I know some people don’t dig Amy Schumer, but I have no qualms with stating that you’re wrong, and her new series Life & Beth may as well be a Chicken Soup for the Soul book with more humor and way better plot lines.
Beth is struggling. It seems like her life should be happy, right? She’s got a hot boyfriend who wants to get more serious, a successful career as a wine broker, and a life trajectory that feels more and more like a runaway train she can’t control. When Beth stumbles upon John (Michael Cera), an odd and endearing worker at one of the farms she is trying to do business with, a spark lights her brain on fire and she decides to grab the controls of her life once again. What may seem like an impulsive and wacky decision is actually a chance for her to own her life.
Through childhood flashbacks and interactions with her mom, we learn that Beth’s issues stem from a history of never feeling good enough, pretty enough, or special at all. It’s very relatable to anyone who’s struggled to fit in, do well, succeed. While it may seem like a love story between John and Beth, it’s the story of Beth learning to love herself. (10 30-min. episodes)
—Anna Starkey
This article appears in Apr 7-14, 2022.