Something New (2006)

61% of critics liked it
(105 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(99,938 ratings)

A woman discovers that when it comes to love, sometimes opposites really do attract in this romantic comedy-drama. Kenya (Sanaa Lathan) is a successful African-American lawyer in her mid-thirties whose personal life is not going as well as her career. While she's attractive and intelligent, Kenya… More A woman discovers that when it comes to love, sometimes opposites really do attract in this romantic comedy-drama. Kenya (Sanaa Lathan) is a successful African-American lawyer in her mid-thirties whose personal life is not going as well as her career. While she's attractive and intelligent, Kenya has rather high standards and isn't willing to settle for a man who isn't everything she wants. While attending a party, Kenya is introduced to Brian (Simon Baker), a landscape architect who handles the gardening at her host's mansion. Brian is immediately and obviously attracted to Kenya, through she doesn't feel the same way at all. However, she likes his work and hires him to refurbish her garden; before long, he asks her out on a date, and against her better judgment she accepts. While Kenya and Brian have little in common, in time they hit it off, and a romance begins to blossom between them. However, Brian happens to be white, which ruffles some feathers among Kenya's friends and family, who try to find her a more suitable, African-American suitor. Also starring Mike Epps, Donald Faison, Blair Underwood, and Alfre Woodard, Something New was the first feature film for director Sanaa Hamri, who previously established herself by directing music videos. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Sanaa Hamri
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 3, 2006 Wide
On DVD: May 16, 2006
Studio: Focus Features

Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
This is an inept and unsubtle romantic fantasy about how black people and white people don't mix.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
It sometimes seems at odds with itself, vacillating between a realistic presentation of the obstacles black professional women face finding a suitable mate and another bit of Hollywood fluff where their skin color is glossed over.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Something New isn't Something Hilarious. But it is sweet enough and provocative enough to make it Hollywood's best date movie this Valentine's Day.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
How many other movies dare to suggest that some white guys have soul, and some black guys are plain vanilla?
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
Hamri delivers a thoughtful, entertaining, imperfect but solidly adult movie about the inconvenient path of true love.
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
The film's lack of depth as it oversimplifies the complexities of racism keep it from being anything other than a lightweight date movie.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Interracial romantic dramedy for teens and up.
Kam Williams, Bean Soup Times
Mixing mirth with more sophisticated moments, this delightful romantic romp ultimately triumphs primarily because of the easy-going screen chemistry generated by Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker.
Kam Williams, EURWeb
Mixing mirth with more sophisticated moments, this delightful romantic romp ultimately triumphs primarily because of the easy-going screen chemistry generated by Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker.
David Noh, Film Journal International
A beguilingly heartfelt, low-key farce.
Kat Brown, Empire Magazine
Something New isn't just silly, it's an embarrassment to people who are genuinely trying to level the racial playing field in America today.
Stella Papamichael, BBC
Generally the story swings wildly from preachy to just plain silly. It is truly a story of missed opportunities.
Andrew Pulver, Guardian [UK]
There's zero chemistry between the leads; for all their passionate declarations of love, you never believe they've even spoken to each other before the cameras start turning over.
David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
Something hackneyed, trite and boring, you mean.
Anna Smith, Time Out
By and large this is a hollow, laugh-free zone paying lip service to the issue in trite, predictable fashion.
Scott Weinberg, DVD Clinic
Anyone who finds something new in Something New is obviously looking a whole lot closer than the movie deserves.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
This 'new romantic comedy' fails on all three counts:It's not all that funny, it's not very romantic, and it's certainly nothing new.

Read all 17 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Rachel F

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie actually was. I love Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker is a really great looking new-comer.
Lanning :

I ran across this the other night. When I realized Sanaa Lathan was in it, I stopped right there. Three comments: 1.Believe it or not, that scar the Predator gave her is gone. Plastic surgery perhaps? Kind of disappointing. I loved that scar. At any rate, these days… More
I ran across this the other night. When I realized Sanaa Lathan was in it, I stopped right there. Three comments: 1.Believe it or not, that scar the Predator gave her is gone. Plastic surgery perhaps? Kind of disappointing. I loved that scar. At any rate, these days she's given up her space career for the law. Boo, Sanaa, I would never give up being an astronaut for anything, and especially not for a career in law. 2. I am now 100% sure that I'm 100% in love with Sanaa Lathan (technically 25% given that I have to split my love percentage equally among her, Janeane Garofalo, Kate Winslet, and Jessica Alba ). Hey. Wait a second. This is my fairytale, so I say there can be 400% of something. I'm definitely 100% in love with each of the four. Simon Sucking Baker, you are the man! You are one lucky lucky guy, my friend. First she's your blind date -- sorry that didn't go too well -- and then she needs a landscape architect, and you're a landscape architect! What are the chances, dude? Sanaa, if you read this and are interested, please drop me a line on my talk board. I know it says "Make a comment about," but what they really mean is "Make a comment to (and leave your cell number)." 3. This is almost -- almost -- a wee bit too much of a fairytale for me. I don't think I've seen this many rich people together in one place since Titanic -- which was quite a fairytale in and of itself. Still, the love angle is very sweet, and hopefully it will lead to my marrying Ms. Lathan in the very near future. Although I'd rather be married to an astronaut than a lawyer. To make my fairytale come true, I know if Sanaa Lathan really loved me, she'd go back to being an astronaut and make a sequel to AVP: Alien vs. Predator : )
James A

Bad storrytelling and the main guy is from Land of the Dead, need I say more.
Mike N

Thought you should know. Was a 2-days-ago development, and I was going to leave tonight. Thanks, corporate languor! (airplane movies to and from Chicago)
Dannielle A

Super sweet romantic and funny I laughed a lot and got teary eyed and even cried.
William G

Generic all-around, but good luck finding more natural chemistry elsewhere.
Sunil J

I really liked this movie a lot. It was a nice mix of romantic and a little drama. Great chemistry.
Leo L

A cute, funny & beautiful movie. Loved it.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Sanaa Lathan as Kenya Denise McQueen

            Simon Baker as Brian Kelly

            Mike Epps as Walter

            Donald Faison as Nelson McQueen

            Blair Underwood as Mark Harper

            Wendy Raquel Robinson as Cheryl

            Alfre Woodard as Joyce McQueen

            DJ Fuzzy Fantabulous as Himself

            Katharine Towne as Cahan Leah

            Stanley de Santis as Jack Pino

            K.C. Clyde as Waiter

            Golden Brooks as Suzzette

            Taraji P. Henson as Nedra

            Marcus Lyle Brown as Rashid Mohammed

            Russell Hornsby as Doctor Brockton

            Daniel B. Wooten as Starbucks Employee

            Lee Garlington as Mrs. Cahan

            Tonita Castro as Maria

            Matt Malloy as Edwin

            David Monahan as Bill Lebree

            Gabriel Tigerman as Darren

            Tanisha Harper as Stacy

            Earl Billings as Edmond McQueen

            Michelle Griffin as Kiki

            Tanya Wideman-Davis as Rocklin Thompson

            Sommore as Sommore

            Eric Ekholm as Paul

            Henry Simmons as Kyle

            Kimberly Barnett as Luna

            Deya Marshea Smith as Real Estate Agent

            Julie Mond as Penelope

            Rose Rollins as Lauren

            Rick Fitts as Emcee

            Raina Lewis as Young Woman

            John Ratzenberger
            
            Stanley DeSantis
            
            Donald Adeosun Faison
            
See full cast