So, I watched The Life Listing, and it was definitely one thing—however surprisingly, the romance wasn’t what did it for me.
There are many nice rom-coms which are releasing as a part of the 2025 film schedule, ones that I’m actually wanting ahead to and ones which have taken me some time to look at. The Life Listing is a type of, and it premiered with the 2025 Netflix schedule. Based mostly on the novel of the identical title, the film follows a girl whose aim is to finish every little thing on an inventory for her “excellent life” that she wrote when she was an adolescent with a purpose to obtain an inheritance from her late mom.
The movie itself is a type of light-hearted motion pictures, however one way or the other, the primary romance doesn’t actually seize me—and we’ll get into why under.
The Romance Was Cute, However I Didn’t Keep For It
Like I stated earlier than, the romance was fantastic – I didn’t stick round and watch the entire movie for it.
That’s to not say it wasn’t a good little story to look at—it was! Is The Life Listing going to be one of many finest rom-com motion pictures ever? No, but it surely was nonetheless pleasurable.
I imply, there’s so much to love about it. Cute banter, associates to lovers – the tropes are there, they usually’re enjoyable. In case you’re simply right here for that, then you definately’ll benefit from the film. However for me, I needed one thing that digs deep into the issues we would like in life.
I’m truthfully shocked by what the film gave me—and what I ended up loving essentially the most.
I Was Really Into The Mom-Daughter Relationship
Let me preface this by saying that I by no means learn the unique novel. Whereas there are many upcoming book-to-screen diversifications that I’m wanting ahead to, this was one I used to be not conscious of, so I had no concept what this film was about except for the fundamental premise.
Clearly, because it’s marketed as a rom-com, all of us count on to enter it loving the romance, and it’s a enjoyable one, however I used to be very within the mother-daughter relationship between Alex and her mother and the movies she left for her.
First off, I actually need to give a number of reward to Sofia Carson and Connie Britton. It’s not precisely simple to seek out actors who’ve chemistry on display screen, however you need to know what’s most likely more durable? Creating that chemistry whenever you’re not even in the identical room. 99% of their scenes are Alex chatting with her mom whereas watching the DVDs that her mother made for her.
Apart from that, the mother-daughter connection is admittedly what drew me in.
We see proper from the start that they’re shut and that Alex would do something to try to assist her mom. However as soon as she realizes that there’s nothing they’ll do about her illness, she holds her mom shut.
All through the movie, we see that her mom isn’t precisely the individual she believed her to be. She had her secrets and techniques, her targets, her ambitions, and a lot extra that Alex found throughout the story. And that’s the sort of relationship that’s actually onerous to get proper after we barely see the characters collectively.
I Was Loving Their Connection, And How They Communicated
One other factor I actually cherished is that Alex stored discovering issues about her mother, even after her dying. Speak about a connection that’s not like another.
Alex discovers all these new issues about her mom, and actually begins to attach together with her in a manner that’s not like another. Discovering out who her precise dad actually is and watching these recorded movies helps her actually perceive who she is and who her mom was, even how her mother actually felt about a few of Alex’s ‘life listing’ targets – it’s so stunning.
That’s the kind of stuff that you simply actually don’t see in motion pictures like this that always – least of all from someplace like Netflix that may generally drop a few of the most generic rom-coms of all time. It’s refreshing in the easiest way.
It Reminded Me Of My Personal Private Household Relationship – And I Love That
The largest motive I cherished this connection—and why it gained me over greater than the romance—is that it jogged my memory of my very own reference to my mom.
I’ve talked about my mother a few instances in a number of different articles about our shared experiences with motion pictures and such, like watching Carrie together with her or simply speaking about how grateful I used to be for her as a child. She’s nonetheless right here with us—and loving me simply as a lot as ever.
However what I believe The Life Listing does very well with this connection is that it feels actual. Whereas I do know that not everyone seems to be fortunate sufficient to have one of the best relationship with their household, I’m so fortunate that I’ve been lucky sufficient to expertise that. I’ve a loving father and a brother who drives me up the wall, however most significantly, a mom who was at all times there for me and would most likely do one thing very much like Elizabeth (Alex’s mom).
The second that actually cemented it, although, was when Alex got here into her mom’s room whereas she was recording one of many DVDs. She didn’t understand what Elizabeth was doing, however she hugged her and stated she cherished her. I genuinely acquired tremendous teary-eyed.
It’s these sorts of situations in life the place you by no means actually know what’s going on in somebody’s life, or if it’ll be the final time you see them, or regardless of the case. This jogged my memory a lot of my mom and I – and whereas it would sound a tad odd, I do hug her and inform her I really like her time and time once more after I go away the home as a result of I at all times need her to know.
I didn’t assume I’d really feel such a powerful connection to this film. Let’s not even get into the truth that the daughter’s title was Alex – I really feel like I see feminine characters in movies or TV who go by the title Alex like I do, and it was a delight.
Whereas the romance is cute—and the film has impressed others to take motion with their companions—I’ve been targeted much more on the mother-daughter emotions of all of it. Now, I really feel like I’ve to name my mother and inform her that I really like her. And when you really feel the identical, you’ll want to name your mother, too.