3 Things You Should Know about Someone Like You
- Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
- Updated Apr 08, 2024
Andi is an optimistic, cheerful young woman with a bright future. She has a new job at the zoo that could become a career. She has a serious boyfriend who could be her future husband.
Back home, she has a mother, father, and sister who have supported her every step of the way.
Her upbeat life, though, is about to take a turn. It begins when a strange young man visits her at work and claims he has news about a long-lost biological sister she never knew. It's not the only shocking news for Andi: He also tells her she was adopted.
"You definitely have the wrong person," she responds. "I'm not adopted."
But upon investigation, Andi learns she was adopted. Her parents tell her that she was the product of in vitro fertilization from another couple and was transferred, as an embryo, from her biological parents to the only parents she's known. Her adoptive mom carried her to term.
They apologize to Andi for not telling her sooner, but she doesn't care.
"The only person in this world who's been honest with me is a stranger who I met at the zoo," she tells them.
Shocked by the news, Andi leaves her family and drives to another state in a quest to discover more about her past.
The movie Someone Like You (PG) tells the story of Andi, who soon befriends the stranger (Dawson) and learns that her biological sister (London) was recently killed in a tragic accident. Andi sets out to visit her biological parents to learn more about the family she never met. There, she also finds love.
Here are three things you should know about the film:
Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.
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![Someone Like You Movie]()
1. It's Based on a Karen Kingsbury Novel
Slide 1 of 3The film is based on a novel of the same name by bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, who funded the project under her new company, Karen Kingsbury Productions.
"Really the only way to tell the story that's in my heart and in my head is to do it ourselves," Kingsbury told Crosswalk. "And so that's what this is."
It stars names and faces you know: Sarah Fisher (Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, Degrassi: The Next Generation, A Harvest Homecoming), Jake Allyn (The Baxters, The Quad), Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Robyn Lively (Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Letters to God, The Karate Kid Part III) and Bart Johnson (High School Musical series, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters).
"It's a story of reconciliation and redemption," Kingsbury said. "Forgiveness is hard. And this is a movie that shows it's possible. And also that even if you've been through the greatest loss, if you can keep your eyes up, you're gonna be okay."
Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.
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![Someone Like You]()
2. It's about Adoption, Heartache, and Grief
Slide 2 of 3The film opens with the story of Dawson and London, who we learn grew up together as friends but never dated. Dawson, though, is falling in love with her, and just as the two are set to have their first date, London dies in a tragic accident. When Dawson learns that London had a biological sibling she never knew, he sets out to find that person -- he doesn't know if it's a man or woman -- in order to tell them the news of London's death.
Andi's quest lands her in the hometown of her biological parents, who invite her and Dawson over for a meal but -- simultaneously -- affirm the love of her adoptive parents and encourage her to return to her mom and dad. ("She carried you. She gave birth to you"). Dawson does, too. Meanwhile, Andi asks Dawson to take her to the places that London enjoyed -- the restaurant, the local theater, the lake. Andi and Dawson don't set out to fall in love, but, of course, they do.
The story is painful at times, most significantly when Andi says her life was "built on a lie." (It's worth noting: The overwhelming majority of adoptive parents in the real world are open with their adoptive children about their past.)
London's parents are grieving the loss of their daughter. Dawson is grieving the loss of his best friend. Andi is facing heartache, too, but for different reasons. A subplot is the health of Andi's biological mom, who undergoes dialysis and needs a kidney transplant. (London, who was a match, was set to donate her kidney when she died.)
Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.
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![Someone Like You]()
3. It's about Love, Faith, and Reconciliation
Slide 3 of 3The film begins with a quote: "C.S. Lewis said if you're going to love deeply, you're going to get hurt badly -- but it's still worth it." Faith is woven into this love story and, thankfully, seems natural, not forced. Although Dawson takes faith seriously, we learn that his first love, London, rejected God and didn't attend church. Andi, though, is just the opposite. (She volunteers to pray over the meal at her biological parents' home.)
Someone Like You offers movie buffs a rare experience: a well-made romantic film that promotes love while implicitly promoting chastity, too. (Dawson and Andi kiss at the end, but that's it.) Just as important, Andi reconciles with her adoptive family.
Actress Sarah Fisher, who stars as both London and Andi, is outstanding. (With different hairstyles and hair colors, she looks like a different person in each role.)
The film is the first Karen Kingsbury film to be given a wide, extended release. I suspect fans of her books will be pleased.
Rated PG for thematic material. The film contains no coarse language or sexuality. (We do see London in midriff-baring shirts.) It contains one tragic scene of death.
Related Resource: ‘Great American’ CEO Bill Abbott Reveals Network's Faith-Centric Mission
In this episode of the Crosswalk Talk podcast, Bill Abbott reflects on the genesis of the family-friendly platform and its mission to offer programming that promotes faith, family, and country. "We are just 100 percent focused and relentless about being a reliable destination that families can feel comfortable watching," he said. Listen in to hear more!
Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.
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