During the early parts of the film, written by Kazan and directed by LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, RUBY SPARKS seems like it's just going to be another quirky romantic comedy. Calvin isn't seeing things. Ruby cooks him breakfast, loves zombie movie marathons, plays video games and likes his dog Scotty, even though it pees like a girl. She's the perfect balance between friend and lover. And the best part is that Ruby is really there, and other people can see her, including Calvin's older brother Harry (Chris Messina) who had begun to believe that his brother was losing his mind with all this talk of his imaginary girlfriend. But then something happens.
"Quirky, messy women whose problems make them endearing aren't real," says Harry in response to Calvin's ravings. And this is where the film's truly interesting themes seem to lie. Instead of the standard quirky romantic comedy, RUBY SPARKS is almost a satire of the genre. Sure, in the beginning things are wonderful and Calvin vows to Harry that he'll never write about Ruby again. He even goes so far as to lock the manuscript in his desk. However, as their routine continues, Ruby starts to become bored with Calvin. "You don't have any friends," she says coldly one night. And, fearful he is going to lose her, Calvin is pushed to unlock his desk. First he makes Ruby miserable without him. Then, when she is the epitome of the super attached girlfriend meme, he decides to write that she needs her own space. When that doesn't work he tries to make her extremely effervescent. But no matter what he does she just isn't that quirky, messy woman whose problems make her endearing. And why is that? That's right, Harry! Because women like that aren't real.
None of the women in those quirky romantic comedies actually exist. They're made up. In fact, they're so made up, even when you have the power to basically create a real-life version of one, you can't. And it's at this point that the film actually breaks out of its original rom-com shell, and embraces it's new dark reality. Even the relationships that appear to be perfect pairings have their issues because people can't control each other. And, as the film suggests, even if we could, things still wouldn't be just as we would like them to be. Just like Calvin and Ruby, Harry talks about how his wife Susan left once and now he fears that she could leave at any second, and Calvin and Harry's mom and step-dad's relationship seemingly only stays in such a harmonious balance because of the drugs they use and their hippie lifestyle. Really, what it comes down to is that we can only accept who we are and who the other people in our lives are and try to make the best of it.
Relationships aren't perfect. Not with people and not with your work. And on this level, Calvin's emotional struggles with his relationship with Ruby can be tied back to his struggles with his own creative process. It is only when he quits trying to be perfect ("I want it to be bad," his therapist says while giving him a writing assignment) that he actually creates Ruby. And when he tries to be perfect again, what happens? He loses her.
What starts off as a mild mannered romantic comedy about a guy whose character manifests herself into life, quickly turns into a very intriguing satire/meta-analysis of the rom-com genre and an interesting commentary on relationships and the creative process. Unfortunately the ending of the film nearly ruined it for me, wrapping things up in an almost too perfect package. Typically in movies, the ending provides the opportunity to not only wrap things up in a satisfying way, but to also act as representation of the entire film's conceit. In RUBY SPARKS, however, it almost feels as if the film completely goes against it's message with the standard, romantic happy ending. And while I guess it's left a little more vague and open than most other films of its ilk, it felt like the film deserved a more gratifying ending.
That being said, I still found the film to be not only fun, but thought-provoking and a suitable sophomore effort from Dayton and Faris. The acting and writing were both crisp and well done, and Scotty the dog is adorable. Definitely check it out if you haven't, and don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this movie if you saw it or your thoughts on any movie you've seen recently and want to share. Thanks for reading!
