The Rom Com Rewrite

This month, a message in a bottle from the dawn of the internet dating age washes up on our shore.

You've Got Mail

Year: 1998

Written by: Miklós László, Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron

Directed by: Nora Ephron

Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan

Show notes:

In the third of the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks rom coms, Kathleen owns a bookshop and Joe owns a bigger bookshop. What could possibly go wrong?

In this episode, we mention The Shop Around The Corner (1940) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033045/), Pillow Talk (1959) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053172/), Your Place Or Mine (2023) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12823454/), Catfish: The TV Show (2012- ) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2498968/), Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1782) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Liaisons_dangereuses), Dangerous Liaisons (1988) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094947/) and Cruel Intentions (1999) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139134/). We refer obliquely to Joe Versus The Volcano (1990) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/) and Sleepless In Seattle (1993) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/).

If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway.

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

This month, we respond (with love) to this love letter to South London.

Rye Lane

Year: 2023

Written by: Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia

Directed by: Raine Allen-Miller

Stars: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah

Show notes:

Peckham, Brixton, Brockley Park, Camberwell Green and Bankside. This is South London, baby.

In this episode, we mention the films Before Sunrise (1995) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) and (inadvertently) Before Sunset (2004) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), 10 Things I Hate About You (1995) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), and Garden State (2004) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0333766/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0). We also mention the song London Boy by Taylor Swift (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsKoOH6DVys) and the New York comedy collective Improv Everywhere (https://improveverywhere.com/).

You can find Nathan Rabin's 2007 coining of the phrase Manic Pixie Dream Girl here: https://www.avclub.com/the-bataan-death-march-of-whimsy-case-file-1-elizabet-1798210595 and a 2014 follow up here: https://www.salon.com/2014/07/15/im_sorry_for_coining_the_phrase_manic_pixie_dream_girl/. You can read about Colin Firth's Rye Lane cameo here: https://www.indiewire.com/2023/04/rye-lane-colin-firth-cameo-1234823244/.

The song Charles Adrian reminisces about 43 minutes into this episode is Sign Your Name by Sananda Maitreya (singing as Terence Trent D'Arby) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dluHzQhLcME).

If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway.

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

This is a film starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher.

Your Place Or Mine

Year: 2023

Written and Directed by: Aline Brosh McKenna

Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Zoe Chao, Jesse Williams

Show notes:

Listen, we took this film apart and, after a conversation that lasted 1 hour 20 minutes in its raw form (edited down to 50 minutes for your convenience) we have put it back together better. For you!

In this episode, we mention the films Going The Distance (2010) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322312/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3), When Harry Met Sally (1989) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098635/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), Sleepless In Seattle (1993) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), A Lot Like Love (2005) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391304/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) and Rye Lane (2023) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15893750/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) as well as the TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4094300/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).

If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway.

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

Still every bit as fresh as the day that it was born, this perfectly pitched, very funny rom com is shot through with pain and rewards repeated viewing.

Saving Face

Year: 2004

Written and Directed by: Alice Wu

Stars: Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen, Lynn Chen

Show notes:

How much do we love this film? Very much. Happy Valentines!

In this episode, we mention the films The Half Of It (2020) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9683478/) and The Graduate (1967) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/), and the TV series Friends (1994-2004) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/).

If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway.

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

Lindsay Lohan deserved better, frankly.

Falling For Christmas

Year: 2022

Screenplay by: Jeff Bonnett and Ron Oliver

Based on a story by: Jeff Bonnett

Directed by: Janeen Damian

Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young

Show notes:

Compare and despair! This bland remake of 1987's Overboard is not good in lots of different ways. But we can fix it.

For the absence of doubt, the names of the main characters in this film are: Sierra Belmont, Jake Russell and Tad Fairchild.

In this episode we make much mention the 1987 film Overboard starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093693/). We also mention the films Titanic (1997) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/) and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/).

If you would like to suggest films for future episodes, you can tweet Lisa: @LisaStowaway.

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

"Yeah, but the women… they're on holiday and suddenly the man of their dreams is knocking at the door. Like, what could be cuter?"

The Holiday

Year: 2006

Written and Directed by: Nancy Meyers

Stars: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach

Show notes:

Have you ever thought to yourself: I quite like The Holiday but Miles should have been gay?

In this episode, we mostly lay out the case for the prosecution in The Rom Com Rewrite vs The Holiday but there is some mitigation offered.

Some of the things this film is not: the TV series The Holiday (2021) (https://m.imdb.com/title/tt14773642/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_10), the film Holiday (1938) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030241/) and the film Last Holiday (2006) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408985/).

We refer to the character of the Baroness in The Sound Of Music (1965) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/) and we mention the films Under The Tuscan Sun (2003) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328589/), Bend It Like Beckham (2002) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286499/) and Overboard (1987) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093693/).

Next month we will watch Falling For Christmas (2022) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14715170/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

This November, the gays get their say.

Bros

Year: 2022

Written by: Billy Eichner, Nicholas Stoller

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Stars: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane

Fire Island

Year: 2022

Written by: Joel Kim Booster

Director: Andrew Ahn

Stars: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully

Show notes:

"Happy ending… rom com… but also we're gay and we do things a little differently."

In this episode Lisa and Charles Adrian dig into this year's big gay rom coms, one of which was released in cinemas and one of which was not.

We reference both the 2005 (not 2007) film adaptation (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) and the 1995 BBC TV adaptation (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112130/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3) of Jane Austin's novel Pride And Prejudice, which you can read about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice. Charles Adrian also mentions her novel Persuasion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion_(novel)) and Lisa mentions the film When Harry Met Sally (1989) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098635/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1).

You can find out more about the British band Bros here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bros_(British_band). Debra Messing, for those who do not know, played the eponymous Grace in the series Will And Grace (1998-2006 and 2017-2020), which you can read about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_%26_Grace.

With regard to LGBTQ+ museum spaces in the US and the UK: there are LGBTQ+ objects and archival materials at the National Museum of American History in Washington DC (https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/lgbtq-history) and an aspiration to create a separate LGBTQ+ museum within the Smithsonian Institution at some point in the future (https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/10/05/smithsonian-lgbtq-museum-bills-introduced-mark-pocan). In London, meanwhile, there is now a dedicated LGBTQ+ museum called Queer Britain (https://queerbritain.org.uk/).

Next month, much to Lisa's disgust, we will watch The Holiday (2006) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457939/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

This month, Lisa and Charles Adrian compare and contrast two jungle-based adventure rom coms.

Romancing The Stone

Year: 1984

Written by: Diane Thomas, Lem Dobbs, Howard Franklin, Treva Silverman

Director: Robert Zermeckis

Stars: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito

The Lost City

Year: 2022

Screenplay by: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee

Based on a story by: Seth Gordon

Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee

Stars: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum

Show notes:

This month's episode is slightly longer than usual because we need the time to get into which of these films is better than the other. Spoiler: it's the first one. The first one is better.

The 'Fabio' who is mentioned is Fabio Lanzoni. Fabio is famous for being, among other things, a prolific romance novel cover model. You can read more about him in the Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/jul/15/fabio-confessions-original-male-supermodel.

We mention the films Step Up (2006) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462590/), Magic Mike (2012) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1915581/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), 21 Jump Street (2012) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232829/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243155/), The Jewel Of The Nile (1985)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089370/) and Body Heat (1981)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082089/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), and the TV series Only Murders In The Building (2021- )(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12851524/) and The Office (US version) (2005-2013)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/). The gay rom com we have already covered on the podcast is Single All The Way (2021) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14315756/), which is the subject of our 11th episode.

Next month we will try to watch Bros (assuming it is available to watch in our jurisdiction by the time we need to record) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9731598/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

It's still wedding season! This month we look at a desi take on the wedding-based rom com. But how desi is it? And, frankly, how wedding-based?

Wedding Season

Year: 2022

Written by: Shiwani Srivastava

Director: Tom Dey

Stars: Pallavi Sharda, Suraj Sharma

Show notes:

In this episode, we (and our desi co-watchers, through us) weigh in on whether or not this entertaining, funny film really makes good on its apparent promises.

Charles Adrian references the films Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109831/), The Wedding Year (2019) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8367184/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt), Plus One (2019) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7645122/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), Father Of The Bride (1950) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042451/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_8 ) or (1991) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101862/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).

For anyone unfamiliar with the word 'desi', which we use in this episode, it is used to refer to people and culture of the Indian diaspora. For more information, you can visit the Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi.

Next month we will be watching Romancing The Stone (1984) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088011/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) and The Lost City (2022) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13320622/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!

The first of three (3) films to star Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall, Lisa and Charles Adrian chew over whether Pillow Talk can be said to have succeeded on its own terms.

Pillow Talk

Year: 1959

Screenplay by: Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin

Based on a story by: Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene

Director: Michael Gordon

Stars: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter

Show notes:

In this episode we reference the films The African Queen (1951) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043265/), Bringing Up Baby (1938) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029947/), The Shop Around The Corner (1940) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033045/) and You've Got Mail (1998) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128853/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). We also mention (or allude to) the films 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/), Joe Versus The Volcano (1990) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3), Failure To Launch (2006) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427229/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) and Dirty Dancing (1987) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092890/), which have all been discussed in previous episodes.

For anyone who is interested, Wikipedia has an entry on party lines in telephony: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_(telephony).

Next month we will be watching Wedding Season (2022) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11426572/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.