Pursuing an artistic career in your mid to late 20s can be alonely, alienating, and painful endeavor. Usually, this is regarded as a transitional time in one’s life, when people trade in the idealistic fantasies of their future that they may still be holding on to from their youth in exchange fora more realistic and grounded approachto the next stage of life.Dreams are often left in the rearview mirror, with people instead opting for more sensible job and lifestyle choices as they prepare for their 30s. For many,careers are advanced, homes are purchased, and families are started—but for those of us still chasing a dream, specifically an artistic one, we tend to be a little late to many of those life milestones. As someone who, somewhat reluctantly, belongs to the group of delusional idealists who are still simultaneously holding on to a dream and a fear of becoming an actual adult,I have never found a character in film I relate to morethan Frances Halladay(Greta Gerwig) inNoah Baumbach’sFrances Ha.
‘Frances Ha’s Portrayal of Being Lost in Your 20s Is as Truthful as Any Film Ever
Despite being released over a decade ago,Frances Hais as resonant for twentysomethings todayas it was when it first hit theaters. The story the film tells, of a 27-year-old woman living in New York City facing very 27-year-old-type problems,is a simple one.But theBaumbach and Gerwigco-penned screenplay is littered with so many thoughtful insights into the human experience throughout. There is so much lived-in truth brought to the story that, at certain points, what you’re watching feels less like a film andmore like a memory of a moment you never actually experienced. As time goes on, it will remain a movie thatspeaks to those who are feeling lost in their 20s, regardless of which generation they belong to.
In the film, Frances isan apprentice dancer in a small company; her days are filled with rehearsals and teaching ballet to children on the side. Her nights are filled with parties and traversing the city with her best friend and roommate Sophie (Mickey Summer).Early on, we are introduced to the pair’s strong bond.After Frances' breakup with a boyfriend—which is at least partially a result of her reluctance to move in with him due to her commitment to living with Sophie—we seethe two party together in Manhattanbefore drunkenlytraveling back to their Brooklyn apartment.It is the type of night that anyone who has lived in NYC in their 20s, including myself, is all too familiar with.
When the friends return home, they share a cigarette by their apartment window before Frances asks Sophie to tell her “the story of us.” The viewer then listens asFrances and Sophie, best friends since college,recite a vision for their collective future that they clearly have dreamed about many times before. They are thetype of dreams that one brings with them to a big city in their early 20s—Frances will be a famous modern dancer, and Sophie will be a high-powered publishing mogul. They will co-own a vacation apartment in Paris,have lovers, but no children,and receive countless honorary degrees from prestigious universities. Quickly after these opening moments, though, the film shows us how the realities of life that arise whileliving in your 20s, as well as the separate tracks you and your friends find yourselves on, cancause these dreams to disappear.
‘Frances Ha’ Portrays the Late-20s Malaise
Frances Haworks as a film, in part, because itunderstands the near-universal phenomenon that takes place between the ages of 25 and 30. Having successfully maneuvered through the inevitable post-college malaise, young people around this age—for better or worse—begin to see the outline of the rest of their lives in a way that,for the first time, feels credible. It is a time when people firmly entrench themselves in the career path that may last until retirement and find the romantic partner they plan to be with forever.And as you inch closer to 30,the 3 AM nights at the bar start to occur less often, close friends don’t see each other as much,and responsibilities that didn’t really exist a few years ago begin popping upall over the place.
These ideas are illustrated in the film through thecomplications that begin to occur in Frances and Sophie’s friendship. Sophie confesses she is moving into a nicer apartment—one Frances can’t afford. The guy Sophie is seeing goes from acasual hookup that she and Frances often mock to a serious partner.The two begin to see less and less of each other. It all feels so earnest and true to life because these are things that can, and do, happen in your 20s, especially whenone friend is advancing in life more speedily and the other is stuck chasing a dream.
Frances’ Journey Is an Exploration of the Loneliness That Comes With Pursuing a Dream
Frances Hadoes a tremendous job ofshowing how friendship dynamics change and become more complicatedas we age. The version of Frances and Sophie’s friendship shown in the film’s opening moments likely resembles what it looked like during their college years or when they first moved to NYC together. As the friendship becomes more fraught, though, it is clear that the nowHollywood power couple behind the script, Baumbach and Gerwig, understood the idea that the facade of sameness that exists between friends during collegequickly begins to fade once they enter the real world, especially when varying levels of money and success are involved. In fact, this exact idea was vocalized inBaumbach’s debut film,Kicking and Screaming, which centers on a group of friends in the year aftergraduating from college. At one point in the film, in a moment of clarity,Josh Hamilton’s character says to his friend, “Since graduation, I’m poor and you’re rich.We are no longer equal.”
Much of the journey that we see Frances go through is defined by her pursuit of an artistic dream: to become a dancer.It is the pursuit of this dream that causes her and Sophie to no longer be equals. As someone who has spent much of his 20s living in NYC attempting to earn a living as a writer, I understand how chasing a dream, and making the sacrifices that come along with that,cancreate distance from those around you. Sometimes this distance is real and tangible, like in the case of Frances not being able to move into a nicer apartment with Sophiebecause she doesn’t have the money to.Other times, it can be more of a perceived or self-imposed distance, such as a feeling of insecurity whenwatching those close to you advance more rapidly in their chosen professions,leading them to reach certain significant life milestones before you.
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As viewers, we watch as Frances' commitment to her dream causes her to go from living in an apartment to subletting a room to briefly living with her parents, and even living in a dorm after she takes upa job as an RA at the college she once attended.It’s made clear howthis journey is alienating her from her peersand causing her to feel like she is failing to keep up with them. It leads to moments like the one in which she attempts to pay with a debit card while on a date withAdam Driver’s character before being told by the waitress that the restaurant only accepts cash or credit cards. “I’m so embarrassed; I’m not a real person yet,” Frances replies. Personally, I can relate to this moment as I have found myself in many situations that cause me to wonder, “When did everyone become a real person all of a sudden?”
For as muchpain, awkwardness, and second-hand embarrassment that comes with watching what Frances goes throughinFrances Ha, the film can also be oddly reassuring. It serves as a reminder to anyone who has ever chased a dream thatthey are not alone. And in the closing moments,when Frances doesn’t necessarily give up on her dreambut finds true happiness by embracing an alternate route in life, we are left with the optimism thatthere is a path out there for everyone.
Frances Hais available to stream on AMC+ in the U.S.
Frances Ha
Frances Ha follows an aspiring dancer living in New York City as she navigates friendships, career aspirations, and her identity. Facing numerous challenges to achieve her dreams, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that delves into the complexities of modern life’s personal and professional intersections.
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