"Have you ever tried sleeping with a broken heart?" Well, if you have, then you understand the trials and triumphs of finding closure while still being in the trenches of heartbreak. And if you're looking for a super-cute, fun-loving romantic comedy to indulge in that speaks to this, then look no further than Netflix's latest release, Resort to Love.
Starring rom-com queen Christina Milian alongside love interests Sinqua Walls and Jay Pharoah with Alicia Keys serving as one of the film's producers, the story takes us on a rollercoaster ride full of shady antics, funny moments, and emotional mishaps. But it ultimately serves as reassurance on the importance of letting go of the past to make room for something new.
21Ninety caught up with Christina Milian ahead of the movie's recent release to discuss the commonalities of her character Erica and women finding the courage to choose themselves first, overcoming heartbreak, and how the film brings out the hopeless romantic in each of us.
Dontaira Terrell: What do you think the breakup with Jason taught Erica about herself and eventually about love?
Christina Milian : I think the ultimate thing Erica learned when it came to the breakup was that initially, she didn't have closure. She was on her right path; the way she was able to find closure in such an awkward situation eventually.
Although, she sometimes questioned, 'Was it worth me, really following my passion and following my dreams?' There's nothing wrong with following your dreams and your passion. You have to sometimes fulfill that to find the happiness within yourself. Things might not go the way that you want them to go, but at the end of the day, somehow, with keeping hope and keeping faith in the unexpected, sometimes, we find our answers there.
I think that's what really happens for Erica and even Jason and Bev and Caleb. Everybody has a story in this film that has heart that I think people actually confront in their lifetime.
DT: How did your character speak to women about being the hero or shero of their own story?
CM: Ooh, well, my character, in a lot of ways, didn't necessarily allow a man to stop her from fulfilling her dreams, but I don't think she even noticed at the moment. It opened her eyes to maybe in the future, I'll be a little better to the right person, but it has to be the right person. Jason wasn't necessarily the right person for her. She was still going to follow her dreams and make music no matter what.
Nothing's perfect in life. She might not have done all of the ideal things in the movie that you're supposed to do, but she did what was humanly possible for her. She unexpectedly runs into her ex-fiancé, and she wants answers as to why it didn't work out. It might've been a little shady how she's trying to figure out these answers behind his new fiancé's back. That's the only thing.
But at the end of the day, she has good intentions. It has nothing to do with the new fiancé. It has nothing even to do with Jason. She only wants answers as to why it didn't work out in the past so that she can move forward. And I think she does a good job of finding that out herself in the end.
DT: With your character Erica being a singer, if her life was summed up as a song, what would best fit and why?
CM: I wish I would have known this question before because I would have come up with a good answer! But I would have to say maybe initially it was "The Boy Is Mine." But afterward, I think, the outcome of really loving yourself is probably the most important thing when it comes to the song choice. Now I just have to think of what that song is.