Jane Wants a Boyfriend 2016

Jane is nearly 25 years old and still living with her parents because she is high-functioning autistic. At the start of the movie she is high above a stage watching her beautiful sister Bianca rehearsing Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with a professional cast in New York City. She has a walkie talkie which makes noise and disturbs the rehearsal. Jane goes into a room filled with hundreds of costumes and finds a note telling her what needs to be done. She is fixing existing costumes for the company but wishes she could design them.

Later Jane and Bianca go out walking beside the river but Bianca asks her to be careful because she doesn’t want to rescue Jane from the river, and she reminds Jane how many times she has had to get stitches.

For her 25th birthday celebration at her parents’ house, Jane’s father makes chocolate chip pancakes, which are her favorite, despite being advised Jane asked for blueberry pancakes. Jane comes to breakfast in her pajamas and complains about the pancakes but eats them anyway. She also says she is not a child and doesn’t need a candle.

Jane’s parents have a big announcement. They are selling the house and moving to New Jersey where there is more open space. But what will this do to Jane? She needs her routine and is comfortable in the city. Will Bianca have to take her? Bianca is reluctant to do so, as she tells her fiance Rob on the phone as Rob interviews an “insane” person in a marsh.

It is Bianca’s last night working in a bar. Jack is a sous chef who has worked at the same place for ten years and wants to move up. He brings Bianca a new recipe to try. While Bianca is cleaning up a mess made by someone who got drunk, Jane walks in with cookies but doesn’t introduce herself. She and Jack have a nice talk and Jack makes her laugh, but she leaves without Bianca ever knowing she was there, and Jack still doesn’t know who she is.

One of Jane’s favorite things to do is watch old movies over and over and imitate the cast. At one point in the movie she gets upset and wonders why life can’t be like those movies. But Jane needs to get out and do things in the real world. Bianca reluctantly invites her sister to a housewarming at the nice apartment she shares with Rob in a restored factory building.

Cynthia helps get things ready. There is a discussion about whether Bianca did the right thing.

At the party, Jane shows up wearing her father’s shirt and Bianca wants her to put on something nice like other people are wearing, but Jane insists on keeping her shirt on. Jane mostly stays in the kitchen at first. She seems uncomfortable. She wants to drink what others are drinking, but Bianca insists she have a soda until Jane says her father has let her drink beer. So Jane has a margarita. Jack arrives with Kim, a waitress who was Bianca’s co-worker who claims she is going to Fordham but doesn’t seem smart enough. Jack complains to Rob that none of the old gang is there. So has he abandoned them? Rob merely says, “You’re here” but Jack still feels out of place with this crowd. The two other party guests who have lines seem shallow and critical.

Jane finally goes into the room but doesn’t interact with anyone. Rob tries talking to her, but he has other guests. Jack and Bianca both go outside to smoke and Jack talks about how unhappy he is with his life. Later, Jack recognizes Jane and they have a brief conversation. Kim is throwing up, so Jack has to find something else to do. Jane finally goes outside where she can see the Empire State Building and Jack follows her. They get to know each other and have a good time, with Jane saying the stars and the storm on Jupiter are much more special than a building, and making it clear how much she reads. Bianca discovers them together, and knowing Jack’s reputation with women, she demands Jane go back inside and chastizes Jack. Jane tries to resist but Bianca is insistent. Bianca explains how Jane is “different”, but Jack likes what makes her different. No, Bianca says. Different. Soon Jane is going down the stairs upset and Bianca follows but things don’t go too well.

Jack wakes up with Kim in his bed and also sees the guy he shares an apartment with in his own bed with another girl. Later, Jack does research after hearing Jane use the word “neurotypical”. A bookstore employee tells him he should buy the book and that it is closing time.

Cynthia and Rob both want to set Jane up on a date. Rob doesn’t have to go to the office any more but he has a meeting, and before Rob goes in, Paul says hello and says everyone misses Rob. Rob asks Paul if he has a brother who is like Jane, and he says yes. This doesn’t go anywhere.

Jane and Bianca have a mostly nice visit after the previous night’s incident. Bianca asks Jane to put on something nice, and when Jane does, she pretends she is a character in one of her movies.

Rob finds out he will be a foreign correspondent doing a lot of travel. Now he and Bianca must decide what that means for their relationship and for Jane.

Jack and Rob meet and Jack asks for Jane’s number. Rob gives it, reluctantly.

Cynthia has set Jane up on a date with Steven, who is similar to Jane. Bianca wants to go with them but Jane won’t let her. Bianca secretly tags along anyway and it’s a good thing she did. Steven will only talk about himself and his weird hobbies and won’t let Jane get a word in edgewise or even ask her about herself. When Steven finally does explain why they are on a date—they are alike so that means she can only date someone like herself—Jane gets very upset and Bianca has to try to calm her down. Jane runs out and won’t stop running until she can see the Empire State Building. The sisters talk.

With Jane out of the house, her parents take full advantage of the situation. But their romance is interrupted by a phone call. It must be the realtor. It is actually Jack wanting to go out a date. Jane’s father says he’ll tell her Zack called and rushes back to what he was doing.

Jack doesn’t get the promotion he wanted, but his recipe is made one of the specials at the restaurant, which is at least progress. He will have to teach Jose.

Jack meets Jane’s father and learns he is a writer. While it is not stated why, it turns out he writes about developmental disorders. Jane and Jack go out and have a fun night. Though it is strange that the nice restaurant he took her to is closed. Not for long, though, since Jack has the key. He opens up and says he can make her anything she wants. They have a nice time.

It is time for opening night. There is a big audience which includes Rob and Cynthia who sit in one part of the theater and Jane and Jack who sit somewhere else. During the play, Jane gets upset and runs off, Cynthia tells Rob not to go after her, and Bianca seems distracted but the show must go on. Bianca snaps at one of the crew during a break but quickly apologizes. Jane goes to where she was at the movie’s start and Jack eventually finds her there. He doesn’t really care about the play but just wants to comfort Jane. Jane has seen the play many times during rehearsals. She takes Jack to where she works and even puts on a dress she designed from costumes that would have otherwise been thrown out. Jack tells Jane how beautiful she is and kisses her, and the audience applauds. Actually, the play is over. Rob and Cynthia don’t go to where everyone is, but they meet with Bianca separately before Bianca leaves to join the rest of the cast. Bianca spends time privately with Jane, and thy are both assured that Jane will be all right.

During the closing credits, Jane and Jack perform what looks like a scene from one of the movies she likes. Then they appear in black and white scenes where the only audio is soft jazz playing. Some of these scenes were in the movie, and others could have been.