Love by the 10th Date
By Renee Longstreet,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Friends look for love; part fairy tale, part sex comedy.
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Love by the 10th Date
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What's the Story?
Four best friends work together at a popular online magazine in LOVE BY THE 10TH DATE. Gabrielle Fateful (Meagan Good), Nell (Kellee Stewart), Margot (Kelly Rowland), and Billie (Keri Hilson) are either in a relationship (an "open marriage"), looking for love, or avoiding intimacy altogether. Gabrielle, a talented artist and art director, thinks she's never going to find that special someone; she's never even had 10 dates in a row with a man. Ten dates means a real investment, the kind that results in "happily ever after." Which gives the gang an idea -- an article for the magazine in which Gabby gets that 10th date and writes about it -- for a tidy sum. There are lots of men from which Gabrielle can choose -- from old beaus and office buddies to internet applicants. Meanwhile, Nell has her heart set on a talented and honest bisexual. Margot is intrigued by a famous musician who's headlining an issue of the magazine, but whose straightforward sexual interest threatens her carefully preserved celibacy. And Billie and her husband can't quite get the open marriage thing right. Careers matter, too. As everyone participates in a whirlwind effort to help Gabrielle reach her 10-date goal, all the women face making real decisions that will define their futures.
Is It Any Good?
High-energy performances, along with slapstick comedy, lively music, current issues, and good intentions, can't entirely overcome the predictable (often stereotypical) concept of women on the hunt. Still, it's fun, certainly for those who are amenable to lots of in-your-face sexual content. After a while the blitz of references to vagina, repeat glimpses of a heroine's genital exposure on the internet, and bikini wax conversations get tiresome. However, there's something to be said for writer-director Nzinga Stewart's notion of "emotional condoms." Special kudos to Kellee Stewart, who lights up the screen whenever she appears, and Meagan Good's all-out, no-vanity work. Also credited as a producer, it's clear how much Good was willing to invest in Love by the 10th Date. And finally, it's a treat to see women portrayed as unabashedly good friends, without the usual back-biting and jealousy that often accompanies stories like this one. Definitely not stellar entertainment, but enjoyable enough for many rom-com fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fact that in Love by the 10th Date, women are featured as the fun-loving pursuers of men. Since it's usually men who are the coarse-talking, sex-obsessed characters, did you appreciate the role reversal? Is it any less acceptable for women to engage in such behavior? Why or why not?
Friendship was at the heart of this film. What made the women good friends? In many comedies, women are portrayed as jealous or competitive with one another. How did the friends in this film smash that stereotype?
What messages does this movie send about relationships and marriage? Which couples, if any, were role models that showed the possibility of a good working relationship? In what ways? How does the media in general portray marriage?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 18, 2017
- Cast: Meagan Good, Kellee Stewart, Kelly Rowland
- Director: Nzinga Stewart
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Latinx actors
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 87 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 2, 2022
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