Pride and Prejudice: A Perfect "Ten" Love Story

Richard Pho

Mr. George

Honors World Literature

2 March 2011

A Perfect “Ten” Love Story

            Does society measure love by rating males and females on a scale from one to ten?  What really makes a love story is the conflict between two people, trying to resolve their differences for love.  The 2010 romantic comedy, She’s Out of My League, depicts an average man meeting a perfect female.  The diffident protagonist, Kirk, listens to his friends and family for advice.  Unknowingly, the female, Molly, mimics his actions.  Through the love story, two very different people gradually develop a relationship through social adversity.

            In order for a relationship to occur, Kirk and Molly need to overcome their differences.  Kirk is an average “five” male that works in an airport, has a psycho ex-girlfriend, and a crazy family.  Molly is a hard “ten” female that works as an event planner, is rich, and appears to be perfect.  The film commences with Molly falling for the average man, Kirk.  To his astonishment, he cannot comprehend why someone like Molly would like him.  In fact, everyone is baffled by their liaison.  One would not suspect a relationship because of society’s supposition of Kirk and Molly,.  Kirk’s low self-esteem aids him in creating many scenarios about why this relationship would not work out.  He constantly talks to his friends about the implacable situation he is in.   Kirk does not think a relationship between them could ever work because she exceeds his own expectations.  From Molly’s perspective, Kirk is perfect.  Coming out of an awful relationship with her ex-boyfriend Cam, she does not want to experience emotional pain ever again.  From her exterior, everyone would not believe Molly and Kirk are meant to be.  She must proves her true personality, so people do not judge her as a stereotype that only dates men that are rated a “nine” or “ten”.   Both Kirk and Molly resemble flat characters, seeing as they must overcome each others’ differences in order to develop true personas. 

            Throughout the film, Molly take numerous risks to induce a relationship.  Stainer and Patty are respectively Kirk and Molly’s best friends.  Stainer and Patty give each of their friends the same advice.  Stainer tells Kirk that he cannot be with Molly because socially, she trumps him.  Patty tells Molly that she cannot be with Kirk because she is just using him to not feel hurt again.  While shopping for new clothes, Patty questions Molly about her decision to go on a date with Kirk.  During the date, Patty calls Molly, but Molly does not answer; regardless of Molly’s perfect “ten” ex-boyfriend showing up, she still likes Kirk.  Molly demonstrates to society, and the audience, that she can like whomever she desires.  Just because she is highly attractive does not mean she cannot still fall for the average male. 

Regardless of Molly’s disposition toward Kirk, Kirk pushes her away, allowing Molly to demonstrate her true feelings for him.  Cam and Kirk both work in the airline business, except Kirk is paltry compared to Cam because Cam is a pilot, whereas Kirk solely works as a luggage inspector. Their corresponding occupations parallel their social statuses.  Kirk’s diffidence kicks in as he infuriates Molly.  Near the end, Kirk attempts to find flaws with Molly, knowing that she is self-conscious about her appearance.  Molly’s true colors show as she tells Kirk that he is a perfect “ten” in her eyes, and that should be all that matters.  The flat characters seem to always be pushing the other away, but in the end, they end up being together.

            The climax of a love story always resolves a predicament, causing the reader to feel good in the end.  Kirk’s married friend, Devon, laconically gives Kirk advice: “So, Kirky, let me tell you something, if Molly is the right girl, that's all that matters. You just, you stand up. You stand up. You get in front of her. You get right in her grill and you say, ‘Hey, I am Kirk Kettner, and I am right here, standing in front of you... right here. Here I am.’” (She’s Out of My League).  Devon penetrates through Kirk’s low self-esteem, causing Kirk to realize that he is a great person, and he should be with someone that he deserves.  When Kirk gets back with Marnie, Stainer and Patty realize that they have been pushing away a great relationship between Kirk and Molly.  They end up working together to get Kirk and Molly back together. The audience feels good in the end because Kirk and Molly end up being together, and realizing they are perfect “tens” in each others’ eyes.  The good people end up being rewarded, leaving the bad people with nothing.  In the end, Marnie is screwed because she does not have Kirk or her ex-boyfriend.  Through all of their differences, Kirk and Molly end up being perfect for each other.

Resembling the outline of a romance, two flat characters overcome their differences and create a relationship that the audience assents to.  The flat characters, Kirk and Molly, oscillate back and forth between each other, until they are brought together by their common misunderstanding.  The whole movie revolves around the idea of rating people on a scale of one through ten.  Society can deduct as many points as it wants, but all that matters is that Kirk and Molly attain felicity with one another.  Just like all romances, society would give that a perfect “ten”.