“One Day” was adapted for the big screen by Nicholls himself and he did a very bad job. The film, helmed by female Danish director Lone Scherfig (best known for the acclaimed “An Education”), drags a lot and becomes very cumbersome viewing. It starts on July 15, 1988 when Em (Anne) and Dexter (Jim) meet after graduating from college. Em is a poor working class girl who dreams of being a famous writer. Dexter is from a rich family and is happy go lucky. They spend the night in bed in Em’s flat, but they don’t have sex.
The movie is a chronicle of what happens in their lives for the next 20 years every July 15, which is St. Swithun’Day in Britain, the equivalent of their Ground Hog Day where events are repeated, so the film’s ending will make use of this. (But it’s no “Same Time Next Year” or “When Harry Meets Sally”. Em becomes a waitress but ultimately achieves her dream of being a Paris-based writer. Dexter becomes a TV host but fails to sustain his career, gets married, but fails to sustain his marriage.
Because of the very nature of the material, the storytelling is very episodic and the narrative flow seems like a bad and disjointed abbreviation of its original source material. We cannot totally relate with the lead characters, aggravated by the fact that there’s very little chemistry between Anne and Jim. As such, the film just drags on and on and becomes very tedious viewing after a while.
Anne is not totally credible as the dorky Emma who wears glasses and combat boots. Jim comes out more appealing as the carefree Dexter and gives a more nuanced performance since his character is better written especially his concern for his dying mom (Patricia Clarkson.) All in all, it’s a boring romance movie.