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A Little Romance
Movie

A Little Romance

1997 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Anne Kidwell is a sexy, free spirit and independent clothing designer who works hard and plays harder. She meets her match in photographer and serial bachelor Nick Evans. Both of them turn up the personal fires, but neither can commit.

Overall Series Review

The film focuses on the romantic travails of two white, urban professionals, Anne Kidwell (a clothing designer) and Nick Evans (a photographer), who struggle with a mutual fear of commitment. The narrative is a conventional romantic comedy from the mid-1990s, centering entirely on personal, secular relationship dynamics rather than any broader societal or political themes. There is no evidence of commentary on race, class, Western civilization, or religion. The female lead is professionally independent, a common feature in 90s cinema, but the primary conflict is the male lead's effort to overcome his womanizing and commit. The film presents a normative structure for romance and is completely unconcerned with progressive ideology.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The film centers on two successful, white, urban-professional characters and their relationship issues. The narrative is entirely colorblind, focusing on universal romantic themes like commitment and fear of intimacy. Race, immutable characteristics, and systemic oppression are not discussed, and the casting is simply meritocratic within the context of a conventional Hollywood rom-com.

Oikophobia1/10

The setting is contemporary American society, which is neither critiqued nor celebrated. The plot confines itself to the internal relationship struggles of the protagonists. There is no commentary on Western civilization, no demonization of Western ancestors, and no depiction of external cultures as morally superior. The focus is on a private, domestic struggle.

Feminism3/10

The female protagonist, Anne Kidwell, is an 'independent clothing designer' and 'free spirit,' which aligns with the professional 'Girl Boss' trope, finding her fulfillment in a demanding career. However, the male protagonist, Nick Evans, is portrayed as a 'serial bachelor' who must learn to 'take a stab at commitment,' giving him the core character arc. Masculinity is not completely emasculated, and motherhood/anti-natalism is not a central theme, keeping the score low-mid range as a product of its time.

LGBTQ+1/10

The core relationship structure is a traditional male-female pairing, and the central conflict is the classic romantic problem of commitment. There are no mentions or centering of alternative sexualities, gender ideology, or deconstruction of the nuclear family. The presentation is entirely heteronormative by default for a 90s romantic comedy.

Anti-Theism2/10

The movie is purely a secular exploration of commitment and romance. It is not hostile toward religion, nor does it portray Christian characters as bigots or villains, as it does not engage with religion at all. Morality is implied by the goal of mutual commitment, which is an objective relationship goal, not a call for moral relativism. The low score reflects its neutral, non-theistic setting.