Thanks to the likes of pop-culture entertainment such as “Sex and the City” and practically everything in Woody Allen’s filmography, the Millennial generation has come to believe that finding true love in the concrete jungle that is New York City is among the most romantic of notions. Director Rebecca Miller defies this fantasy with her new film “Maggie’s Plan,” a wonderfully crafted film for the intelligentsia-sect that takes one woman’s quest of subverting modern romantic convention by artificial insemination, leading to a hilarious deconstruction of uncharted adult life.

The woman with the plan is Maggie Hardin (Greta Gerwig), an independent, plaid-coat loving, thirty-something educator with babies on the brain. After complaining to her friends (played by the perfect comedic duo Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph) that she is incapable of loving someone for longer than six months, she decides that now is the time to start thinking about having children of her own, on her own, which leads her to a brilliant-but-miswired sperm donor (Travis Fimmel), who works as an artisan pickler.

Things get tricky when Maggie simultaneously meets and falls for fellow teacher John Harding (Ethan Hawke), a charming anthropology professor and struggling novelist whose round-wired spectacles perfectly compliment his geek-chic attire. Maggie thinks she’s found “the one” in John, despite him already being married to the stone cold intellectual Georgette Harding (Julianne Moore), which doesn’t stop an instantaneous affair. Flash forward a few years, and Maggie, now with a smiling infant girl, realizes the tangled web she’s woven when the reality of her life with John sets in and is nothing like she thought it would be.

Rebecca Miller paints the portrait of a 21st-century relationship in such a realistic way, where one’s expectations of certain things tend to trump reality. In Maggie’s case, she wanted a child and love, and at first, she thought she successfully constructed it. The dynamics that set the tone of the relationship in the beginning, however, quickly shift, drowning Maggie in the process. Her ideal relationship where both partners were artistically satisfied turn into a one-way street, where Maggie is the bridge over John’s troubled water.

With such artsy hits as “Frances Ha” and “Mistress America,” Greta Gerwig has more or less become the go-to actor for the un-stereotypical NYC-dwelling hipster heroine and, as in the aforementioned films, she brings her signature bright-eyed optimism to the big screen. Her honest portrayal of Maggie is equally matched by Ethan Hawke’s John, the self-tortured artist who becomes so wrapped up in his own wants and needs that he doesn’t realize how much his actions are damaging his relationships. The Academy Award-winning Julianne Moore and her unexpected Danish accent prove that, given the right material, she is as much a comedic force as she is a dramatic one. Together, these three actors don’t just provide superfluous laughs, they also strike sensitive chords at just the right moments, giving the film a lasting, full-bodied experience.

At its core, “Maggie’s Plan” is an unconventional romantic comedy that also serves as a dose of therapy for those who may be feeling at a crossroads in their own personal lives. Maggie is a complex character with flaws, and that is exactly what makes her such a compelling character to root for. Maggie’s plans pivot within each act, all to hilarious results. From choosing a sperm donor to raise a child on her own, to wanting a child with her lover John, to wanting to leave John and go back to the way things were, Maggie shows us that it is ok to change one’s mind, and that what seemed like a good thing at one point in our lives may not be in our future selves’ best interests.

No matter your age, we may not have everything figured out, and that’s ok. It is ok to make mistakes, especially if those mistakes bring you closer to figuring out who you really are, and what you really want. However, if there is one thing we can take away from Maggie Hardin’s experience, it’s that sometimes, the best plan, is no plan.

“Maggie’s Plan” is rated R for language and some sexuality. Playing at the ArcLight Hollywood 5/20.