Imagine Me & You
The Rom Com Rewrite
Queer representation returns to the Rom Com Rewrite just in time… for the month after Pride month. Imagine Me & You Year: 2005 Written by: Ol Parker Directed by: Ol Parker Stars: Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode Show notes: This film begins with a glance that makes us feel things and continues with some funny lines and not nearly enough queer specificity. It’s 2005, people! If you would like to skip the plot summary for this film you can spool forward a little over 18 minutes into the episode. Next month we are going to be talking about Office...
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Sex and the Single Girl & Down With Love
The Rom Com Rewrite
Two films about books about female empowerment. One of these films is more empowering than the other. Sex & The Single Girl Year: 1964 Screenplay by: Joseph Heller and David R. Schwartz Story by: Joseph Hoffman Based on the book by: Helen Gurley Brown Uncredited writer: Leslie H. Martinson Directed by: Richard Quine Stars: Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Henry Fonda, Lauren Bacall Down With Love Year: 2003 Written by: Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake Directed by: Peyton Reed Stars: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce Show notes: This month compare...
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The Big Sick
The Rom Com Rewrite
What does love need? The Big Sick Year: 2017 Written by: Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani Directed by: Michael Showalter Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan Show notes: This film falls into the very interesting category of films that a) we are not sure are rom coms and b) we love. As it happens, another of Michael Showalter’s films (The Idea of You, which is discussed in episode 43 of this podcast) also falls into this category. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward around 12 minutes into the episode. In this episode we...
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I Could Never Be Your Woman
The Rom Com Rewrite
Welcome to the Saoirse Ronan appreciation society. I Could Never Be Your Woman Year: 2007 Written by: Amy Heckerling Directed by: Amy Heckerling Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Saoirse Ronan Show notes: There is some good stuff in this film and some bad stuff and it is not Amy Heckerling’s best work but it is definitely worth a watch. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward almost 9 minutes into the episode. Correction: The film Charles Adrian remembered as Coming Home is in fact called Home Again. In this episode we...
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Year of the Comet
The Rom Com Rewrite
Moustachioed multimillionaire adventurer scientist meets flame-haired kick-ass wine babe in this adventure rom com from 1992. Year of the Comet Year: 1992 Written by: William Goldman Directed by: Peter Yates Stars: Penelope Ann Miller, Tim Daly Show notes: Like loving parents on the touch line at their child’s hockey match, we really get into this film. It is already so charming and has so much good stuff in. We just want it to be better! If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward a little over 4 and a half...
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Leap Year
The Rom Com Rewrite
A film that begins with a meet-cringe and ends with mis-apportioned blame. Leap Year Year: 2010 Written by: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont Directed by: Anand Tucker Stars: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode Show notes: Happy 5th anniversary to us!!! In this year that is not a leap year please allow us to propose a film about proposals that also did not come out in a leap year. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward about 13 minutes into the episode. In this episode we mention the films: Saving Face* (2004)...
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Bridget Jones's Diary
The Rom Com Rewrite
Not so much a rewrite as an appreciation of this 25-year-old classic in general and of Daniel Cleaver as played by Hugh Grant in particular. Bridget Jones’s Diary Year: 2001 Screenplay by: Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies, Richard Curtis Based on the novel by: Helen Fielding Directed by: Sharon Maguire Stars: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant Show notes: CN: discussion of fatphobia and diet culture; derogatory language If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward about 12 and a half minutes into the episode. In this...
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Love Hard
The Rom Com Rewrite
Why isn’t this film called Love Sleeping? Or Love You Were Sleeping? Or Actually, Love, Were You Sleeping? Or Do You Actually Love Sleeping? Or some other combination of the films Love Actually and WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING!? Love Hard Year: 2021 Written by: Daniel Mackey and Rebecca Ewing Directed by: Hernán Jiménez Stars: Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, Darren Barnet Show notes: This film wants to exist at the place where Love Actually meets Die Hard but the story of a woman who falls for a guy she knows nothing about beyond how he looks makes us think of a different film entirely. There is...
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Runaway Bride
The Rom Com Rewrite
This one is worth returning to - it might be better than you remember! Runaway Bride Year: 1999 Written by: Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott Directed by: Garry Marshall Stars: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack, Hector Elizondo, Rita Wilson, Paul Dooley, Christopher Meloni, Laurie Metcalf (uncredited) Show notes: Always the bride-to-be! This month we conclude our all-too-brief Julia Roberts mini-season with this gorgeous small-town battle of the sexes. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward about 11 minutes into the episode. In this...
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Notting Hill
The Rom Com Rewrite
It’s just a film standing in front of two podcasters asking them to take it lovingly apart and put it back together better. Notting Hill Year: 1999 Written by: Richard Curtis Directed by: Roger Michell Stars: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant Show notes: We really get into this one - and for ‘this one’ read Richard Curtis films in general and their male leads in particular. 26 years after its release there is much that is good about this film and also much to fix. If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can spool forward about 12 minutes into the episode. In this...
info_outlineBut what if Mr Malcolm had written a more interesting list?
Mr Malcolm’s List
Year: 2022
Written by: Suzanne Allain
Based on the novel by: Suzanne Allain
Directed by: Emma Holly Jones
Stars: Zawe Ashton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Sope Dirisu, Theo James, Freida Pinto, Ashley Park
Show notes:
We love this film. Seriously. Full marks for performances, set, locations, score, costumes and more where this month’s film is concerned. Nevertheless, we have some notes on language & mores, our all-important B couple and the eponymous list.
If you would like to skip the plot summary for this month’s film you can skip forward 11 minutes into the episode.
In this episode we mention the TV shows Pride And Prejudice (1995) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112130/), Bridgerton (2020-) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8740790/) and Downton Abbey (2010-2015) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606375/) as well as the film Gosford Park (2001) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/). We also mention the novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice) and the play Much Ado About Nothing (1598?) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing).
Incidentally, the Mozart opera Charles Adrian was mostly likely thinking of is The Marriage Of Figaro (1786) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Figaro) and you can find out more about “the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery”, aka the Dulwich Picture Gallery (1811), here: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/.
Next month we [are planning to watch The Apartment (1960) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053604/)] will watch Always Be My Maybe (2019) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7374948/).
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 (martinzalzaustwick.com).
Artwork is by Lisa Findley.
Thank you for listening!