Confessions of a Shopaholic

Have you ever walked into a store and seen something that you just HAD to have? In Confessions of a Shopaholic, Isla Fisher plays Rebecca Bloomwood, a young writer with a passion for Prada. With excellent style and taste, Rebecca embodies an exaggerated version of many women today who have a fetish for shopping. Although not all women today would tackle a woman in store for a pair of boots, some would. And although not all women today are thousands of dollars in debt for their shopping sprees, some are. This comedy makes light an issue that may be becoming a more real issue each day as our economy begins to struggle. Although scripted as a simple, entertaining film, Confessions of a Shopaholic may contain more lessons than were originally intended.

Rebecca spends most of the movie running from a debt collector, purchasing more and more clothes, writing magazine articles, lying to cover up her apparent disorder. Although each of these things may seem unrealistic, today we see a greater need to save money and bridle our natural instinct to buy the things we want before we buy the things we need. At the end Rebecca learns the importance of frugality and tries to help others see the light as well.

The movie certainly does fulfill its overall goal of entertainment. It has witty lines, ridiculous situations, and lots of laughter. It pokes fun at brand name junkies by creating a character like Rebecca who is absolutely obsessed with anything Coach, Gucci, etc. However, at the same time, Rebecca is not dumb. She is intelligent and works a revered job as a journalist for a large savings magazine, the irony. She does not lack in smarts, but allows her potential to take backseat to her impulse to shop.

The characters are colorful and engaging, although somewhat two dimensional. Rebecca changes throughout the story, but her boss and romantic interest, falls short in this regard. She develops an interest in him upon first meeting him and he never seems to be completely smitten by her. It is more of a childhood crush, or second grade flirtation than anything else. Her job also seems a little too good to be true. She is clearly uneducated in terms of business but is still able to relate complex business tactics to shopping in her writing. She would probably need some sort of background in business in order to truly understand it but for the purpose of the movie, her talents in simplifying economic principles will suffice.

In the end Rebecca learns to save and to take responsibility for herself. She does not rely on her parent’s money to get her out of debt but instead sells her expensive clothing. She also learns that relationships matter more than next day’s outfit when she decides to put her friend first.

Overall, Confessions of a Shopaholic was a worthwhile film. It entertains and reveals the weakness many women have for shopping a lighthearted, fun way. Many girls can relate to Rebecca Bloomwood's character which allows them to enjoy the movie all the more. However, it also raises the question of how much spending is too much spending?