How to be Single

I shouldn't have to watch a film about how to be single, considering I've basically been single my whole twenty-six years, save about a month, and have perfected my independence enjoying the moments that are not fleeing for me, reading like a nerd. It's not like I get many opportunities, unlike Alice (Dakota Johnson). She has a great boyfriend, Josh (Nicholas Braun, who needs more roles in Hollywood) but decides that they should take a break as she's never been single and wants to experience what that is like for a little while, despite quickly regretting it when Josh moves on before her.
Fortunately, Alice meets wild party girl Robin (Rebel Wilson) who love being single and having one-night stands with randoms. She isn't ashamed of her lifestyle. And even introduces Alice to bartender Tom (Anders Holm) who is a afraid of a permanent relationship while one of his regulars, Lucy (Alison Brie) wants nothing more in the world to get married and is awkward about it, carrying a wedding planning book on her person at all times.
The last main character is Alice's level-headed career minded older sister, Meg (Leslie Mann) who likes focusing on her career until she is forced to hold a patient's baby and falls in love and decides to use donated sperm to have a baby.
This film follows the characters over the course of a year and a half, with Alice struggling to get over Josh and her failed relationship with the widower David (Damon Wayans, Jr.) who doesn't talk about his late wife. And though Lucy might have feelings for Tom, he realizes that he does also too late as she is already engaged to the awkward George (Jason Mantzoukas), leaving him alone but willing to be open to something permanent. Robin still loves her single lifestyle and Alice finally accomplishes one of her dreams, hiking the Grand Canyon on New Year's Eve, which must be truly amazing.
Meg has a baby and even accepts the love of the younger Ken (Jake Lacy) despite herself trying to sabotage the relationship as she never even told him that she had IVF, but she is in a happy, secure relationship because she wants to be, not because she needs to be, which is how all relationships should be.
Now, while the film had some good qualities, including my surprise that Lucy and Tom don't end up together when they should, the guys are all pretty decent, honest and up front with the women in their lives. But it shows how people can change, if they meet the right person. I have to hope that real life works like that.
Mechanically, the film works pretty well, though Lucy's story doesn't fit in well with that of Alice, Robin and Meg, yet, steady performances anchor the film.
However, the problem I have in general is that all the women are too willing to just hop into bed with people they barely know, which isn't realistic or typical. It causes men to think that sex is guaranteed without so much as a conversation about it first. And it's a shame, as this film is pretty good, though it isn't funny, but I liked it anyway. Grade: B