The story revolves around Emma and Dexter, played by Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, and their up and down relationship over the course of 20 years.
Each time British actor Jim Sturgess saw Anne Hathaway's name on his daily call sheet, he breathed a sigh of relief.
For the record, Sturgess was not a fan of the 1990s-era baggy, heavy suits he had to wear when Dexter worked as a TV host. Sturgess says he feels there's a little bit of a kinship between One Day and his breakthrough movie Across the Universe, the Beatles-inspired musical film that followed two star-crossed lovers (Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood) through the 1960s.
While Universe main characters Jude and Lucy fell in love in a Shakespearean sense , Sturgess appreciated Dexter and Emma's more unconventional love story.
"It isn't that 'love at first sight,' " Sturgess says. "The film maintained a more realistic feel. " We're not breaking into song every five seconds," says Sturgess. "Music is so self-gratifying. Adapted from David Nicholls’ best-seller, One Day has Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) meeting on July 15 (St. Swithin’s Day) and spending the night together.
Director Lone Scherfig’s film chronicles the experiences of Emma and Dexter over the next two decades as their friendship grows more intense. The film thus asks: Can men and women benefit from friendship or do they always end up as friends with benefits? Sturgess continues to think about the film and how the story reflects on issues of love and regret as it relates to romance, “The film does make you think about other people you meet in your life. I’ve been a sort of long-term relationship, so I stuck with my best friend.”
Nevertheless, Sturgess clearly understands the character he plays in One Day, and explained, “Dexter’s not had relationships, and certainly hasn’t had friendships before. Audiences will enjoy watching Dexter - and Emma - come into their own over time. The actor developed a fondness for the leather pants that Dexter wears. “I’ve never put on a pair of leather trousers in my life before that. Sturgess wears the leather pants like a rock star, maybe because clothes from the British music scene inspire the actor, who is also a musician. Music plays a big role in One Day.