Let’s Live a Little

The film is set in the late 1930s to early 1940s, a period when radio advertising and consumer culture were expanding rapidly. The office environment, fashion, and social mores mirror a pre-war, metropolitan America. Technology and media—like electric razors and book promotions—play into the plot, underscoring the era’s push toward modernity. The psychology-centered plotlines also reflect popular ideas about self-help and personal transformation of the time.

The story mostly unfolds at Montgomery Advertising’s bustling offices in New York City, where pitches and deadlines drive the day. It also visits a fashionable nightclub, a setting that blends glamour with romantic upheaval. A lakeside lodge provides a quiet retreat that triggers pivotal emotional shifts. Together, these locations reflect a mid-20th-century urban glamour and the era’s fascination with self-improvement and public image.

💘 Love

Romance drives the main conflict, blurring the line between personal desire and professional objectives. Duke’s infatuation with Jo disrupts his business decisions and challenges his earlier assumptions about women. Jo’s presence compounds the tension between career ambitions and emotional fulfillment. The resolution hinges on whether love can indeed change a person’s behavior and priorities.

🧠 Psychology

The plot toys with psychological concepts like transference and rest cures, suggesting that emotions can be manipulated as part of therapy and advertising alike. Jo uses psychological insight to influence Duke, while Duke experiments with being “cured” of his fears through love. The film critiques the idea of medicine or marketing as quick fixes for complex feelings. It also raises questions about consent and manipulation in therapeutic settings.

_identity Identity

Characters perform roles—Duke as a jaded advertising executive, Jo as a confident psychologist—only to discover their true selves through experience and romance. Misperceptions and disguises propel key scenes, from mistaken patient to real romance. The narrative suggests that authentic identity emerges when lovers see each other beyond first impressions. The lakeside retreat becomes a catalyst for genuine self-revelation.

💼 Work

The advertising world is depicted as a high-stakes arena where contracts, campaigns, and client relations shape personal lives. Duke’s professional ambitions collide with his evolving feelings, forcing him to balance the needs of Michele with the potential of Jo. The film satirizes industry buzzwords and promotional tactics while also showing how a successful campaign can be built on sincerity. Ultimately, work and love must align for true happiness.