In case you missed it…
I live in California but my heart, mind, and stomach are regularly occupying my New York roots. My "Coast to Coast" project celebrates this dichotomy with a weekly blog post and illustration.
This week we’re talking about romantic comedies…
From a pretty young age, I was ~jaded about romance/love/boys. This is a result of never actually speaking to boys I liked from the age of 6 to…. 21? Turns out, if you don’t talk to boys they have no idea you like them. And even if they do speak to you first, it doesn’t go well when you INTENSELY IGNORE THEM. So, that made coming up with this “Valentine’s Day” themed post a bit trickier. I tried to brainstorm places in NYC where romantic things had happened to me… and nilch, nada. But, then I realized I had spent most of these years living vicariously through tv and movies! I knew places from the years of romantic comedies I had watched! (Side note: Romantic comedies from the early 00s are problematic af…blog post for another time…)
New York:
When Harry Met Sally (1989) written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner
Context: I am still not sure when or how I first discovered this movie. But, some time in the early 00s I watched it for the first time and fell in love. I distinctly remember using the famous Pictionary scene for a Screenwriting class in high school because I was so impressed with its quick wit and brief but punchy dialogue. Ever since, I watch it every year on New Year’s Eve. Recently, I watched it in the movie theater for the first time thanks to a 30th anniversary screening.
Why I Love It: There is no scene that is unnecessary. Every single scene moves the plot forward and develops the characters using subtle wit and realistic dialogue. Even though it came out before I was born, it feels timeless and relatable. Since one of the talking points of the film is that “[straight] men and [straight] women cannot be friends” you might assume that doesn’t hold up in 2020. But, it’s just not the case. That’s because no character in the film is flat and plus, they’re always calling each other on their bullshit. And how could you not love watching the seasons in NYC change?
What It Taught Me About Relationships and Love: Love doesn’t look like what you expect it too and if you’re not careful you might miss it. Love your partner because of their quirks not in spite of them.
Favorite Line(s): Of course, Billy Crystal’s ending speech is famous for a reason (“…I love how you get a little wrinkle about your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts” etc etc). But, one of the smaller lines that ALWAYS makes me laugh is after they run into Harry’s ex, he keeps repeating to Sally “She looks weird…didn’t she…She looked weird.” and she’s like “I don’t know…I’ve never seen her before.” His anxiety is TOO real.
California:
The Holiday (2006) written and directed by Nancy Meyers
Context: This was the first movie that popped into my head when I thought about LA based movies. But, then that got me thinking…what other LA based romantic comedies are there? So I rewatched 500 Days of Summer and Crazy, Stupid Love and well… to put it lightly I landed right back at The Holiday. This is cheating a bit since half of this movie takes place in England.
Why I Love It: It reminds me of my best friend, Tori since we watched it together for the first time. At the time I watched it, I was dead set on moving to California (which I did) and studying Screenwriting (which I did) so this had all of the elements I wanted most in a romantic comedy - side plot about the film industry, snow and a romantic representation of Los Angeles. Super well written since Nancy Meyers is a queen. Plus, Jude Law is annoyingly hot.
What It Taught Me About Relationships and Love: Sometimes a change of pace is necessary. Getting out of your comfort zone will NOT make you run away in panic but will instead make you glow and fall in love. Romantic love isn’t the only kind worth searching for/celebrating and you should start with self love.
Favorite Line(s): There’s a lot of fantastic parts (like I said, Queen Nancy) but I remember this line from Arthur standing out to my awkward, teenage self: “Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason, you're behaving like the best friend.”
Since When Harry Met Sally is my favorite movie of all time and the camera always makes love to New York as a backdrop in any film, there’s a clear winner this week. Now grab the popcorn and spend your Valentine’s Day with your favorite romantic comedy!