Sometimes, you just have to plug your nose and watch something that is getting peoples’ attention.  In this case, it is The Wrong Paris.  It is a title that has popped up in a few places other than Netflix, namely on Letterboxd, where you can also find some of The Legionnaire’s reviews.  Still, I do try to not follow the crowd.  If there was a deciding factor, it was the fact that it mentions the eponymous city.  Then again, if you read any of the synopses about the movie, it will tell that instead of the City of Lights, the events take place in Paris . . . Texas.  Get it?  So, no panoramic views from the Sacré Cœur Basilica for this Catholic, and lots of country music.  Sigh.  Here goes.

What Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove) is going for at the beginning of The Wrong Paris is art school in Paris, France.  It is the dream of the aspiring artist to launch her career in the City of Lights, something for which she has been saving for years.  Hence, she is excited when she receives her acceptance letter.  There is one drawback: there is a $30,000 per year living fee.  This might not be a problem if she had not spent a large portion of her funds on helping pay for her grandmother’s, Birdie (Frances Fisher), medical expenses.  While Dawn is trying to figure out how to make up the shortfall, her sister, Emily (Emilija Baranac), comes up with an unorthodox solution: Dawn should be a contestant on a television show that is basically The Bachelor (2002-present) called “The Honeypot.”  Though Dawn is dubious, she agrees to audition when she learns that there is $20,000 appearance fee, and $250,000 if she is the final contestant.  There is a twist in that at the end, the victorious woman can either pick the man or the money.  It is a form of entertainment for which she has no patience, but this season is to be set in Paris.  As such, she bluffs her way through an interview with Rachel (Yvonne Orji), one of the producers, who becomes Dawn’s number one supporter.  Indeed, it is Rachel who prevails on the head producer, Carl (Torrance Coombs), to let Dawn be a contestant.  Before Dawn is informed, she goes out to a local watering hole with Emily.  While playing pool, Dawn encounters Trey McAllen (Pierson Fodé).  There is an instant connection between them, though she assumes he is an out-of-towner that is pretending to be a cowboy.  The extent of their interaction is that night, and the next day she leaves for the show.  Upon getting to the meeting point, she encounters the other contestants. There are many of them, they are all . . . interesting, and they will be introduced as needed.  Dawn has no interest in fitting in with them, much to the producers’ angst.  Her disinterest is increased when the women are flown in a circuitous route that lands in Texas instead of France, in the title town, which is only an hour from her hometown.  She voices her disgust to Rachel, admitting that she had gotten on the show under false pretenses.  In addition to reminding Dawn of her contractual obligations, Rachel points out that the reluctant contestant would be committing fraud if she prematurely left. As such, Dawn is compelled to stay, but she seeks Trey as soon as possible to ask him to send her home early so she can leave for France.  Unfortunately, he is sweet on her and keeps her around past the first night.  Thus begins a series of challenges that, I guess, are like how these shows actually run.  They are silly, but Trey keeps picking Dawn to stick around to her growing annoyance.  However, her roommate, Jasmine (Christin Park), informs Dawn that if she wins the mini-games, which lead to dates with Trey, she can earn extra cash.  This leads to Dawn giving more of an effort, but also having to spend extra time with him.  Against her better judgement, she begins to develop feelings for him even though it could mean jeopardizing pursuing her goals in Paris.  It gets more complicated when he helps him round up his escaped horses on his ranch when they get free due to a challenge disaster.  It earns her a secret night out with him, sneaking out in the middle of the night and spending an intimate moment at his favorite secluded spot.  On the way back, she prevails upon him to visit her home.  As they are away, Dawn’s main rival, Lexi Miller (Madison Pettis), goes through Dawn’s things and finds her art school acceptance letter.  Upon Dawn and Trey’s return, Lexi corners him and shows him the evidence that Dawn has no desire to stay with him despite their evident feelings.  It comes as a shock when during the elimination that night, Trey asks Lexi to stay instead of Dawn.  In spite of everything, Dawn is sad with how it ended, but leaves the next day for Paris.  She gets settled into her classes and life in the City of Lights when she is visited by Rachel.  The producer has come to try to convince Dawn to give up her earnings and give Trey another chance.  Citing her need for funds to continue her education, she declines the opportunity to be present for the final shoot in Paris.  However, Dawn changes her mind in order to have a chance to explain herself.  The conversation does not go well since she admits that he would have left him in France.  Yet, when he learns that she forfeited the money just to say that, he runs after her to pop the ultimate question.  He proposes that they stay together, but she takes the prize money, and they stay together because they love each other.

Their profession of love is the unsurprising storybook ending for The Wrong Texas.  They also kind of cheat the system, but I suppose that is okay because Trey asks Dawn to marry him?  As such, I am not sure what to say about this film from a Catholic perspective.  It is a paint by the numbers romantic comedy with an expected outcome.  However, there is something that has been coming up lately in my prayers about pursuing dreams, which is a theme of this film.  It poses a dilemma between sticking with what you feel you are called to do and something else that comes your way.  Studying to become an artist and getting married are both noble goals.  What the film aims for is what might seem to some to be the impossible dream of combining the two.  God does not necessarily tell people that they need to choose one or the other.  On the other hand, I have seen many a Christian, including myself, twist themselves around trying to discern God’s will as to which is the correct path.  Asking for God’s guidance should be done with most everything we do, but there are those who want some kind of big sign telling them what to do.  This could happen, but God often gives us those signs and we miss them.  That is okay, too.  What is important is that we continue to follow His commandments.  This is where the film’s conclusion gets a little tricky.  Then again, who says reality television shows are not rigged anyway?  At any rate, Dawn and Trey basically cheat Jasmine and Lexi, the official last two women, out of a quarter of a million dollars.  Maybe this is Catholic guilt, but it would make me uncomfortable doing something similar.

Finally, you have seen similar films to The Wrong Texas.  Unlike what I said in the introduction, I did get a brief Paris fix from the movie, but it is not enough to counterbalance the silliness of the rest.  There is nothing objectionable in it, just not worth any of your time.