WHILE WE WERE DATING

A famous actress begins a harmless flirtation with an advertising executive, but their casual dates are likely to have serious consequences.

When Ben Stephens leads the pitch presentation for a commercial slated to feature Oscar-nominated actress Anna Gardiner, he never imagines he'll impress her enough that she'll demand he lead the project. He also doesn’t expect his casual on-set banter with Anna to lead anywhere. But when she has a family emergency and he offers to drive her hundreds of miles, they wind up learning about each other’s pasts: While Ben resents his father for abandoning him as a child and assiduously avoids serious relationships, Anna is recovering from severe anxiety. As Black professionals, they’ve both had to confront deep-seated racial prejudice in their fields, and Anna is now desperately hoping it won't keep her from landing a film role she believes will be career-defining. Guillory infuses ample charm and wit in Ben and Anna’s interactions as she deftly highlights the lack of public sensitivity to mental health issues and the prevalence of sizeism and racism in popular culture. While several characters introduced in Guillory’s previous works make interesting and welcome appearances, Ben and Anna remain conspicuously one-note. He is endlessly considerate, she leans on him repeatedly, and their struggles, imperfections, and vulnerabilities are dealt with perfunctorily. But the camaraderie among Ben, Anna, and their respective families is always entertaining and often heartwarming.

A light, frothy, and fun concoction.