A movie review.
Little Black Book

(C)2/22/2017

When Stacy begins a new job she discovers that she has the strength and courage to explore and delve into the secrets and private lives of others. Stacy is an assistant producer for the Kippi Kann show, a television tell all talk show in which guests expose the raw reality behind social faux pas in their own lives. Of course, Stacy, a hopeful broadcast journalist, is eager to succeed, but her resistance to violating interpersonal ethics prevents her from becoming a successful producer at first. Gradually her Mentor Barbara encourages her to violate those ethics in pursuit of higher, loftier qualities in journalism, the truth, service to others, and uncovering false realities. To Stacy's chagrin, she gets better at being a truth seeker first only to set herself up for personal and emotional disaster.

Rashida Jones, Julianne Nicholson, Brittany Murphy, Josie Maran, Holly Hunter, Kathy Bates, and others make the characters in this story so realistic and genuine, the viewer can't help but be caught up in the conflict. The movie allows us a unique opportunity to be introspective. Are we being true to ourselves and others if we are hiding anything? If we are hiding anything at all from those closest to us, are we betraying them. Is our acceptance of a false reality only preventing us from achieving a higher purpose?

The quotes from this movie are incredible too.

While the movie addresses sexual infidelity, includes a vaginal exam, and is littered with adult language, the content is fairly innocent. Aside from Josie Maran's character discussing sordid sexcapades without the details, and the whole concept of trash television reality talk shows may offend some, this movie is a great context for some deep discussions about ethics, interpersonal communication, relationships, job responsibilities, power, and self control.

One reason I like this movie so much is because of the ease with which I identify with the character of Stacy. She is naive, and unaware of her role in the world. She has boundary issues.

Currently my life is in a state of suspension because of my own boundary issues. I haven't discovered my niche. I also haven't been cognizant of my boundary violations. My insecurities are something I have not addressed. I'm not even sure how much of the life I've built really is me. I am, at 46, trying to find myself.
I think most people go through such phases of discovery in their twenties and thirties, but as always, I am a late bloomer and find myself doing now what I should have done twenty years ago.

I highly recommend this movie for a lot of reasons. The humor, the fresh concept, the character development, the plot, and the music are all dynamic features of this film.