A classic 2000’s romcom, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a heart-catching story about a magazine writer, Andie Anderson, and advertising executive, Benjamin Barry. Andie is writing an article where she dates a guy and drives him away in 10 days. Ben has a bet with his boss and rival coworkers that he can make any woman fall in love with him. If he can- he becomes in charge of the biggest account Warren Advertising has ever had. In an interesting coincidence; they both become the pawns in the other’s game.
Friendship Dynamics
The movie starts off with glimpses into both Andie and Ben’s lives. We begin to understand the characters and their connections with others. Andie has two friends, Michelle, and Janie. The dynamic of that trio is very natural and you can tell that they know each other well. This can be seen in the scene where both Andie and Janie notice that Michelle isn’t at work. They immediately know that she’s at home and they know exactly what to grab to cheer her up. Andie supports her and brings her to work, while Janie grabs coffee for all three of them. Throughout the rest of the movie they continue to have a very positive dynamic and Michelle and Janie help Andie with her scheming. Ben also has two friends, Tony and Schafer. They have a dynamic that is teasing but with an understanding that there is no harm meant by it. Similarly to Andie’s trio, the three support each other and provide advice. On the sixth day of Andie and Ben being together, it almost gets broken off but they both advise Ben and come up with a solution: couple’s therapy. As the movie goes on, you even get a glimpse of Andie’s dynamic with Tony and Schafer. When Andie shows up at Ben’s office, they treat each other nicely. Yet, they never really get to know her other than the few scenes they have together and what Ben tells them about her. Ben only talks to Andie’s friends near the end of the movie when he chases her down to ask about the article she published after they had a falling out.
Family Dynamics
A little over halfway through the movie, after a couples therapy session where Michelle posed as a therapist, Ben and Andie went to Staten Island to visit Ben’s family. During this part of the movie, we get to see Ben’s dynamic with his family. While we don’t really learn anything about Andie’s family or her dynamic with them, in one specific scene we get a one-line hint as to Andie’s possible dynamic with her mom. After Andie played a card game with Ben’s family and won, Ben’s mom hugged her. In a scene not long after, Andie got teared up about the fact that Ben’s mom hugged her for that. This insinuates that Andie might not have a good relationship with her mom. It is likely that her mom had high expectations of her and would never hug her for something as simple as winning a card game. Ben, however, you can tell he has a good relationship with his family and they have a very positive dynamic. They’re all very comfortable making jokes with each other and being themselves. In all the scenes we see with Ben and his family, someone is smiling or laughing.
Romantic Dynamics
Throughout the movie, there are at least 3 romantic relationships mentioned. Andie and Ben, Michelle and her ex Mike, and the owners of 70% of the world’s diamonds, Mr and Mrs. DeLaur. We get to see a lot of Andie and Ben’s dynamic due to them being the main characters. When they first met, they seemed to have a quiet understanding of each other, and spoke in one-word sentences before leaving the bar where they met to get something to eat. When they’re at the restaurant and eating their food, they ask each other questions and make jokes with each other. Whether it be due to their natural dynamic or due to their ulterior motives, they have wonderful chemistry right off the bat. While after that first night they were only focused on achieving their goal, over time that changed as it so often does. The next days after that, Andie used a bunch of cliche things women do that end with their partner leaving them. She asked him to get her a drink that caused him to miss the last tie-breaking minute of a basketball game, she put a bunch of girlie pink stuff in his apartment, she called him when he was at work, interrupted his boy’s night, and pretended she didn’t eat meat after he spent hours cooking a lamb, among other things. Their dynamic at this point was mainly artificial on Andie’s side of it, since she was acting in ways she doesn’t normally. After the aforementioned day six where they almost broke up, in the elevator leaving Ben’s apartment, Andie looks disappointed, almost sad. This shows how she has unknowingly changed how she views Ben, that she doesn’t want to drive him away. During and after their trip to Staten Island, things changed. While you don’t necessarily see a change in their dynamic, you can feel how they actually care for each other at that point. Andie doesn’t do anything crazy during their trip, so every scene where they’re laughing together and having a great dynamic is in no way artificial on either side. At the end of the movie, after the necessary reveal of both of their lies, they are joking with each other and as in love as ever.
