Together Together Review
Skyler Johnson ’22 / Emertainment Monthly Comics Section Editor
There aren’t a ton of films that explore the strifes of single parenthood, and even less that explore the issues present in the relationship of a future single father and a surrogate. Together Together goes against this stereotype.
Despite the movie’s flaws, it does succeed in offering a unique narrative and does combat certain movie tropes. This isn’t a romance film, but a story of a friendship that develops between two unlikely people: a coffee shop employee surrogate and a web developer to-be father. Especially given the age difference between the two it was nice to see that nothing actually developed between them.
Overall, the characters were interesting, or interesting enough to keep my attention for the allotted 90 minute run time. Matt, the web developer, was a decent enough male lead as he was able to break away from stereotypes and just seemed to be a nice, if not awkward, guy who genuinely wanted to be a father. Usually fathers are portrayed as distant to their children, and view having them more as a process they should undergo and not as a process they want to undergo.
The dialogue was also decent. There was never a moment where I cringed or was taken out of the plot. Comedy, when present, did work, even if you didn’t laugh out loud. The plot was quick-paced and you didn’t spend too much time in a particular scene. The film followed the pregnancy perfectly, never lingering on any period too long. You were also never wondering when the film was taking place. It was always very clear what they were going for.
Yet whether or not this film is for you depends. If you’re about to have a child or are going through the process of being a single parent this film is for you. It captures the time period well. But, if you’re not, I wouldn’t recommend. The film is only 90 minutes long, which is not enough time to explore every single aspect of the film’s characters. You’re left with a number of questions. You never see why Matt is alone at 40. It’s clear he had issues in a previous relationship but there are never any answers. And it’s also unclear why Matt chose who he chose as a surrogate. When he interviewed her it didn’t necessarily go too well.
While the film does everything it needs to to be a good film, it doesn’t go beyond. The parts that are touching are only so touching and the parts that are comedic are only so comedic. The film doesn’t excel in any area save for it’s uniqueness in concept. And in an era where there are plenty of films available this isn’t the first one should pick up, unless it’s relatable. B-.