You may be wondering why I am lumping these 2 movies together…

Here’s why…

I think these 2 movies starring Sanaa Lathan are actually the same movie…

CRAZY???…

Just hear me out…

Both movies start Lathan as a very successful woman climbing the corporate ladder who’s personal life is not what she quite wants it to be…she’s mainly all work and no play (except in Nappily Ever After, she’s in a relationship at the start of the movie…that leads to a pretty funny restaurant scene LOL). She has this standard or ideal that she feels her life and significant other have to live up to…its the classic story of wanting the “unrealistic” fairytale LOL.  She has a domineering, siddity mother (played by Alfre Woodard & Lynn Whitfield, respectively) who expects a certain standard as well. She puts her true happiness on the back burner to live this “perfect” life that is expected of her. Her father is quirky, less rigid and just wants his daughter to be happy. Then in comes a guy (Simon Baker as “Brian” or Lyric Bent as “Will”) who doesn’t fit that mold, who also happens to work with his hands and be really big into gardening and organics and has a “dependent” (a dog or a child) who factors heavily into their blossoming relationship. He teaches her to step outside of her comfort zone and really be herself (which involves a hair transformation) and in the process frees herself (and eventually, her mother).

I take hard earth and make them bloom.

With those details, you can’t distinguish which movies is which…its just one has a white male love interest (pulling in racial and class themes) and the other has a black male “love interest” (with the class themes).

The point is, love is an adventure, Kenya. It’s not a decision you make for others. It’s a decision you make from your heart. Anyway, the boy’s just white, he ain’t a martian.

Overall, same movie, right?! They’re both kinda rom-coms with the necessary tropes (ex. a dumping, a blind date, a mismatch at first site, conflict, etc.) and some cute moments thrown in. I thought Something New was pretty good and I’ve seen it several times (good performances from Lathan, Baker, Golden Brooks, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Taraji P. Henson, Mike Epps, Donald Faison, Alfre Woodard and Earl Bilings amongst others). And it doesn’t hurt that Simon Baker is really easy on the eyes and natural in the part (rugged, “salt of the Earth” guy + romantic). Fun little watch. And maybe that’s what ruined Nappily Ever After for me…wasn’t a big fan…just didn’t do it for me and some of it was kinda outlandish and unrealistic (interactions with Will’s daughter) and the performances were not as natural. Something New currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Nappily Ever After is streaming on Netflix.

Let yourself grow.