ideas regularly, the title of the book alone should have had an effect. 

The film, I am sad to report, completely UNDOES THE WHOLE EFFING THING!  Throughout the whole film, one key character is not into the girl - oh wait, UNTIL HE IS.  Married men never leave their wives - oh wait, UNTIL ONE DOES (albeit because his wife wised up and kicked the lying sack of poo out of her home).  The man who says he does not want to get married will never change his mind and propose - oh wait, UNTIL HE DOES.  It was completely infuriating.  And, to boot, the one woman with a spine (who kicks out her cheating husband) is the most annoying character in the whole film.  That is not good. That said, I don't hate that I watched the film.  It was entertaining enough - it's just really the last 10 or so minutes that undo the whole damn thing.  I want to write a letter to Drew Barrymore and tell her that I'm disappointed in her (she's one of the executive producers).  She should really know better.  This could've been a great female empowerment film but instead ended up reinforcing the worst stereotypes and delusions.  Boo hiss.