How to Be Single

Filmmaker Christian Ditter's How to Be Single—centering on women seeking love and self-realization in New York City—is a celebration of sisterhood in which most of the male characters are either dirtbags or dishrags. Mousy Alice (Dakota Johnson), who is in a trial separation from her longtime college boyfriend (she wants to live independently for awhile to prove to herself that they are truly soul mates)—heads for the Big Apple, where she moves in with her older sister (Leslie Mann), an OB/GYN completely devoted to her job until an encounter with a darling infant abruptly convinces her that she wants one of her own, and a search for a sperm donor ensues. Meanwhile, Alice falls in with Robin (Rebel Wilson), an irrepressibly raunchy co-worker who mentors her in how to live as a single girl, which translates to endless rounds of partying and one-night stands, including a quickie with a bartender (Anders Holm)—a charming cad who is obsessed, at least for the moment, with avoiding commitment. Thus begins a quasi-romantic roundelay which ends with each of the sisters being pursued by two men. How to Be Single aims to make a statement about women learning to not just survive but also flourish without giving in to conventional relationship expectations. But it embraces so many sitcom clichés that any deeper message is lost in the shuffle. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “Rebel Wilson Outtakes” with the costar (8 min.), the production segments “The Best Idea Wins!: The Humor” (6 min.), “The Pros and Cons” (5 min.), and “Rebel Rabble: A Look at Rebel Wilson” (4 min.), as well as a gag reel (2 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a formulaic comedy.] (F. Swietek)