Before We Go
Synopsis:
It’s shortly before closing time around the Christmas holiday at New York City’s Grand Central Station. Nick (Chris Evans) plays his trumpet, mulling over the conflicting decisions that brought him to New York. Brooke (Alice Eve) crosses his path, dropping her cell phone in her dash to catch the last train out. Nick picks up the broken phone. He finds Brooke shortly after she misses her train. Grand Central is now closed, so Brooke reluctantly accepts Nick’s offer to get her transportation home to Boston. With $80 in cash and no cell service or available credit cards, Nick uses his positive attitude and street wit to maneuver numerous obstacles in what becomes an incredible evening that neither will ever forget.
50 Dates at 50 Take:
This movie shares many similarities with Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, where a chance meeting turns into an unexpected adventure. You feel like you’re right there with the characters, and it never gets boring. There is very little musical soundtrack, which gives it a good street feel. Nick does a great job of thinking on his feet and injecting humor into each situation.
Why You Need to Watch It:
Nick is pretty much a clinic on how a guy should conduct himself. When something doesn’t work out, he improvises. Just by doing that, he creates an adventure for the pair where most would give up in frustration. They become a team, and a bond begins to form. Sure, Nick’s plans don’t all work out. But he has confidence and a positive attitude, and he shows he can think on his feet. Guys need to remember that when things don’t go right, it’s your time to shine and be the problem solver.
Harry the Psychic has one of the best pieces of advice when he talks about relationships: “There is no perfect. There will always be struggle. You just have to pick who you want to struggle with.” Brooke discovers that Nick is the guy to have around when the going gets tough. When we pick someone for a relationship, most of us do so on a fair-weather basis. Harry reminds us that you never really know what you’ve got until the chips are down and one’s true character is on display.
- The movie Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong also has a great fortuneteller scene, demonstrating how fun one of these visits can be!
- The street payphone scene is an excellent example of the power of roleplaying. Another superb example of this is in the movie Definitely, Maybe.
- The movie shows how bad dates and bad days can make for excellent story material; when they happen to us, we should be open and let them play out.
- Nick comes close at times, but he holds firm on not spilling his guts. He tells Brooke just enough not to spoil the moments.
- The movie teaches us about regret. The odds are 100% you’ll always regret not taking a chance, like the chance Nick takes in going back to talk to his ex after encouragement from Brooke.
- We learn that Nick was using his ex as a motivating factor in his music. Brooke helps him to finally put that in perspective and move past it as he discovers his music needs to be about him.
- When traveling, we should all start looking for hotel graffiti.
-Paul
Year Released: 2015
