Confessions of a Closet Romantic

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To honor the late Dolly Parton and her embodiment of kindness and authenticity, I'm revisiting some favorite actresses and favorite performances in some favorite romcoms. I think all of these women have something in common with Dolly: they pick roles where they can be real, and show intelligence, warmth, vulnerability and kindness. Those are the qualities I most admire in others and it's the reason why I enjoy their performances so much.

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Instead of the dated 9 to 5 trailers, take a look at this awesome documentary on why the movie is sadly more relevant than ever. Then rewatch the movie and marvel at the lyrics and construction of the theme song by Dolly Parton, inspired by the tapping of her acrylic nails.

Like a pot bellied stove on a frosty morning... I'm not sure pick-up lines have improved since 1959, but Doris Day could play an innocent sex kitten and righteously outraged character like no other.

How these two bright, funny women--good friends in real life--portray the challenges of friendship in later years, a relationship that deepens in touching, sometimes annoyed but always profound ways throughout the 7 seasons of Grace and Frankie, is just incredible to behold. 

What's so refreshing about While You Were Sleeping is that it's not a story about a woman lacking a man, but someone craving family and connection and finding it in the most unlikely way. Sandra Bullock plays that woman with such a kind, sweet vulnerability.

Ugh, what is it about trailers. Something's Gotta Give is easily one of my favorite portrayals of late in life love, and most of the reason I love it so much is because of smart, funny and oh so real Diane Keaton. If you haven't seen it… just see it and come back and tell me how much you loved it.

Yes, It's Complicated and when the stakes are high, Meryl Streep becomes even more delightfully real and kind.

How much of this award intro was planned and how much was spontaneous? It's hard to say but it's hilarious Lily Tomlin in top form, and I'm betting that Dolly didn't mind.

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Deep loyalty, love, and devotion – even beyond reason – is a familiar romance trope. But right now I'm loving this trope applied to female friendships and relationships in action-packed stories about fearless women in dangerous jobs or pinned down by bad choices. Brave and sometimes foolish, they're backed by a ride-or-die chum who knows where the bodies are buried and where to get the best diner pancakes at 3 AM. And most importantly, how to be there for someone who's important to them.

CW: explicit film clips, plenty of spoilers

"I jumped from a moving train and I'm alive!" Fasten your seatbelt Deb, the adventure has just begun.

Excellent interview with Ride or Die creator Tessa Coates and showrunner Matt Miller.

If you haven't seen Hannah Waddingham as a football club owner in Ted Lasso, do that right away, because she's spectacular, and so is the entire cast.

When the perp says you better run from a crazy funny but dysfunctional cop, you better run.

This Melissa McCarthy blooper reel.

Skeery Marvel even in cartoonish form, can be too much for me. But there's something about the abrasive loner Jessica Jones and her whole story that I find extremely compelling. 

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(This episode contains spoilers).

I only have a few more episodes to go, but this series so far is refreshing, delightful and vicariously quite healing. As a middle child, Mary Bennet has never been the star or even costar of any Pride and Prejudice adaptation, rather an outcast and object of ridicule. But in this reimagining of the story, Mary finally emerges as swan from her oppressive existence at Longbourn, becoming the main character in her own life as she takes a new job in London. Turns out she's a smart, sweet thoughtful woman with tons to offer the world, and desires of her own, and I can't wait for her happy ending.

"We should sweep away these old tired rules..."

This scene could easily turn the most hardened heart into a poetry lover.

"What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters?" This sounds like a great idea for a book and a show.

Brief but interesting interview with Ella Bruccoleri on playing Mary Bennet

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(This episode contains spoilers)

I have been in the worst romance novel slump for ages, but Bridgerton Season 4 has restored that glorious, lush fantasy feeling from all of my favorite romance books. We know the destination of romantic tropes, but we don't know how each journey is going to go, which is part of the fun. Luckily, the Bridgerton production team knows at this point just how to spin a romantic story to stir our anticipation and our hearts in the most delicious way.

Bridgerton S4 is based on An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn.

"I'm charting an adventurous course! You're a rake!" 

A scene by scene breakdown of all the instrumental pop covers in S4.

And a tease about S5.

Fun interview with Bridgerton S4 writer/showrunner Jess Brownell on The Screenwriting Life podcast (talk of the show starts approximately 23:00).

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Life continues to throw a lot at me (I'm sure we can all relate) but I did get to take another road trip to the mountains with my sweetie. We were road tested on a few issues including broken down rental cars and hotel accessibility and I started thinking about what you learn about yourself when you travel. That inspired a new episode (coming soon) about romantic movies featuring characters who leave home to explore new horizons, and in between the ice cream, sightseeing, luxury hotel beds, Tuscan villa renos and arguments with companions of all sorts, learn something important about themselves. Meanwhile, enjoy this revisit with Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg of the Romance Road Test podcast, now hosts of How to Be Fine, a spinoff of their podcast By the Book and their book of the same name.

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I survived a bad winter storm that knocked out my heat and electricity for almost a week, so it's good to be back!

Speaking of drama, Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books of all time, so I've been following the crazy anticipation for the Emerald Fennell film adaptation of the story that just opened this weekend. Adapting beloved classic stories for the screen isn't easy – filmmakers will never manage to perfectly interpret the story for every fan of the source material, and they have to earn attention in ways that books don't. Some filmmakers really get it right, though, despite the challenges, and when they manage to honor the original story while staying committed to their own version of it, beloved characters live another day. Classic books have survived for a reason, and I think they can handle all of the red latex corsets thrown at them.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

It was certain that this movie was going to be hot and look stunning, no matter what.

I think this is the ultimate review of the film and I haven't even seen it yet. A Tale of Two Hotties.

Is this the greatest love story of all time?! Or is that our trauma talking? The 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights is full of romance with a R and scenery-chewing, and resembles the book only a little, but it's glorious.

I will watch the whole 1939 movie just for this scene.

I think they got everything I loved about this book exactly right.

"Based on the timeless love story by Jane Austen" and after that, they need to sell us on it because we are Fans. Well, personally I bought everything this version of Persuasion was selling.

It's far from a perfect movie, and I haven't read the book, but the casting and direction of Which Brings Me to You is perfection, and I was glued to the screen from beginning to end.

The Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR is a podcast and newsletter that covers the "buzziest" movies, TV, music, books, video games and more. 

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I'm back from a long break and what a phenomenal show and movie to come back to. I've certainly had a lot of experience with frenemies in my life, and participated in  perplexing, frustrating romances where I bickered, bantered and got annoyed regularly, yet couldn't stay away. These stories embody that frenemies to lovers trope perfectly, so if you crave delayed gratification, casual betrayals and slow burning, combustible intimacy that fixes it all in your romance, start streaming ASAP. 

CW: this episode is quite explicit

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

I hesitate to post this trailer because as usual, it doesn't begin to capture the tone and incendiary hotness of this fantastic series.

The hockey romance series that started it all.

Excellent interview with Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams with Carly Lane of Collider (a past guest on this show).

 "...it’s kind of crazy to have to learn how to skate, play hockey, speak Russian and do the accent and you don’t even know until a week before." If you are as shocked as I am that Connor Storrie did not actually grow up as a hockey playing Russian, here's an interview that explains how it all came about.

To survive, they'll have to team up. Why yes, this does make the wedding season sound like a contact sport.

How was I not aware of Emmy-nominated Maya Erskine?

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I don't often read or watch sci-fi stories, but add in a romance and I'm there. I have a specific kink for stories about human-robot love, android love, any kind of machinery that takes on human characteristics and can hug. Forbidden Planet is my jam, I, Robot and RoboCop freak me out a bit, but movies that ask questions about our essential humanity by transferring our ideal characteristics – and our flaws and romantic blunders – onto machines are some of my favorite types of romances.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

"In here, we can create a world just for us." Plus, there's a beautiful house, a dog and lots of ice cream.

My episode about Love in Unexpected Places.

If you haven't seen the movie Her, it's well worth adding to your watchlist.

Forbidden Planet and other sci-fi movies from the 1950s are always good for robot action, though there's no hanky-panky with faithful servant Robby the Robot. Now Klaatu is one of the sexiest robots ever.

A Barnes & Noble round up of stories about Love and Robots.

Reddit to the rescue: recs for romances about AI or robots that serve humans and learn to love. Smut and kinky robot sex optional.

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(Life continues to kick my behind, so I'll be releasing episodes every few weeks or so through the rest of the year. Follow me on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss a thing. As always, thanks for listening!)

Season 2 of Nobody Wants This was just released on Netflix, and it's different show runners, but equally heartwarming, sexy, touching and hilarious – if not more so. I'm only a third of the way through the latest season, but had to pop in and say: it's 100% fresh, so don't miss it. 

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

First comes love, then comes life.

Episode descriptions, in case you need to catch up.

"I didn't know I wrote a romcom...I thought I wrote Fleabag." Fascinating interview with Nobody Wants This creator/screenwriter Erin Foster at the American Film Institute.

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(Had a great time on my road trip, got back – and I've been sick ever since. This year has been one endless struggle bus ride, and there's room for more, so hop on :)

Materialists seems to be a polarizing movie that isn't quite a romcom, isn't quite a straight up romantic drama, while ending happily, making it one of the most interesting hybrid stories I've seen in a while. Dakota Johnson is incredible as Lucy, a smart but cynical matchmaker who treats her clients as commodities – and threatens to do the same with her ex-boyfriend until she realizes his love for her survived their terrible break up, and her honest admission that she's somewhat shallow when it comes to choosing romantic partners. When she finally decides to make a romantic choice that isn't based on statistics, shrewd calculations or dating math but what's in her heart, that's when her life turns around. And that's what makes this movie deeply romantic to me.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

I change my mind about this trailer – it captures the smart stylish vibe but not nearly all of the ups and downs in mood that make this such a fascinating film.

Celine Song talked about her inspiration for writing and directing Materialists in a fascinating interview on BBC World Service.

Gold Diggers of 1933 (full movie) is currently on YouTube! Oh and I forgot to mention – it stars a young Ginger Rogers too! The best hour and a half you will spend this week.

The trailer for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes doesn't tell you much, but what's clear is this Technicolor 1950s movie about two show-stopping showgirls, one in it for love and the other mostly for the diamonds, is such a treat.

How to Marry a Millionaire stars Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe as a stunning trio of broke but gorgeous roommates who we're supposed to believe have trouble landing super solvent guys who will love and dote on them.

I love going down the rabbit hole of the related and gendered variations on the gold digger trope.

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