I miss those old-school record stores.Before the era of downloading, I used to go to places like Tower Records, FYE, and Sam Goody to buy CDs and DVDs; even as my primary intake of film stems from streaming platforms, I still maintain my CD and DVD collections.
A couple of weeks prior to this writing, I met up with my friend Liz for lunch in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.On my walk back to my car, I saw a sign that read “Joe’s Records.”As I rarely see stores with the name “records” on it, I had to check it out.I was met with a cornucopia of DVDs, CDs, and vinyl records.I browsed and saw a movie, Meet Bill, on the DVD rack for only $7.Since I new it ended with the protagonist leaving his wife, I knew I had to have it.It was also an excuse for me to support this small business.
I watched it the day after chairing the International Singles Studies Association (ISSA) Conference.Having managed multiple issues, I was in what my friend Christina referred to as an “adrenaline dump.”So I nodded out twice during the film.And while I love Meet Bill’s premise, I felt the tone was inconsistent.One example: Bill ’s wife, Jess, is unapologetically cheating on him throughout most of the film.Then she suddenly starts to care about Bill without much motivation.It also has a couple of laughs and a few good dramatic moments, but they swing and back forth so wildly that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up even if I were more awake.
The pro-single part I do appreciate is that it focuses on the man’s point of view.At the beginning, Bill is that stereotype of the emasculated, henpecked married guy.He works for his father-in-law’s bank, where he’s unappreciated.His wife cheats on him with a local news anchor.Upon this discovery, Bill starts to improve himself.He cuts out the junk food.He starts swimming.He’s mentoring a rebellious teen, who inspires him to be his best self.I said in my review of Barbie that more men need to start embracing their own identities instead of relying on a woman to make them happy.This film, released in 2008, affirms that message.
Bill’s wanted to open a donut franchise as a manner of escaping from what he sees as his prison.Some of the labored comedy in the film stems from him trying to keep the company’s representatives from finding out his wife’s true identity, since 1) she owns half his assets; 2) she isn’t privy to his desires to buy a franchise; and 3) the anchor has filed a restraining order against Bill after he’s attacked him for sleeping with his wife.By the end, he’s given the franchise to Jess, who’s struggled with breaking free of her father’s influence.He’s separated form her amicably and is ready to start a future on his own terms.
While the film’s execution is sloppy, the message to men is sincere - and needed.