By: Elena Donatone
One Day (2011) is one of the best romantic dramas of the last decade, and the relationship between Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) is what makes it so special and fascinating to watch.
Emma and Dexter get to know each other on a night out celebrating their graduation in Edinburgh. Although they spent three years at the same university, Dexter doesn’t remember Emma at all. Emma on the other hand, has a big crush on him!
Ever since that night out, where they share intimate moments, the chemistry between the two is clear, but they both decide to be friends.
The night they spend together is right before Swithin’s day (15th of July) and the movie will follow their lives and relationship on that specific day over the course of 18 years.
Their lives are very different after graduation. While Emma is quite unhappy working in a Mexican restaurant in London, Dexter is enjoying life travelling around the world and teaching English in Paris.
“I’m so much better when you’re around.”
As the years go passing by, we see how, on the same exact day, their friendship becomes more and more solid. Their attraction towards each other however, is undeniable. During a holiday spent together in France, they almost kiss as well!
But their friendship is more important and Dexter is scared that he would ruin everything if they started dating.
The man is quite a player, while Emma is looking for a serious relationship.
The duo goes through ups and downs throughout the movie. They witness each other being with different people and they even spend some years apart after a huge fight.
At the end, Emma and Dexter get together and their love is surely heart-warming to witness.
“Nothing truly good was ever easy.”
Although the movie is centred around the romance Emma and Dexter will eventually have, I think the best part of it is their friendship and their personal growth as young adults.
Emma and Dexter are very different people. Emma is quite introverted and smart, always looking for a perfect love like the one she reads about in novels and poems. Dexter is no prince charming, he can be very selfish and shallow at times, and the last thing on his mind is finding the perfect match.
Even though they are opposites, their friendship is so pure and real that it will always come first.
No matter where they are in the world or who they are in a relationship with, whenever one is facing challenges and experiencing pain, the other will be there.
I think One Day is a great example of how the best love stories are born from true friendships. Emma and Dexter get to know each other fully before entering a romantic relationship and that is why they know it’s true love. The couple knows one another more than they know themselves and they make each other better people.
“I need to speak to someone. Not someone- you.”
Emma faces hard times over the years, from a relationship she feels trapped in, to a dream career that is slipping away. Dexter will also experience deep pain, from her mother’s early death to his problems with alcohol and drugs.
The personal growth they both experience over the years is inspiring as well. The movie delivers a powerful message about life.
Life is not easy and everybody will face difficult and dark times, but if you have somebody special in your life, you can get through it.
Emma and Dexter are a great example of a sweet and selfless friendship that turns into a strong romance. Although One Day has a bittersweet ending, the love between the two will remain inspiring and will leave a mark on whoever watches it!
“Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ve had today.”