The media spends pages upon pages in both print an on the web describing how women can or can't have it all. We have people saying you can't, that you can, and also dictating to us why or why we shouldn't care about having it all.
There are plenty of us who don't even know what we want to have for lunch, so deciding not only how but if we want to "have it all" (and what the hell that even looks like) isn't really at the top of our to-do lists.
Alternatively, there are already thousands and thousands of women out there trying to achieve what that idealic "all" looks like for them. For a lot of women it looks something like: job, long-term partner, children, social life - all whilst looking marvelous and being of a "certain weight".
The book I Don't Know How She Does It tells the story of Kate Reddy, who juggles the demands of children, husband, work and her own sanity. The book, published in 2002, has sold over four million copies and has been described as "smart", "witty", "sharp" and a bunch of other clever adjective. So, naturally, the books has been turned in to a film starring Sarah Jessica Parker as Kate Reddy, a finance executive, the breadwinner for her family, and a mother of two. Parker's boss is played by Kelsey Grammer, her husband by Greg Kinnear, in addition to roles played by Christina Hendricks and Pierce Brosnan.
The film is "star studded", yes, but is also features plenty of asides to the audience, as well as Carrie-esque voice-overs, so people have been quick to dub Kate as Carrie 2.0. However, from the trailer, bar the Mulberry bag, Kate doesn't seem to be Carrie. (If anything, she's more of a Miranda....) Sex and the City comparisons aside, I must admit that I Don't Know How She Does It look funny. It looks entertaining, witty, and maybe, just maybe, Kate's story will resonate with women, and will depict working mothers in a way that isn't too preachy, condescending or even insulting.
Take a look at the trailer and let us know what you think!