Awkward, isolated and disapproving of most of the people around her, a precocious 19-year-old genius is challenged to put her convictions to the test by venturing out on to the NYC dating scene, in this adaptation of Caren Lissner’s best-selling 2003 novel.
Depending on your point of view, Carrie Pilby (Bel Powley) either has a problem or she is a problem. This very clever girl graduated Harvard at the age of 19 and lives in a small NYC apartment paid for by her London-based father. World on a string, right? On the contrary — Carrie has no job, no purpose, and no friends, because she actively dislikes just about everyone (rating them "morally and intellectually unacceptable") as only a teenager can. Her one regular contact is her dad's therapist friend, Dr. Petrov (Nathan Lane), who after a fruitless series of weekly visits finally sets Carrie some homework: a five-point plan to get her life together.
Carrie grudgingly agrees to go through the list, but her execution leaves something to be desired. Item #3 ("Go on a date — with someone you like!") backfires particularly badly when her Craigslist mate search leads to a connection with Matt (Jason Ritter), a man who is engaged but "unsure." The results of that endeavour call for an emergency visit to Dr. Petrov. And when her father's circumstances undergo a drastic change, Carrie begins to understand that reconciling with the past is the only way to tick those items off the to-do list.
Adapted from Caren Lissner's bestselling novel, Carrie Pilby is a winning comedy about the metropolitan life of privileged youth, but it's also much more than that. As the source of Carrie's misanthropy is gradually revealed, our empathy for her grows, even if we want to pull our hair out in frustration at her lack of life skills. You might just end up loving her, even if she hates you.
JANE SCHOETTLE
Screenings
Ryerson Theatre
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Scotiabank 4
Scotiabank 3
Ryerson Theatre