Film Analysis: An Unlikely Friend

An Unlikely Friend
During an early morning in the not too distant future, middle-aged divorcee Theodore is alone on his bed thinking about his past. A few words fly out of Theodore’s mouth in an awkward tone as he reminisces the depressing memories that overfill his mind. Sensing a peculiarity in his voice, the artificial intelligence on his phone, named Samantha, asks Theodore a few questions and tries her best to comfort him. Upon hearing Samantha’s words, Theodore gets out of bed and feels elevated from his dampened mood. The once saddened Theodore soon becomes delighted when he realizes the joy Samantha brought him. These brief moments in the movie Her show how Theodore is able to express himself more clearly to Samantha than people. This

Shannon Vallor explains that “good life either requires or is greatly enhanced by close personal relationships” (193). Vallor states that a high quality of living requires good relationships with other people. From this context, Theodore is experiencing a low point in his life due to a broken relationship with his former lover. Theodore is curious about how to improve his life and allows Samantha to hear his grief because he places deep trust in her. Another noticeable aspect about Theodore during his conversation with Samantha is his lack of virtue. According to Vallor, “A virtue is a habituated tendency to express one’s capacities in a manner that allows one to flourish in one’s physical and social environment” (194). This shows that virtue requires a person to properly show what his/her strengths and weaknesses to other people. Theodore, however, cannot express his inner feelings to anyone other than the artificial intelligence Samantha. Theodore has a hard time gaining acceptance from others because he keeps everything to himself, making it difficult for them to understand

As an operating system, Samantha offers insight on the decisions Theodore can make to improve his life. Samantha is expanding Theodore’s ability to view his situation which correlates with Vallor’s explanation that “new media promote(s) the well-being of young people by helping them develop the essential social and technical skills” (193). Vallor emphasizes on the possibility that media plays the role of expanding the skills people need in order to be accepted in society. Samantha is borrowing knowledge from the media on the internet and sharing it with Theodore. This can be seen from Samantha’s mention of reading advice columns prior to her conversation with Theodore. Upon hearing Samantha’s words, Theodore gains more insight about himself and is finally able to relinquish his sorrow over breaking up with his wife Catherine. His smile at the end of the scene is due to his realization that Catherine is his past, and Samantha is someone he can rely on in the