If you’ve ever lost a parent, lost a job, or simply lost your way in life and realized it somewhere along your thirties, Netflix’s newest rom-com, The Life List, is guaranteed to speak to the very depths of your soul.
Alex Rose, played by Sofia Carson, is forced to confront her lost dreams, ambitions, and self-confidence in the wake of her mother’s passing via a series of pre-recorded DVDs. Elizabeth, played by Connie Britton, fires Alex from the family company from beyond the grave, and requires her to complete a series of tasks from a “life list” she wrote at age 13 in order to receive her inheritance.
Aided by handsome lawyer Brad, played by Kyle Allen, Alex tackles impressive feats like open mic night at The Comedy Cellar, one on one with a New York Knick, getting a tattoo, finally reading Moby Dick, and learning to play “Clair de Lune”.
The list also ventures into more emotional territory with requirements to make peace with her father, become a great teacher, and find true love. Along the way Alex discovers life-changing information about her mother and her family, reconnects with her calling to be an educator after swearing to never set foot in a classroom again, and uncovers, through a series of relationships, just what really counts in love.
The film perfectly encapsulates the deeper yearnings of a generation wanting to find fulfillment, but also the simpler, more lighthearted things in life, like a tableful of friends who talk over each other sharing inside jokes, roadtrips with epic soundtracks you can sing and dance to, and campouts under the moon with your siblings. In essence, we want the ability to step fully into our adulthood, without needing to sacrifice the joy of being young at heart.
It wouldn’t hurt if someone gifted us a house in this economy, but you’ll have to watch for yourself to see how it all comes together.
