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Why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days movie There are so many reasons why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. In my Gotham screenwriting class, we had to list our favorite movies and I said HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time my teacher heard that movie listed. I think he even did a double-take 🙂
Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan and Burr Steers wrote the screenplay based on the comic book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.
WHY I LOVE HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
- Brilliant Premise
- Sparky Dialogue
- Set Scenes
- Inner Conflict
- Romance
- Rule of Three and Callbacks
- New York
PREMISE
The premise is brilliant because it insures that the two romantic leads in direct conflict. She is writing an article on how to lose a guy in 10 days making the mistakes some women make when dating (like being clingy or paranoid), so she is doing everything she can to lose him. He has to make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days and bring her to a client event in order to be able to pitch the diamond advertising account he wants. Basically no matter what she does, he is going to keep dating her.
The “diamonds are forever” angle adds another layer of conflict. He reminds himself that diamonds are forever, so this isn’t a one night stand. He wants to take it slow, changing the music and moving away from the bed; she is trying to make sure he is hooked by kissing him.
It’s also a twist on the “clumsy, emotionally open” romcom heroine because Andie is super cool and is only acting like the clingy and immediately emotionally open girlfriend to write the article.
SPARKY DIALOGUE
This one word dialogue exchange is so sparky and immediately showcases their chemistry and connection.
“Andie: Unattached?
Ben: Currently.
Andie: Likewise.
Ben: Surprising.
Andie: Psycho?
Ben: Rarely, Interested?
Andie: Perhaps.
Ben: Hungry?
Andie: Starving.
Ben: Leaving?
Andie: Now?”
From the script of HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS.
SET SCENES
The premise leads to some hilarious set scenes as she gets more and more desperate in her attempt to lose him. There’s the scene where he’s cooking a lamb dinner (“bringing out the big guns” to make her fall in love with him), and she has brought over a box of girly things to move into his apartment, even though it’s only the second time she’s been there. The frilly toilet cover was a particularly good touch. Her interrupting his poker night with the boys is another hilarious scene.
INNER CONFLICT
What’s also well done is that Andie and Ben are falling for each other, which renders Andy conflicted about behaving like a crazy girlfriend and even about writing the article.
Meanwhile, Ben feels like he’s dating two people:
Thayer:
“I thought you said after the Knicks games, she was a goddess.”
Ben
“Oh she was. That was the good Andie, this amazing, fun cool, sexy woman. I’m talking about the evil Andie now. It’s like a crack-enhanced Kathie Lee Gifford”
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYSThis personality switch first happens at the Knicks NBA final basketball game. At first, they’re both having a great time, and then Andy remembers that she has to be a nightmare girlfriend, so, in the last minutes of a tight tied game, she asks Ben to get her a soda.
ROMANCE
The romance is also well-developed, starting from their cute meet to their clicking at the basketball game. But it’s at the weekend with his family in Staten Island, when Andie is herself again, that their feelings deepen and they both acknowledge that they feel something real for the other. She plays Bullshit with his family and learns that she’s the first girl he has ever brought home. He then teaches her how to ride a motorbike. And she gets emotional about the fact that his mom hugged her. Their kiss then is a more heartfelt, slow kiss.
CALLBACKS
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS illustrates certain comedy techniques, namely Callbacks. First, in the dinner scene, she brings the baby fern over: “it’s a baby fern, just like our relationship, a helpless little baby in need of tender, loving care.” Second, when she interrupts his poker night, she sees that the baby fern is wilting (“Our love fern! You let it die!) and asks if he is going to let their relationship die. And finally, when Ben is pursuing her to win her back, he picks up the wilted love fern from her office and brings it to her.
The basketball game is also a recurring callback:
- the first game, when she makes him miss the final moment
- the second game: he thinks they will watch it from home, but she says she doesn’t eat meat so they have to go out and eat at a restaurant where he can’t see the game
- the third game: he thinks she has front row tickets (she doesn’t)
- the final game: they don’t watch it in at Madison Square Garden because they’ve broken up
Similarly, there’s a callback to the Bullshit game when she says she has to go to Washington D.C. to write the more substantive articles she wants to write and he says “bullshit.”
NEW YORK
And finally, it’s a love letter to New York with all the street scenes, the Knicks games, and even a visit to Staten Island.
Let’s Talk
Those are the reasons why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. What are your favorite lines and scenes from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? What do you love about it? Do you have other favorite romantic comedies?
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Korean Drama RomCom Recommendations
I’ve become addicted to watching Korean dramas since watching CRASH LANDING ON YOU, so here are 6 Korean Drama RomCom recommendations. I am also slowly getting in shape via my workout regime of watching a Korean drama while biking. The cliffhangers get me on the bike every day.
WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK-JOO
I love this Korean drama. This is about a woman, Kim Bok-joo, chasing her dream of becoming a professional weight-lifter, inspired by the real-life story of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. (So on point for this summer with the Olympics). Kim Bok-joo (played by Lee Sung-kyung) is pursued by a swimmer (played by Nam Joo-hyuk) training at the same elite college. Their relationship is so happy and adorable. And she also has a great group of girlfriends.
This one is available on Viki. Yang Hee-seung is the writer.
MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR
My Love From Another Star Given how much I loved CRASH LANDING ON YOU, I wanted to watch the writer’s previous dramas. Park Ji-eun also wrote MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR and it does not disappoint.
A Hallyu star falls in love with the alien next door who has to return to his planet in three months or die. So, there are similar high stakes, similar character growth (successful, isolated, self-centered woman and lonely, emotionally-withdrawn man) and a smart antagonist who is trying to kill the Hallyu star.
Gianna Jun plays the Hallyu star and Kim Soo-hyun plays the alien. Gianna Jun is a brilliant comedic actress. One of my favorite scenes is when she is plastered like a starfish against their shared wall trying to listen into the conversation next door between Kim Soo-hyun (whom she likes) and a woman she no longer trusts.
I also wanted to watch this after reading Dramabeans commentary recommending it while in the middle of CRASH LANDING ON YOU. Like many, the commentator was concerned about whether this couple from North Korea and South Korea were going to have a Happy Ever After, and she wrote, “this writer allowed an alien and a human to live happily together. What does it say about the state of our world if this couple from North Korea and South Korea can’t live together?”
I highly recommend reading Dramabeans recaps and commentary for any Korean dramas you are watching as the recaps can explain some points lost in translation and it’s illuminating to see other viewer’s reactions.
This one is available on Viki.
LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA
Legend of the Blue Sea is about a mermaid (Gianna Jun) who falls for a con man (Lee Min-ho). The con man schemes are fun capers. Park Ji-eun (writer of CRASH LANDING ON YOU) also wrote this one. My third book has caper elements so it was fun to watch this and be inspired. And again, we have high stakes–it’s not clear how long mermaids can survive on land. This is available on Viki.
TOUCH YOUR HEART
Touch Your Heart movie poster from Wikipedia I highly recommend this one. It’s about an actress (Yoo In-na) who wants to play a lawyer in a film so she gets a job as a lawyer’s assistant to prepare for her audition for that role. She’s assigned to work for Lee Dong-wook who is a gruff and reserved, but extremely brilliant lawyer.
She seems initially to be very sheltered and flighty (and very into pink–think LEGALLY BLONDE), but she is actually quite smart underneath, and she gradually thaws his heart. As a former lawyer, I love how they interwove the legal work. And I love that she has all these skills (like cooking and checking out crime scenes) from learning certain trades to play various roles (like a chef and a detective).
It’s available on Netflix. It is written by Lee Myung-suk and Choi Bo-rim.
ROMANCE IS A BONUS BOOK
ROMANCE IS A BONUS BOOK is about an unemployed woman (played by Lee Na-young) who used to be a successful ad copywriter, but then left the workforce to take care of her aging mother and her daughter. After getting divorced from her cheating husband, she has no income and can’t seem to get a job because of her age. She applies to work for her best friend’s publishing company as support staff, deleting her qualifications from her resume.
This one is great for movie club discussions as it deals with the realities of an older woman trying to return to the workforce after she left to spend time being a stay-at-home mother. Her best friend (played by Lee Jong-suk) has always been in love with her and it’s about their navigating their personal and professional lives.
Jung Hyun-jung is the writer. It is based on YOUNGER (they acquired the rights to produce a Korean drama based on it). I still have to watch YOUNGER.
It is available on Netflix.
PLAYFUL KISS
Playful Kiss Movie Poster This one has the trope of the persistent, but less academically-inclined high school girl (played by Jung So-min) who has a crush on the mean, aloof, brilliant boy (played by Kim Hyun-joong), but I think that it’s well done. It works particularly well in showing how they both complement each other and make each other better. It also has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. And there are even bonus episodes on Youtube. Go Eun-nim is the writer.
Available on Amazon.
Let’s Talk Korean Drama RomCom Recommendations
Have you watched any of these Korean dramas? Do you have any Korean drama RomCom recommendations? I would love to hear them! I am about to watch IT’s OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.
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5 Favorite Things About NYC
The Great Lawn in Central Park My novels are set in New York City so I’ve decided to periodically post about 5 favorite things about NYC.
The People
You have to like people to live in NYC. I love running into friends randomly while running errands or out and about. I can’t say it happens often, but it happens enough. And I also love funny interactions with strangers. I definitely missed these interactions when we were quarantining in our house. I found it interesting that research shows that people’s moods improve after positive conversations with strangers. One of my favorite pandemic stranger interactions was when I was on the line to vote in the US presidential election. The poll worker tried to set me up with the guy behind me in line. “Are you with her? If not, you need to keep your six feet of distance. Maybe you can take her out to dinner afterwards if you want to get closer.” He kept his six feet of distance. 🙂
I also like overhearing snippets of conversations. I recently overheard one woman say to another: “It was the underwear on the floor that was the final straw.”
Central Park
Central Park in the spring Central Park is amazing! There are so many areas to explore from the lawns to the wilder parts up north, from row boating on the Central Park lake to ice skating, from wandering around in the Ramble to exploring all the different playgrounds. And I shouldn’t forget the Central Park Zoo. And here’s a tip about how to figure out where you are in Central Park. The green posts show the street number, so below shows that you are on East 72nd Street.
Lamppost in Central Park Late Night Availability
I love that supermarkets, corner stores, and some restaurants stay open late (besides the bars and clubs). This is one of my favorite things about living in New York City.
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
I will probably mention Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip cookies in almost every book I write, they are that good. Yummy. When I live in other countries, I miss American chocolate chip cookies. I am so glad I had to buy Levain bakery cookies to photograph them for this blog post. 🙂
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Walking
I love being able to walk to wherever I want to go (or take public transportation). Before the pandemic, I walked around 5 miles a day on weekdays, between dropping the kids off at school, picking them up, and walking to and from work.
Let’s Talk
Because there’s so much I love about living in NYC, this is just my first blog post of 5 favorite things about NYC. Thanks to my friend and critique partner Giulia Skye for suggesting I post about this. Her novel Her Outback Driver is a RWA Vivian Contest finalist! She told me that she really enjoyed my descriptions of New York City in my books.
Have you visited New York? What are some of your favorite things about New York? If you’ve only seen New York in movies, what do you think of when you think of New York?
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Tips for Writing the RomCom Video
Here’s a short video of my talk with tips for writing the RomCom (romantic comedy) from the Chicklit & Prosecco writer festival. It’s about 11 minutes long, but it certainly felt like longer when I was talking 🙂
I hope you enjoy this Tips for Writing the RomCom video! Also, check out this post with tips.
Video talk on Tips for Writing the Romantic Comedy Let’s Talk
I hope things are going well wherever you are. New York City is starting to feel like its old self again, especially with all the restaurants sheds in the street for open air dining.
NYC: Restaurant sheds in the street for open air dining It feels like a party walking down the street at night because there are so many people sitting in the restaurants.
It is so hot in New York right now, and the sky is starting to darken like a thunderstorm is going to hit.
I am working on my third novel and watching romantic comedies at nights for inspiration (and tips). I’m also still working on my first two novels. I’ve also continued my workout regime of bicycling while watching a Korean drama, and that’s definitely working for me, although it’s slow progress. And if you do like Korean dramas, I recommend checking out this dramabeans site for summaries and comments (which also give tips for writing romcoms). But they’re so addictive that I definitely get on the bicycle every day to watch my next episode!
What are your plans for the summer?
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The Triangle Trope
Some people love the triangle trope in romantic comedies and some hate it.
Use the Triangle Trope to Show which Suitor is “The One”
As discussed before, Billy Mernit notes that the triangle is a technique to show how, “the Bellamy,” named after the actor Ralph Bellamy who often played this character, is the wrong guy for the Protagonist and how the romantic lead is the right one. ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE is one great example of this technique in use.
So, in the classic movie HIS GIRL FRIDAY, Ralph Bellamy is too staid and slow, compared to clever trickster Cary Grant, Cary Grant wants Rosalind Russell back as a wife and as a reporter. And he “seduces” her with the thrill of covering a great newspaper story.
But the triangle can also be tricky. As Sandy Barker points out in her blog, readers might view the protagonist as cheating.
Bridget Jones’s Diary In BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY, I think the triangle is well done. I can see the appeal of bad boy Daniel Cleaver. He’s fun and funny. I love the scene with the underpants (“Hello Mummy”) and the boating scene. But he also loses his appeal–he lies and cheats and isn’t offering much. “If I can’t make it with you, I can’t make it with anyone” is not a declaration of love–it’s more of an insult.
Ironically, Mark Darcy is the stuffy, work-oriented guy; however, you can see his longing to play in the rowboat scene. He stares enviously at Daniel Cleaver and Bridget Jones reciting bad poetry, ignoring his law partner who wants to work. As would I. The boating scene also shows you the appeal of Bridget for Mark Darcy and why they will make it as a couple.
A Triangle with Two Appealing Prospects Increases the Tension
Boys before Flowers poster Meanwhile, in the Korean drama BOYS BEFORE FLOWERS, if I had been the protagonist Jan-Di, I would have chosen the guy she didn’t. I was quite heartbroken that he didn’t get his girl. In that drama, both suitors were appealing and that definitely increased the tension: who was she going to choose? I understood why Jan-Di chose the man she did, but still… My friend says it is the K-Drama second lead syndrome: when the other guy is so appealing, it breaks your heart. I told her I wasn’t sure I was strong enough for these dramas. 🙂 So, although having two appealing suitors increases tension, I’d recommend at least giving the second lead a new love too.
In another K-drama, PLAYFUL KISS, the second lead Joon-gu is so in love with Ha-ni, that when Ha-Ni gives a love letter to her crush Seung-jo, and Seung-jo dismisses it as poorly-written, the second lead Joon-gu defends her, telling Seung-jo to apologize to Ha-ni and to pay attention to the emotion in her letter. How’s that for supporting the woman you love at all costs? But thankfully, that drama gave him his own romance at the end.
I’ve become addicted to Korean dramas after watching CRASH LANDING ON YOU. It’s my new workout regime. I bicycle on a stationary bike for ten miles a day while watching a K-drama. They’re addictive enough to get me on the bike every day! I’ll let you know if I actually lose weight. My Korean has definitely improved. Fighting!
Let’s Talk
Cherry blossoms in Central Park It’s finally spring in New York City and the cherry blossoms are out. In my latest novel, I’ve set a scene where not-yet-a-couple picnic among the cherry blossoms on Cherry Hill in Central Park.
And my children may return to school five days a week soon. I may be spontaneously dancing around my house.
In other exciting news, my friend Giulia Skye’s book Her Outback Driver just placed in the RWA Vivian Contest for Best First Published Book! Congratulations Giulia!
What have you been reading or watching? Do you like the triangle trope or do you hate it? And have you watched any Korean dramas? If you have, which ones do you recommend?
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CRASH LANDING ON YOU and Doing for Each Other
Movie Poster for Crash Landing on You Definitely my favorite movie of the pandemic is CRASH LANDING ON YOU, but I also think it epitomizes how to show romance by each giving, doing for each other, and taking care of the other. The romance is so good, as is the comedy and the drama. It’s written by female screenwriter Park Ji-Eun.
I am taking a Gotham Screenwriters Course with Doug Katz, and he gave some great advice on my scene sequence (which is a romantic comedy, of course):
- What do they each do for the other? As an example, he said, look at how Katharine Hepburn takes out the splinters from Humphrey Bogart’s foot in THE AFRICAN QUEEN.
- What does he need that she can do for him? What does she need that he can do for her?
- Give them conflict as to what each like to do (i.e., he likes eating sushi, she doesn’t).
As in all romantic comedies, how will they change each other unexpectedly? As Billy Mernit writes in Writing the Romantic Comedy,
“Create two incompletes who complete each other, seeming opposites who unite in a belief that love comes first–that’s the key to crafting a chemical equation that will set off sparks.”
Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billly Mernit at p. 155Park Ji-Eun definitely achieves that with Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin) and Jeong-hyeok (played by Hyun Bin). Happy sigh.
CRASH LANDING ON YOU and Doing for Each Other
In the first scene where we see Yoon Se-ri and Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok meet, Yoon Se-ri lands on North Korean Captain Ri. She tells him that she was paragliding and there was a storm and she landed here in North Korea by accident. Eventually, he tells Se-ri how to get back to South Korea. But can she trust him? He also gives her advice on how to avoid the landmines.
What does she do for him? She makes him smile. He has resolved not to be happy and not to care about anyone again since the death of his brother. But, as he overhears her on her walkie-talkie trying to reach her employees to be rescued (promising them bonuses), he smiles.
In their next scene together, he whisks her inside his yard, saving her from being spotted by the State Security Department.
While he tries to remain closed and aloof, she chats to him and keeps asking questions.
How do they complete each other?
Both teach each other to love and to care about each other—to open up to another person and not to remain closed off emotionally or socially. I particularly love the lyrics of the Flower song: “So, I am worried about you,” but the whole soundtrack is amazing.
Giving and Conflict
In another early scene, Captain Ri carefully prepares noodles for Yoon Se-ri from scratch. So, we could have a scene without any conflict where she happily eats the noodles. But what happens instead? Se-ri is worried that the food is poisoned and wants him to try it first. “But in the South, this is what we do. When you are eating at someone else’s house, the guest usually offers the first bite to the host.” He gets offended that she thinks the food is poisoned. This follows Doug’s third point about how to create conflict even when they are giving to each other. She tries to negotiate with him, saying she will repay any kindness. Eventually, he takes away the food, saying he won’t show her any kindness.
Let’s Talk
Image of Women laughing while sharing food Anyway, I highly recommend CRASH LANDING ON YOU, but I must warn you that it’s highly addictive. It feels like every scene ends on a cliffhanger. It’s directed in such a way that we revisit scenes and get more information, almost as if from a different POV in that scene. Close friends have now recommended THE DESCENDANTS and BOYS OVER FLOWERS. But I also need to write :), so I’m actually worried about starting another K-drama.
Have you seen CRASH LANDING ON YOU? If so, what is your favorite part? And if not, what movies or books do you recommend?
Here’s hoping that spring is just around the corner as I sit here typing, the sun streaming in my window.
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2021 Favorite Black Authors
Here’s some 2021 recommendations of favorite Black authors from my reading this past year, but don’t forget to check out my prior post.
Book Stack #colorfulspinechallenge Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert A favorite Black author from 2020, I also love this next one in the series. This book is really funny. Zafir Ansari is such a total sweetheart–a great book boyfriend. It has the fake dating trope between “I’m just in it for the sex” woman with a romantic man. What I especially love is when they tease each other. The banter just sparkles off the page:
“I was thinking we should just have lunch together,” he went on, ” and try to . . . you know. Flirt.”
“Try to flirt? Because we’re so out of practice.”
She could almost hear his blush through the phone. “We don’t flirt.”
“If that’s what you think, I really need to brush up on my skills.”
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia HibbertNote: steamy, open door sex scenes.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
My favorite non-romcom book was Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. It does get very dark and I had to put it down a few times because I was like “noooo!” But it has a happy ending and I was strongly rooting for the character of Queenie. And the voice is very funny. (It is quite explicit with sexual assault and very graphic sex scenes.)
It won the British Book Awards, among others.
Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon When a live tweet of a date reveals that Samiah has been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend, she and the two other women form a pact: no men and no dating. But the timing is terrible, as the deliciously sexy Daniel Collins has just started working where she works. And if his penchant for always grabbing coffee when she does is any indication, he’s interested in her. Daniel Collins is another sweetheart of a book boyfriend.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett My favorite women’s fiction book was The Vanishing Half. This is a great book for a book club discussion because there are so many layers to discuss. This book is about two twin Black sisters, one of whom abandons the other to pass as a white woman. Their daughters’ lives then intersect. There are also some beautiful relationships, of love and support, between Early and Desiree, and between Reese and Jude.
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson Another great book for a book club discussion is The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson. The Kindest Lie is about secrets, family, race, class and the broken promises of the American dream. Nancy Johnson does htis really well wtih the contrast between the upper middle-class settings of Chicago and a working class small town in Indiana, and with the two flawed POV characters, Ruth (a Black Ivy-educated engineer) and Midnight (a motherless white boy whose best friend is Black). Ruth is consumed by guilt over her secret–that she gave up her baby at 17 to go to Yale. The story really takes off when she goes to confront her family. The complex and realistic characters are all sympathetically drawn, but still flawed–which leads to great book club discussions. This was my first ever ARC received(!)–as part of an Instagram giveaway.
Mr. Tony Explores Space by Tony Gaskin
Mr Tony Explores Space by Tony Gaskin And my friend Mr. Tony published his book. My eight-year old said he was on page two and had already learned some new facts! He said it was great for learning about space and the space station (which he has been studying in school in third and fourth grade). He is also selling merchandise.
Let’s Talk
What books have you enjoyed reading this past year? What favorite Black authors have you found in 2021?
We’ve just returned from skiing in Colorado with family. It was a great break, but I’m happy to be home and catching up, even if we are in quarantine for ten days under New York rules.
I have been watching CRASH LANDING ON YOU (Netflix), and it’s utterly addictive. I LOVE LOVE it! Highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it already. But I’m afraid to start any more Korean dramas because I totally binged this one, and if they all end on hooks every scene, I will never get any work done!
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The Walking Wounded of MUSIC AND LYRICS
Music and Lyrics Movie Poster Alex (Hugh Grant) and Sophie (Drew Barrymore) in the movie MUSIC AND LYRICS are both walking wounded and show how backstory can create wounds or “ghosts” that then haunt the protagonists. SPOILER Alert. Go watch it if you haven’t already. (I love 80’s pop). It has so many funny lines. For more examples of backstory, check out my earlier post Baby Got Backstory. Backstory is what drives the internal conflict preventing two people from getting together.
In MUSIC AND LYRICS, Alex is a has-been popstar from the 1980’s who has the chance to write a song for the top rock star currently, Cora. Only he can’t write lyrics. He writes melodies. Enter Sophie, who spouts lyrics while watering his plants.
Sophie’s Wound
Sophie reveals her “wound” when she thinks she sees her ex-professor and hides. She then sees his book prominently displayed in a bookstore. The protagonist in his book is based on her. And she’s “haunted” by the words he wrote about her: “she was a brilliant mimic . . . but stripped of someone else’s literary clothes, she was a vacant, empty imitation of a writer.”
Later, Cora agrees to do their song and they are at a restaurant celebrating when Sophie’s ex walks in. Sophie flees. Alex joins her in the bathroom and says, “People wait their whole lives to see an ex when things are going really well. It never happens. You could make relationship history.”
Sophie confronts her ex-professor.
And she can’t speak.
As Alex says, “the few syllables you got out were absolutely devastating.”
Alex says that the guy is a complete jerk, and she shouldn’t allow him to have this hold on her.
Alex’s Wound
What’s Alex’s wound? His childhood friend left their band and chose business over their friendship. And Alex has been stuck in the past ever since.
When Cora commercializes their song, Sophie argues that they should tell her that it undermines the whole meaning of the song. Alex says, “it’s just business. And I wish everything was that clear.”
Sophie, hurt that their relationship doesn’t mean more, turns away.
The Black Moment: The Walking Wounded Emerge
Their black moment is when they both throw harsh truths at each other. Sophie tells him he’s not willing to fight for what he believes in. He tells her that she is like the woman in the book, she can’t work when she’s not inspired, but life is not a fairytale, and sometimes you just have to slog through. Sophie walks out.
The Grand Gesture
She submits the lyrics (“I need inspiration, not just another negotiation.”) He sings a solo he wrote for her, saying he’s sorry and asking her to give him another chance. And he persuades Cora to sing the song he and Sophie write, without the orgasmic sex scene introduction.
How do they Conquer their Wounds?
Sophie manages to write her hit single lyrics even when upset, and Alex writes a new song for her and stands up for the right approach for their song.
Let’s Talk
Illustration by Stroianadina on Fiverr I hope you are doing well. Have you seen MUSIC & LYRICS? What are your favorite lines? What romcoms do you recommend watching?
My favorite lines are:
“Love lost, love found, love lost again.”
“This is starting to sound a little bit like luggage, but good.”
#
“My god, I’ve suffered for my art.”
#
And of course their exchange about music and lyrics, ending with:
“But then, as you get to know the person, that’s the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It’s the combination of the two that makes it magical.”
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The Family As Antagonist in RomComs
THE BIG SICK Movie Poster Ok, so we all know that in romantic comedies, the Antagonist is the lover-to-be, but to kick up the conflict, many RomComs use the Family as the Antagonist. That may be in addition to the alternate suitor–or the Bellamy as discussed in previous posts.
How the Family is the Antagonist in RomComs
How can the family be the antagonist or contribute to the conflict?
- The family is opposed to the relationship (for example, for religious reasons in THE BIG SICK)
- they hate the lover-to-be because of past history (THE BIG SICK)
- the family is so lovable that the protagonist falls in love with the family and doesn’t want to hurt them by revealing the truth or deceive them any further (see THE PROPOSAL or WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING)
- they like the lover-to-be and push the couple together–helpful if it’s enemies-to-lovers (see THE PROPOSAL or even NEVER HAVE I EVER when the mom invites Ben over for dinner)
- the family is so horrible that it creates sympathy for a character (see Ben in NEVER HAVE I EVER and prior post discussing this)
- the family is the backstory that propels the internal conflict
THE BIG SICK – the Family Antagonist
THE BIG SICK by Amazon Studios I highly recommend THE BIG SICK. SPOILERS below. Let’s see how it uses the family as one of the main antagonists. Kumail and Emily meet at a comedy club after his comedy act.
Kumail’s family is initially the antagonist because they don’t support his marrying anyone outside the Muslim faith. They keep setting him up with Muslim women in order to find him a suitable wife. And they make clear at the dinner table that marrying outside the faith will lead to ostracism.
But Kumail is falling for Emily. Conflict.
Emily finds out he hasn’t told his family about her and that he doesn’t see how he can marry her because he doesn’t want to lose his family. They break up.
The roommates call him to sit with her at the hospital because she is very sick. He has to authorize putting her in a coma to try to save her. So, now Emily is out of the picture. What can the film do?
Her family arrives at the hospital. And her family becomes the antagonist. The mom HATES him because he broke her daughter’s heart. (The father is not too keen on him either, but he feels bad for him.) And so for the middle of the movie, it’s the relationship between Kumail and her parents which is center stage.
And then when Emily wakes up, the conflict is back between her and Kumail.
THE PROPOSAL
The Proposal Movie Poster I just re-watched THE PROPOSAL and enjoyed it so much. It has so many great one-liners and set-pieces. I highly recommend it.
Here, the family heightens the stakes–the mom and the grandmother by pushing them together and the father by trying to separate them.
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds visit his family in “Alaskaaa” (to imitate how Sandra Bullock says it when she hears that’s where he’s from).
The mom and the grandmother push to hear how Ryan Reynolds proposed to Sandra Bullock, push for them to kiss and then insist they get married . . . TOMORROW. They also adopt workaholic Sandra Bullock and take her along on various female field trips. They cause Sandra Bullock to have doubts about going through with the fake marriage.
ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE
ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE movie poster In ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE , another one of my favorite movies, Marcus uses his mom’s death and his father being alone as the reason why he has to stay in San Francisco and why he is mired in his current circumstances. And part of Sasha’s journey is to reconcile with her parents, who worked nonstop when she was a kid leaving her to eat dinners alone at home until she was invited over to his family’s house for dinner where his mom taught her how to cook. So, in ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE, the family history is the backstory that propels the internal conflicts of the characters.
Let’s Talk
How are you doing? Have you seen any of these movies? What are some of your favorite lines or moments? Are there other movies that you can think of where the family is the antagonist in the romcom?
Happy Holidays to All! And here’s to a much better 2021!
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Zoom Party Ideas
Our Christmas Tree My son just had his birthday party via zoom, so here are some zoom party ideas as we continue in quarantine. I’ve also had some adult zoom cocktail parties.
- play Mafia over zoom
- scavenger hunt
- Netflix watch party (no further explanation needed)
Mafia
Have you ever heard of the game Mafia? We used to play it late at night when we were staying over with a group of friends at a country house. Back when we did that.
Here are the instructions. I put the names of the guests on paper slips in one bowl and the various roles (mafia or murderer, villager, doctor, detective) in the other bowl. Then I matched every guest with a role and direct-messaged them via zoom. I was the narrator, but actually the boys all really wanted to be the narrator so they could create different scenarios of how people died. I thought the boys would probably prefer to play Among Us (which seems to be the online game equivalent), but not all the boys were allowed to play it, so I did it the zoom way. It worked. We added in other characters inspired by Among Us: the Angel (can tell the narrator one person to protect — if the murderer picks them to kill, they don’t die; the clown (pretends to be the murderer).
Scavenger Hunt
So this game was inspired by my son’s gym teacher. He has them do a scavenger hunt for household items, which makes the kids run around the house like mad.
I decided to add a riddle component. So I used some of these riddles for toothbrush and book (items they’d be sure to have around the house) and also came up with my own.
I am soft. This item is not a hat. I don’t go on your hand. I slip over your foot. What am I?
Answer: Sock
#
I roll, but I’m not a ball.
I’m paper, but you don’t write on me
What am I?
Answer: Toilet paper
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You rest your head on me
Answer: Pillow
One child unfortunately couldn’t go into the bathroom because someone is his family was using it, which was tough, given that I gave riddles for toothbrush and toilet paper as items they’d be sure to have around the house. 🙁
Zoom Party Ideas Summary
Several parents emailed to thank me and say their children really enjoyed the party. I think the bar is low at the moment and I just occupied their children for two hours.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays whatever you celebrate! I hope you had a wonderful Hannukah and have a wonderful Christmas!
We are busy making Christmas cookies. My favorite Christmas cookie recipe is gingerbread people (reduced fat!) from the Joy of Cooking. I have yet to find a sugar cookie recipe I really love, so if you have one, please share!
The cookies are quickly disappearing. In other exciting news, my first MS Partner Pursuit was the winner of the Hudson County RWA 25-4-25 contest, and the first twenty pages of my second MS Is This for Real? just placed third in the RWA Windy City Four Seasons contest.
Let’s Talk
Do you have any good zoom party ideas? What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?
Happy Holidays!