🎥 | St. Swithin’s Day AKA “One Day”

Revisited this classic romance film on July 15th this year…mainly to succumb to emotional nostalgia. This was a typical watch-on-your-own, tears and disbelief type of movie. In short, I wanted to cry. Most of all, I want to be reminded to never take things for granted or wait for the “perfect time.”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The movie revolves around two characters, Emma and Dexter, who dance around time – in particular, one day of the year: July 15. July 15 according to Dexter was St. Swithin’s Day…where, “if on St. Swithin’s Day, it doth rain, something, something, something remains.” As each year passes, we witness their relationship transform, dissipate, evolve, times where one or both characters were romantically unavailable, yet, pining for each other. It takes on a slow pace resembling a dream, maybe it does closely resemble dreams…

In the 20 years of their love journey, Emma and Dexter were in love with each other but it seems there is always something happening with their lives that prevented them from wholly pursuing this romance.

In some ways, I relate to Emma’s character. She’s a writer, but she didn’t begin that way. After graduating college, she ended up “making ends meet.” Which, I recognize within myself. I, too, would like to write. Perhaps not novels, but short stories or articles. But that’s beside the point…

These characters were undeniably boring, especially when we view their lives within the span of July 15th every year. But they are so relatable. So much so that as the film progresses, you can’t help but empathize some form of mirror they are projecting at certain points in their lives. While I was not a fan of Dexter, it was also undeniable that their love for each other was genuine.

Maybe that’s why it hurts to watch this…and rewatch it. But maybe like me, that’s your motivation – you want to be reminded that these characters could be you. Maybe it is you. You could wait for that One Day to give yourself permission to live fully and be vulnerable to some form of love, one way or another. Or maybe not? Which is fine, either way.

It just made me think: If I am lucky enough to meet someone I am so sure of, I do not want to wait…I would want to take that leap of faith, however scary to let them know. And I get it, both parties have to be prepared – and we see that with Dexter, when they take a trip to France. At the beach, when the two characters were skinny dipping, there was a moment when they could have spoken vulnerably on where they both stand. Alas, life isn’t perfect…which is the main theme of this story.

Even musing about this, I just have to…there was a lot to unpack. Not counting the tears.

Let me end it with what Emma says:

Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ve had today.

Emma Morley, One Day (2011)

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I hope you had a great St. Swithin’s Day.