Life, with a Side of Frances Ha!

Frances Ha (2012) is a movie written by Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig.

It's not so great being 27-year-old Frances when everyone around you is either growing up or seeing the world. Frances Ha is a story about a woman who just can't seem to grow up and sort of give up what she loves most - which is dancing. Most reviews are saying that this movie is great for when you are between the ages of 25 - 30, but I disagree. This movie is showing you that your traumatizing school years never end - instead they return after you've graduated from the university. Only then they aren't ruined by annoying teachers and classmates but by life itself. I haven't even reached the age of 20 but for me it was refreshing to watch a movie about the not so great parts of life that aren't in our hands at all. And it seems that the Golden Globes agree with me because Greta Gerwig was nominated for her role as Frances.

Greta Gerwig

Frances wanted to be a professional dancer, but she wasn't asked to come back, instead she was asked to choreograph, which she was not interested in. In times like Frances we all just want to dive back to that time when we can start appreciating our teens which happens just before they are about to disappear into our growing up phase. Or we could pull a FRANCES and become a - what society calls - "young adult". Not the Charlize Theron kind in 'Young Adult' because that's just a couple of bridges too far, but I am talking about the never growing kind of young adult. It is basically getting older in age but not in spirit. Which can be achieved by closing your eyes as a kid and never opening them again – no, really.

Mickey Sumner & Greta Gerwig

I can't even remember the (good) time(s) before I found out there were kids who didn’t have anything to eat or school without bullies or people being mean just because they can. At the end of the day that's what kills our perfect and happy vision of the world as a kid. When we start to realize those “good” times are here to stay, we grow up - except for when your name is Frances Handley.

A teacher of mine once told me that almost no one ends up doing what they studied for in the first place. When you graduate and start looking for a job, it all comes down to what the market has to offer in your lane of work. Just like Frances it's very normal to say no to jobs that you didn't plan on doing... but frankly that's not so realistic…

Michael Zegen, Adam Driver & Greta Gerwig

So, your friends think you are undateable. Maybe, there are not a lot of good dates out there or you haven’t found the right guy to date or you have this not-so-common dimension of how love and relationships should work. Who knows, the fact of the matter is don’t give up and settle for a cat-lady future or an old spinster or join Team Forever Alone. When you’ll find the right guy you’ll know it and it will be great and he will be able to handle your undateable self.

Adam Driver & Greta Gerwig

So, you thought you could keep your style forever. Well, you can! Throughout the entire movie the only thing that doesn't change is the style of every character that's in the growing up phase. That's because it stays with you. If you're growing up you're going to wear the growing up version of the clothes you have been wearing already. Unless you haven't found your 'look', you won't be tempted to experiment in that direction.

Mickey Sumner & Greta Gerwig

So, you thought you would be BFF’s with your BFF forever, but that’s not looking so great right now. You made all these plans together (as a kid) of how you were going to take over the world. There's nothing wrong with checking out what life has to offer by yourself - even if it's just for a while. 

So, plans change. I think the talent in growing up is quickly adapting to change. You probably like change but have not realized it yet. Buying a new pair of shoes is change, but just because it does not scare you, it does not mean that it does not affect your life at all. When you realize that change also comes in small bits you’ll be less afraid of it. It might even stimulate you to come up with new ideas when a problem comes your way. So, be clever and be original.

It's that kid-spirit that gets Frances through the day. Whether you're a teen, over 21 or just can't catch a break you're gonna need it till you get to the comfortable place you belong in. It's that spirit that Buddy had in Elf. That trust that everything is OK even though it's not sometimes. The truth is there is no big-book of how-to-be-a-teen or how-to-grow-up. It's a natural process of uncontrollable emotions and either ignoring it or just surviving it. At the end of the day it's refreshing to know that someone else - like Frances Ha - is going through the exact same thing and is willing to show you how she handled it.

Much Love,

DiFashionista