Someone Like You (2024) Parent Guide
The romance is limp, but complex ethical and emotional issues help fill the void.
Parent Movie Review
Hopelessly in love with London Quinn (Sarah Fisher), Dawson Gage (Jake Allyn) has resigned himself to life in the friendzone. He’s established a career as an architect, built a lake house, and made himself part of London’s family. Just when it looks like London might be able to see him as something more, tragedy strikes and his hopes die with her.
Reeling from shock, London’s grieving parents, Louise and Larry (Lynn Collins and Scott Reeves), tell Dawson something they never told London: she was conceived through in vitro fertilization and there was an extra embryo. Unable to use it due to Louise’s medical problems, the Quinns donated the embryo. It’s possible that London has a biological sibling.
The news galvanizes Dawson into action. Convincing himself that London would have wanted her sibling to know her, he disregards all issues of privacy and confidentiality and launches a surprisingly effective search.
Andi Allen (also Sarah Fisher with darker hair) is loving her life, having just become engaged and started her dream job as a zookeeper. Completely unaware of the circumstances around her conception, Andi is shattered when Dawson erupts into her life. Furious with her parents for what she sees as a lifetime of deceit, she storms out of the house, determined to find her genetic family and rediscover her sense of self.
None of these details qualify as spoilers – you can find most of them in the trailer. This is a mistake on the part of the film’s distributor, since if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve pretty much seen the film. This is a two-hour long movie in which very little happens, none of which will surprise any viewer over the age of twelve.
Not only is the movie predictable, but the central romance between Dawson and Andi struggles with a lack of chemistry, and some unintentional creepiness. (The whole going from one sister to another plotline gives me the heebie-jeebies but your mileage may differ.) Into that emotional void comes the freighted issue of embryo donation. Louise is both heartsick that she didn’t have the chance to give birth to Andi and grateful that another woman was able to give her life. Andi grapples with who her “real parents” are. And Andi’s lifelong family fear losing their daughter to her genetic relatives. Given the limp romance, it’s a good thing there’s plenty to chew on with this complex issue – the emotional/ethical dimensions of embryo donation provide the only plot tension.
Thankfully, this “Christian-light” movie is also devoid of negative content. There’s an off-screen death and a bit of kissing but that’s it. You can watch this movie with anyone – your mother-in-law, your pastor, your 13-year-old – provided they don’t object to occasional moments of preachiness. On the bright side, there are frequent scenes of people earnestly trying to live their religion and behave with kindness, compassion, generosity, and selflessness. That’s a lot to like, even if I can’t love the film.
Directed by Tyler Russell. Starring Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Lynn Collins. Running time: 118 minutes. Theatrical release April 4, 2024. Updated April 4, 2024Watch the trailer for Someone Like You (2024)
Someone Like You (2024)
Rating & Content Info
Why is Someone Like You (2024) rated PG? Someone Like You (2024) is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic material.
Violence: A car accident occurs off screen but there is some audio and an injured person is seen, shaking and with facial abrasions. She later dies off screen.
Sexual Content: A married couple kiss. A man impulsively grabs a woman and kisses her. They later kiss on other occasions. Assisted reproduction and embryo donation are key plot elements in the film.
Profanity: None noted.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.
Page last updated April 4, 2024
Someone Like You (2024) Parents' Guide
This movie deals with the issue of assisted reproduction and embryo donation. Louise says they didn’t want to discard the unused embryo because “It was a life”. Do you agree with her? When do you think life begins? What are the implications of your beliefs for assisted reproduction or abortion? Have you ever discussed your beliefs with someone who holds different opinions? What did you learn from them? Did you have any common ground?
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This film is based on the novel Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury.
Home Video
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Embryo donation is an infrequent topic for a film, but adoption is seen more frequently. Lifemark is another Christian film that tackles the topic, in this case involving an adopted teenage boy whose birth mother wants to connect with him. In Instant Family, a husband and wife decide to start their adoption journey by fostering three kids – who come with a whole variety of problems. A Shine of Rainbows is the story of a young orphan who is adopted by a warmhearted woman who fills his life with love and hope. International adoption is front and center in Lion, the story of an Australian adoptee who wants to return to India and find his childhood home and family.
For a more compelling romance centered around a glass house on a lake, you can watch Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves twist through time in The Lake House.