Aahana Swrup
‘Mary J. Blige’s Real Love’ presents a heartfelt story about a young woman’s journey to finding her happiness. It follows Kendra, an aspiring photographer, as she forays into her first year of college at Hammon. Balancing work with her studies, the photography major doesn’t believe she has time for much else. However, that stands to change when she catches the eye of another student, the endearing Ben Baldwin. Yet, despite their feelings for one another, a sea of complications stand in the way of their happy ending. As such, the pair find themselves embarking on a whirlwind romance that teaches them more than a few lessons along the way. The Lifetime film effectively pulls the audience into the grounded intricacies of Kendra’s life, strapping them in for an emotionally charged ride. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Mary J. Blige’s Real Love is an Earnest Coming-of-Age Story
Under Camrus Johnson’s direction, ‘Mary J. Blige’s Real Love’ finds a delightful spot in the romance drama genre. The film remains certain about its identity from the get-go, as it pitches the driven and ambitious Kendra in the protagonist’s spot. Kendra comes from humble beginnings, yet her dreams are anything but small. Therefore, she’s willing to give it her all and work towards her goal with a single-minded focus. This adds all the more reason for her love interest, Ben Baldwin, to become a point of interest. Where Kendra is all about acing her photography classes, Ben is all about the photography major. Therefore, he pursues her with the same dedication and care as she pursues her education.
Nonetheless, Ben has his own obligations to overcome, namely his snobbish parents, who have high expectations and want to set him up with another girl. This creates an engaging balance between romance and drama, setting up an idyllic relationship between the couple and sobering outside conflicts. The film handles these conflicts with care—especially the sexual assault plot line that becomes integral to Kendra and her journey. Ultimately, the story serves its heroin well, offering her a transformative coming-of-age that soothes and surprises. Overall, you’ll have little to no complaints about the film’s trajectory if you’re willing to overlook a predictable cliche or two in favor of a compelling character-driven tale.
Mary J. Blige’s Real Love Plot Summary
When Kendra arrives at college, she has a clear-cut game plan. She has smoothed things over with the administrative to allow her a work-study schedule to ensure she wouldn’t be putting a financial strain on her father. She has the film camera her mother got her years ago, before her death, and she’s prepared to dedicate herself to her higher education. Consequently, even though her peers, including roommates Terry and Ashley, are geared for parties and romance, Kendra has no such plans. Even so, she can’t deny the attraction she feels for the charming Ben, who signs up for photography class just to spend more time with her.
Eventually, Kendra realizes that she needs to adopt a new point of view to make her artistry shine. As a result, she loosens up a little and allows Ben to sweep her off to parties and dates. Soon, they’re serious enough about each other for Ben to introduce her to his family at a fundraiser gala. Nonetheless, at the party, they both realize the Baldwins aren’t fans of Kendra and would rather have their son dating Connie, a family friend. Even though the couple tries not to let such differences come in between them, things eventually become too complicated. As such, once Kendra’s prioritization of her relationship causes trouble with her studies and at work, she hastily decides to break up with Ben.
In the immediate aftermath, Ben begins dating Connie as a thinly veiled attempt to make Kendra jealous. Even so, he continues to be there for her in times of need, improving their chances of getting back together. That is until Kendra undergoes a personal tragedy when her study partner, Reggie, rapes her. This sends her down a self-destructive spiral in which she distances herself from her friends and tries to commit suicide by overdosing on her father’s pills. In time, she’s able to recover through Terry and Ashley’s support as well as finding a community among other survivors of assault.
Mary J. Blige’s Real Love Ending: Do Kendra and Ben Get Back Together?
Kendra and Ben’s romance begins like a fairytale, creating a daydream bubble for the pair to exist in. Therefore, they’re knocked off-balance when reality catches up to them. Kendra doesn’t like to be out of control, which pushes her to make hasty decisions about her relationship with Ben. Similarly, the latter is used to taking a passive role in his life. As such, he doesn’t fight for what he wants and instead resorts to immature tactics. Still, even when they’re separated, the love and care they have for each other remains evident. However, before they can have a simple reconciliation after Thanksgiving, Kendra’s assault adds another complication to her life.
The traumatic attack pushes Kendra to take some time for herself and rebuild her own reality before she can think about getting back together with Ben. Nevertheless, the time eventually comes when the pair can finally fall back into each other’s orbit. Yet, now new barriers have arrived. As it turns out, Ben hasn’t been entirely faithful to Kendra since they broke up. Thus, the consequences of his actions arrive in the form of Connie’s pregnancy. Kendra is understandably distraught once she learns that the other woman is expecting her boyfriend’s child. Worse yet, Ben’s parents are pushing him to marry Connie and threatening to cut him off financially if he doesn’t follow.
Therefore, it seems multiple forces are working to keep the couple away from each other. While Kendra wants to be with Ben, she also doesn’t think he should be abandoning Connie and her child. During this time, she also receives a life-changing opportunity to transfer to a better university in college that can foster her passion for photography. Consequently, she ultimately decides to let Ben go. She knows that truly loving someone requires one to always want the best for them. For the same reason, she wants Ben to continue this new path of fatherhood that life has opened up for him, even if it means she can’t be a part of his life anymore.
Does Kendra Transfer to the College in Chicago?
While Connie’s pregnancy is the inciting complication that pushes Ben and Kendra apart, the latter’s plans to move away from North Carolina pose another notable problem. Kendra applies for the other college while she’s still on steady grounds with Ben. Therefore, it isn’t as if his newfound fatherhood responsibilities are pushing her to run away. She has had a passion for photography from the start and now has the opportunity to make something tangible out of it. Furthermore, there’s the added plus point of avoiding Reggie, who still brings back awful memories for Kendra even after she boldly confronts him.
Therefore, in the end, Kendra decides to follow her dreams—even if they take her away from her one true love. While Ben pitches the idea of attempting long distance, they both know it won’t lead to any happy endings. Moreover, once he decides to make his own path and reject his parent’s controlling methods, financial instability becomes another problem for him. Thus, although the pair are there for each other until the end—even exchanging goodbye presents and memories—they eventually part ways once Kendra moves away to Chicago. Even though their romance isn’t meant to be right now, it teaches them vital lessons and helps them find their true selves.
Read More: Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair: Filming Locations and Cast Details
