'materialists' is a romcom for the money diaries generation

how does she afford all those designer clothes on an $80K salary?

This contains MILD SPOILERS for the movie!!!!! However, I do not discuss the ending or which guy she “picks.” If you want to read this after you’ve seen the movie, scroll down to the end section for Molehill Miscellany.

Ok, you’ve been warned!

I also scoured the web for the ID on everything Dakota Johnson wears in the movie, and everything that is in stock or shoppable is saved here.

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great choice in blue for the title cards

'Materialists' was one of those movies I had to see in theaters on opening day for the full magical cinema experience.

I knew I would love it regardless of the plot because it’s directed by Celine Song and shot on 35mm. What can I say, I’m a simple woman! (Also, Americans are too hung up on plot…can we not just enjoy the music and images and vibes onscreen??).

Anyways guys, I loved it.

From the moment Miss Dakota started strutting in her knee high Paris Texas boots to “Manhattan” by Cat Power, I sunk deeper into my seat, eyes glazed over. The movie is stylish in a familiar, frictionless way. It has a soothing blandness. Like yes girl give us more neutral NYC street style Pinterest outfits. It’s also funny, snarky, and heartfelt. I did sprout tears a few times.

Here’s the synopsis: Lucy, played by Dakota Johnson, is a 30-something single woman who works as a high-end matchmaker in New York. She’s caught between two love interests, the charming rich “unicorn” aka Harry aka Pedro Pascal, and her starving artist ex aka John aka Chris Evans. The story taps into the tension we all feel between idealism and pragmatism.

tbh a coke and beer sounds really good.

If you’ve seen the movie, perhaps you have strong opinions about the ending. Maybe you are pissed about it, even! But I am not here to talk about that.

I am here to talk about the way ‘Materialists’ tackles the subject of money with a razor-sharp sociological scalpel.

Whereas traditional rom coms tend to depict class in a hand-wavey manner (i.e. power suit executive vs. small-town heartthrob in a flannel, you can guess their social class), the characters in this movie do not shy away from the dollars and cents of it all.

They drop hard numbers. We learn exactly how much Lucy makes, how much Harry paid for his penthouse, how much John didn’t wanna cough up for parking in Manhattan. Every money question that may be considered impolite or invasive to ask, ‘Materialists’ answers with unflinching frankness.

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This is a rom com made for the Money Diaries generation, one that lays bare every financial detail not only to satisfy our nosy voyeuristic impulse, but to reflect back our insecurities.

For the unfamiliar, Money Diaries was an extremely popular Refinery29 series launched by

Lindsey Stanberry

in 2016 (the year I graduated college!). It featured real people tracking their weekly spending and overall finances in a voice-y first-person format. The writers were always anonymous, which meant the diaries were full of *salacious little tidbits* you probably wouldn’t fess up to otherwise.

As a new grad who just entered the workforce during the capital-g-Girlboss years, I read Money Diaries religiously and so did all my friends. We’d send our favorite diaries to one another and hash it out—can you believe she spent that much on pad thai, how is she only 21 but making six figures, should I have gone into the trades??? It became a cultural phenomenon among young millennial women of my cohort, eventually spawning a genre of “hate read” towards uber wealthy, tone-deaf diarists. Money Diaries is still active, but it’s definitely not as hot as it used to be.

And now, as I mull over what it felt like to watch ‘Materialists,’ I realize that it gave me the exact same thrill as reading a Money Diary.

It’s easy to imagine how Lucy’s first-person narrative would fit into the diary format.

Indulge my imagination for a minute, will you?

Occupation: Matchmaker
Age: 30something
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $80,000 pre-tax
Debt: ~$4,000 (I have some rhinoplasty and breast augmentation expenses that I have on a payment plan)

Day One

7:15 am — Wake up and get ready for work. I brush out my bangs and throw on some mascara and lip liner (MAC in Oak). I decide to wear a Aritzia blazer today because I’m having an important meeting with my boss (asking for a bonus because I’ve been on a wedding streak). I toss my red notebook into my Hereu tote and head to the cafe to check in with some clients.

6:30pm — I get home just in time to sign for my package from Rent The Runway. It’s a cerulean blue Proenza dress I’m wearing to a client’s wedding tomorrow. I wanted something a little more minimal and sleek than my Doen floral dresses, and this fits the bill.

….

Day Three

7:50am — Last night was a whirlwind. Spent the night at H’s Tribeca penthouse ($12 million…go off, unicorn!). I didn’t have a proper change of comfy clothes so I grab a pair of his pjs and socks ($40 a pop from Comme Si) and help myself to breakfast with ivory Sabre bistro tableware. I take some work calls from his couch before heading to the office. I could get used to living like this.

9:00pm — H invites me on a dream vacation to Iceland, so I make a mental note to submit my passport paperwork tomorrow. As I brush my teeth before bed, I browse TRR new arrivals for Toteme sweaters to pack for the trip…

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See what I mean?! The Money Diary writes itself.

If you’ve watched the movie, I’d love to know what you thought. Also, I don’t have the mental bandwidth to do this myself, but can someone please please write a comparative class analysis of ‘Anora’ and ‘Materialists’?! I’d read that in a heartbeat.

Went to Berkeley Bowl today wearing pieces from the new Pari Desai collection (kindly gifted). This is probably the nicest button-down I’ve ever worn. The fabric is thick and you can feel the gentle raise of the stripe weave—a telltale sign of quality construction. The photo above in the Yakult mirror doesn’t do it justice, but this one is a little more accurate:

The skirt is a crochet knit, black with streaks of metallic. It feels chic af with lipstick red vintage Coach purse and thong heels (Sies Marjan).

I blew through Square Waves by Alexandra Romanoff in one day. It’s a romance novel from 831 Stories, and set in the East Bay. Easy to read, moves fast. Super hyperlocal—mentions of Cheeseboard Pizza, Indian Rock Park, 4th Street, etc.

I’m going to LA for an event on the 25-26th. Editors, brands, etc. - hit me up with any assignments/collaboration ideas.

We raised $93 last week for the Bay Area Immigration Bond Fund. Thanks everyone for their subscription-donations!

Later this week on the Molehill: an on-the-ground report of last week’s JCK (Jewelers’ Circular Keystone) Las Vegas, the equivalent of Paris Fashion Week for jewelers. Boom boom in sin city, baby!

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xo viv

Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;)

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