SPINSTER: Realistic Journey of Personal Discovery

Andrea Dorfman‘s Spinster follows Gaby (Chelsea Peretti) after her partner breaks up with her on her 39th birthday. It explores the typical concepts found in films about picking up the pieces after a  break up – joining the dating scene, awkward couples dinner parties – but deals more heavily with questioning the old-fashioned idea that being single is not respected as a choice.

Structure and Pace

Spinster’s use of seasons to separate the story works with the vignette style of its storytelling. Gaby’s life is broken up into pieces exploring different people’s expectations of where they think she needs to be and why she’ll regret her choices.

The film works well because each of the relationships in Gaby’s life gets the same level of importance and focus. There is never a moment in the film where I feel like one relationship takes over the focus of the film. This works well in establishing that Gaby’s relationship with herself is the most important, and all these other elements work to help her discover what is most important in her life.

Spinster thrives in capturing the life of a woman in her late 30s navigating interactions with her family, married friends, and the expectations that are hurled at her from every angle. Chelsea Peretti does a wonderful job creating a relatable character who does not lose her personality as she deals with the pressure to settle down and have kids.

In general, the structure works, but there were a few times when the jump to the next season comes at a point when the missed moments seem to skip over the development. Especially with Gaby’s relationship with her niece, I would have liked to see more of the times they spent together instead of feeling like they automatically jumped from spending one day together to being so close that neither wanted the arrangement to end.

Realism of Life as a Single Woman

Spinster reminds me of the connection I felt watching Wonderfalls, and how important it is to see characters experiencing the same pressure that single women deal with every day. Spinster might feel awkward in its comedy, but how easy it is to relate to these moments makes them land even better.

When Gaby attends a dinner party entirely filled with couples, the questions she’s asked and accusations lobbed at her are difficult to hear, but they bring more realism to the moment and the characters.

Some of the best moments deal with the awkwardness that comes with dating when everyone you know is already married, but Spinster’s focus on Gaby finding herself rather than a new relationship sets it apart from similar films.

Similar to other films in the genre, Gaby goes on a series of unsuccessful dates, and these moments offer Peretti another chance to showcase her comedic talents, but what sets this apart is the way the dates are shown. We never see the men she’s dating, which works well to show that the film is about her journey more than it’s about any romantic relationship she might find.

The design of each date is fun and bright, which pairs well with Peretti‘s performance and offers a nice juxtaposition with the quality of her dates.

The Importance of Friendship and Family

Spinster does a great job of balancing Gaby’s relationships with her friends and her family. I enjoyed the dynamic Gaby had with her friend Amanda (Susan Kent), but I would have liked to see a little more. I cared a little bit about them saving their friendship, but this would have been a more important aspect of the film if we had more insight into what their friendship was before Amanda got married and had kids.

Similarly, I liked seeing Gaby reconnect with her niece and spend time with her brother, Alex, but these relationships could have been given a little bit more time, so the reconciliations and understanding of each other felt that much more earned and important.

I enjoyed the family building and friendship moments of the film, but I was always left wanting more of either their current relationship or how their relationship was before the start of the film. With more insight into the past, we could appreciate Gaby’s journey back towards her friends and family.

One especially strong moment is seeing Amanda stand up for Gaby at the dinner party when she’s being told her dreams aren’t worth it. This is a great moment, but it could work even better if we had a glimpse into how close they were in the past.

Career over Kids

Spinster deals with Gaby’s decisions to follow her career over settling down and having kids. I like that she stands up for herself and follows her dreams instead of focusing on romances, but these dreams are not given enough focus within the film.

I never get the impression that food and cooking is this important aspect of Gaby’s character. I would have liked to see more of the passion she has for food, but there are only a few brief mentions of her interest such as her desire to open a restaurant that doesn’t try to hide the food and ingredients behind tiny drizzles of sauce.

Once the film picks up and shows glimpses into Gaby’s passion for cooking, her journey becomes more interesting to watch unfold.

Conclusion

Spinster is a relatable journey from recently broken up single to content and confident, yet still single. The film does a great job of showing the struggles single women experience from their friends, family, and strangers. Chelsea Peretti portrays Gaby with personality, humor, and realism.

Which films do you think accurately capture what it’s like to be single in your 30s? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Spinster releases August 7th on VOD. 

Watch Spinster