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Millennials get their Mrs. Robinson moment with “All That She Wants,” an age-gap romcom titled after the 1992 Ace of Base hit. If you remember listening to that song on a cassingle, it’s time to ask your doctor about
perimenopause. Professional dancer Emma (Annie Murphy) isn’t quite there yet, but in her early thirties, she’s feeling her age. Symptoms include baby fever, exacerbated by the pregnancy announcement of her sister Macy (Zosia Mamet), and an intolerance to her pompous, long-term but non-committal boyfriend Spencer (Finn Wittrock).
In the wake of her breakup, Emma meets an intriguing guy, Luke (Cooper Raiff), at a nightclub. A grad student, he’s about a decade younger than Emma, but his old soul is enchanted by her awkward manic pixie dream girl energy. Fueled by shots and undeniable chemistry, they fall into bed in his university dorm room. Here’s the twist: In the clarity of morning, Emma spots a few family photos and realizes she used to babysit four year-old Luke, whom she once referred to as “Lil Lukey.”
“Schitt’s Creek” writer David West Read penned this script specifically for Murphy, who won an Emmy for her performance in that acclaimed comedy series, and the film is built around the expressive physical humor that made her Alexis Rose so GIF-able. But “All That She Wants” gives Murphy an opportunity to demonstrate her dramatic chops too, in a role that requires Emma to grow over time, which is marked over a couple of years in jumps from May to December (LOL).
The film is co-directed by spouses Andrew Rhymer and (in her helming debut) Scarlett Bermingham, who previously worked on the 2019 wedding rom-com “Plus One” — Rhymer as co-writer and co-director, Bermingham as a supporting player. While the tone and look of “All That She Wants” starts out quite Netflix-y, it’s the characters and performances that elevate this to future comfort-watch territory.
In his own films as director-star, Raiff has made himself the go-to younger guy for age-gap romances. His college-set debut “Shithouse” was about the connection between a freshman and his sophomore resident advisor (Dylan Gelula); he followed that up with “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” playing a bar mitzvah party-starter flirting with an older single mom played by Dakota Johnson. However, Raiff is a far more appealing romantic lead under the guidance of a different directing team, with another writer’s script. This is his warmest and most charming turn yet — his edges buffed out in a good way.
While the former babysitter hiccup is ostensibly the obstacle for Emma and Charlie’s love story, Emma gets over it pretty quickly, and that speed bump is a little too contrived and minor. The biggest hurdle is Emma’s own brain. She’s hamstrung herself with the toxic perfectionism she inherited from her mother (Christine Baranski), and the expectations that she perceives other people have for her. The title “All that She Wants” might be a little cutesy (that needle-drop is both inevitable and highly anticipated), but it’s also apt. What exactly does Emma want for herself that has nothing to do with what other people have decided she should want?
Like the maneater protagonist of the song, what Emma wants is a baby — an actual human child —whether that’s considered feminist or not. She throws herself into a career change, but her desire for motherhood doesn’t abate, and she realizes that Luke might be an ideal sperm donor. He agrees because he wants to help, and to spend time with Emma. Within the confines of this transactional relationship, will Emma let herself love Luke? Or be loved by him?
Murphy and Raiff are well-matched. Emma’s manic, quirky energy might feel slightly out of date and a little over the top, but that’s what makes Luke adore her, and because we see her through his eyes, she’s perfectly adorkable. Luke grounds Emma, but ultimately, Emma grounds herself, through purpose and family. It’s satisfying seeing the journey that this character goes on to finding her own happiness, as much within herself as with others.
Rhymer and Bermingham’s solid direction lets the performances shine against a standard-issue, spit-shiny Toronto landscape. But “All That She Wants” is more about the script. Read kicks this tale off with a meet-cute and an unconventional relationship, but finds authentic emotion and real social issues to power the characters’ journeys forward. As the anecdotal data piles up — from cultural trend pieces, to pop culture, to movies like “Babygirl” and “I Want Your Sex” — it’s no surprise that the younger man-older woman dynamic has made its way to the romantic comedy. This time, “Mrs. Robinson” finds a different, more modern kind of happy ending.
