Romantic comedies are my comfort food, even if my own beliefs on romance and love are a bit jaded. The warmth of a silly rom-com can improve my whole day. Additionally, some of the best romantic comedies of all-time are some of my favorite movies. Therefore, I was extremely excited to watch You, Me, & Tuscany.
Halle Bailey’s charm blew me away in The Little Mermaid, and Regé-Jean Page was very sexy and charismatic on Bridgerton. I knew they would bring rom-com gold in You, Me, & Tuscany. Additionally, I always want to support Black-led romantic comedies, because we need more of them.
It was a fun and delightful romantic comedy, but it was surprisingly empowering as well.
Warning: You, Me, and Tuscany spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
You, Me & Tuscany Is Also Anna's Love Story With Italy
Anna (Halle Bailey) hops on a plane to Italy because she saw an opportunity. She didn’t do it to chase a man. While there, Anna discovers it is the place that has been calling her heart. Sometimes our homes are not where we’re born but where we’re reborn. It’s the places where we most feel like we belong.
Anna feels this way in Tuscany. The decision to travel there proves to be one of her best and smartest decisions because her life begins to change. She gains confidence, starts to cook again, finds a great support system, and falls in love.
You, Me, & Tuscany feels like a women's empowerment movie, but not in the traditional way. It also made me wonder how many other romantic comedies skew in this direction. We see women change in rom-coms, but sometimes it’s just to impress a man. Anna’s change came from within and had nothing to do with Michael (Regé-Jean Page). Her falling for him is almost a side effect of coming into her own in this new place.
Romantic love is a result of her learning to love herself again, and create a life she loves.
I Appreciate That Her Being Behind In Life Was Because Of Tragedy, Not Just Lack Of Motivation
In some ways, You, Me, & Tuscany is a movie about mourning. It’s not as profound as some of the other movies on that topic, but you feel it in the movie’s DNA. Anna’s life is in arrested development because she made the sacrifice to put her life on hold to take care of her mother. This then led to her giving up her dreams.
She became a visitor in other people’s lives, without growing or expanding her own. Anna is also still grieving her mother because she is not fully living the life her mother wanted for her.
Some movies show characters like Anna in a judgmental way. They don’t explore the circumstances or mental tolls that led to them not fulfilling their full potential. I never viewed Anna as a loser character or someone who can’t get their life together.
She was always a grieving daughter who still misses her mother. Anna is treated with care, concern, and compassion by You, Me, & Tuscany screenwriter, Ryan Engle. It’s because of her mother’s death that the film feels more enriched and kind. It’s never a romantic comedy that cracks jokes at Anna’s expense. It lets her find her way without judgment.
You, Me, & Tuscany’s gentle approach to Anna may also have been because it is directed by a woman, Kat Coiro. I hope more of the upcoming movies directed by women are just as kind to their female leads.
The Film Is Very Much A Found Family Movie As Well As A Rom-Com
The found family trope is also quickly becoming one of my favorites. We need more movies celebrating unconventional families. You, Me, & Tuscany is a lot like one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping. That movie involves Sandra Bullock’s Lucy bonding with the family of her fake fiancé. Adding a family dynamic element to a rom-com often endears it to me.
Lucy falls in love with this family, and Anna does the same. These people embrace her, encourage her, and make her feel welcome. After losing her mother, having such a welcoming family likely really helps Anna get more comfortable with her grief. She will always miss her mother, but now she may have a family to give her some of the love and support she lost.
Anna's Story Isn't Completely Filtered Through A Black Lens, But I Think The Little Nods To Black Culture Make It Better
Color-blind casting is fine. However, I prefer when TV shows and movies make sure to adjust the film to the character’s ethnicity and race. Anna complains about her roots getting messed up because of the rain. Regè-Jean Page had to suffer for the rain scene, but Halle Bailey’s edges didn’t need that fate.
You, Me, & Tuscany is an important movie because it has two Black leads. It’s rare to see a mainstream romantic comedy with one Black lead; we see two even less. Films like this open the door for more films starring Black people. Representation matters. It helps open the door for future generations to feel seen and embraced by society and pop culture.
You, Me, & Tuscany didn’t have major box office success, however, if the movie does well when it becomes available on a major streaming service, it could still be considered a success. This could help encourage more studios to support Black-led romantic comedies. I hope it does really well when it’s on your favorite streaming services. We need more Black joy movies.
You, Me & Tuscany's Happy Ending Is Anna And Michael Getting Together, But Also Her Career Dreams Coming True
Anna and Michael are together by the end of You, Me, & Tuscany. However, the focus is more on her helping with the family’s restaurant, surrounded by her new family. She gets her happy ending, but it’s not just about Michael and her dating. A huge part of it is the fact that her original dream has come true. She is a successful, talented chef in Tuscany.
She created a life that would make her mother proud. The guy is a part of the dream, but not the dream. It leaves the film on an empowering note that many women and girls can take inspiration from. It’s bellissimo.
Rent or buy You, Me, and Tuscany on Amazon.
