Can you fall in love like they do in the movies? Being a fan of movies and particularly romantic comedies, I would like to think so as fantastical as that sounds.
In the film world, there is a term called the "meet-cute" that defines the moment when two characters meet thus beginning the romantic journey together. Often times they are quite "cute" such as John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale picking up the same pair of gloves in Serendipity or even Hugh Grant meeting Julia Roberts in his travel bookshop while absconding a book thief in the most British way possible in Notting Hill. Sometimes they are unconventional like Richard Gere picking up Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or even years later when his character infiltrates her small town in order to write a story about her in Runaway Bride. Other times the meet-cute can begin on the wrong foot such as Renee Zellweger's Bridget Jones meeting Colin Firth's pretentious and ugly sweater-wearing Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary or Meg Ryan's aviophobia Kate being seated next to Kevin Kline's scruffy Frenchman Luc in French Kiss. Nora Ephron had also proven that the meet-cute could also be possible without any physical interaction at all through Meg Ryan and Tom Hank's characters in Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. With all that in mind, who wouldn't like to meet like they do in the movies? The only question is if that is actually possible? Well, in Rachel Winter's novel Would Like to Meet she explores that idea.
Evie Summers is an aspiring screenwriter in London who works as an assistant for an agency run by her much needy boss, Monty, that has just acquired a lucrative and Oscar-winning client, Ezra Chester, to write a romantic comedy. The only problem is that Ezra has a bad case of writer's block as he doesn't believe in the concept that rom-coms create. With only a three-month deadline to produce a finished script to their producers, Evie needs to find a solution. Despite having recently ended her own failed relationship, she decides to inspire Ezra to write by recreating famous meet-cutes to prove him wrong and that people can find love like they do in the movies. What could go wrong? As Evie humorously and embarrassingly tries almost every meet-cute ever made, from Notting Hill's drink spill to going on a road trip with a stranger like in When Harry Met Sally... she ends up catching the attention of a sweet father and daughter duo, Ben and Anette, who cannot help but befriend and love her just as she is. Although the meet-cutes were only meant to inspire Ezra, Evie soon discovers that they have also ended up inspiring her as well along with the possibility of finding love again.
I genuinely loved reading this book! I intentionally wanted to read this book first in the new year because of its fun plot. In the past year, I have come across a lot of romance novels or chick lit as they are called, and while great as many of them are, I found something nice and refreshing about this one. It's sometimes easy or surprising to add a steamy scene in a book that garners readers to grab it off the shelves - not that there is anything wrong with that, but I liked how this novel didn't include that as it would not have really added anything to the story. The story may sound unrealistic, but it didn't make me cynical as I wanted to come along on this fun ride with Evie and her journey.
I liked a majority of the characters, particularly those in Evie's inner circle that includes her friends, JEMS as their group chat is called which is an acronym of their names: Jeremy, Evie, Maria, and Sarah. That group is the most forgiving group of friends I have ever come across in any book because a few of the things Evie does (most of which are accidental) would cause other people to give her the cold shoulder. Not this group - they are an understanding bunch that she should definitely be grateful for. I also love Ben and Anette. They're adorable! They are this novel's version of Sam and Jonah from Sleepless in Seattle, but Anette can give Jonah a run for his money. I love how much she tries to set up her father and Evie to the lengths of even recreating Love Actually and even Sleepless in Seattle. Speaking of which, I have to discuss the Evie-Ben-Ezra love triangle.
At first when I read the premise of the book, let alone the first three chapters, I thought the author was setting it up for Evie to end up with Ezra. My thought was that behind Ezra's narcissistic facade, he was actually nice and insecure and Evie's attempts at doing all the meet-cutes would lead them to falling in love. THANK GOODNESS I WAS WRONG! That would have been a horrible story because for one thing right off the bat despite how handsome and charismatic Ezra appears to be, he is unequivocally an ass. Evie even nicknames him NOB (Number One Boychild) throughout the whole book. There were a few small moments here and there when it seemed like it was going to go in that direction as Ezra started warming up to her, but he was really just flirting (while still being in a relationship with a movie star mind you). It was only when Evie and Ben began to slowly grow close, through their weekly afternoons with Anette at Gil's cafe, that I began to figure that Ben was Mark Darcy and Ezra was Daniel Cleaver à la Bridget Jones's Diary. So kudos to the author for that whether she intentionally meant it or not.
There were countless times I would get so frustrated with Ben and Evie. They're right for each other and the audience knows it, yet it got me so mad at times (in a good way, not in a hateful way) how oblivious they were to each other's feelings. Like oh my gosh - admit you love each other already! I understand that both characters had been through a lot and had their own losses, but damn it their development was so excruciatingly slow that I found myself flinging my hand in the air every time Ben would walk away or Evie would question why Ben was acting a certain way with her leading to a thought that Ben actually liked her. You think! With that aside, I did like the sweet moments they shared. My favorites being when they worked together to re-plan Sarah's hen do and when they were together on Valentine's Day because Evie clogged up her toilet with Ezra's disgusting cake and her roommate's uh... toy. I liked the connection the two of them had as well because they really understood each other. After Ben's wife died he gave up photography just as Evie gave up writing when her father died and when she was dismissed as a writer after being told "You just don't have what it takes."
Those damning words: You just don't have what it takes. Even I would be just as crushed if someone told me that after pouring my heart and soul into my talent, so I felt for Evie. What is worst is when we finally find out who told her that. Spoiler alert: Monty can go kick rocks! After finding out it was Monty who killed her spirit, it made me upset that Evie still worked for him bending over backwards as his assistant and going above and beyond than what is required in the ethical sense of a work relationship such as freeing him from a jammed bathroom stall in a women's lavatory and cleaning up his mess after a dalliance gone awfully wrong. He's practically an example of the toxic male in a high position, especially when he reveals how he continued to hinder Evie's career because he did not want to lose her as his assistant. Geeze! So, I was very proud of Evie when she finally stood up to him and told him no in the end. Even Ezra redeemed himself when he admits what he did regarding her meet-cutes and the script, so I give him that for his honesty in spite of everything. End of spoiler.
Evie's attempts at recreating meet-cutes was another thing I really liked about the novel. They were hilarious if not endearingly cute at times (pun intended). My favorite has to be when she tries to recreate the "bookshop" meet-cute by attending a book club at the Dusty Bookshelf having not read the book assigned. What transpires was hilarious! It's even funnier when you go back and reread how Evie comments about the book before she finds out what it is. I was in tears! During this, Evie also meets Steph, whom I wish we could have spent more time with apart from the one other scene later on. I also thought Evie's recreation of the When Harry Met Sally... road trip was funny, but I would not wish her ride buddy, Graeme, on anyone. He's the prime example of the worst person you can go on a road trip with. Apart from these two events, I thought how she put the "WLTM" (Would Like to Meet) cards with her name and phone number in various books at a bookstall was clever in attempting Kate Beckinsale's idea in Serendipity despite some of the outcomes she received.
The ending was really nice too, both the last chapter and the epilogue. I won't go into details, but in one word it was cinematic and had me smiling from ear to ear. What better ending can you create than something like that.
If you love rom-coms and want a nice feel-good read to start off the year, I highly recommend Would Like to Meet. There's something in it for everyone with characters and a story worth a movie of its own. End credits.
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List of Favorite Movie Meet-Cutes
(In no particular order and with some spoilers)
There are so many great movie meet-cutes, many of which I didn't get a chance to mention or go into detail here, but these are just a few of my favorites.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Nora Ephron changed the game when she created this endearingly sweet meet-cute. Meg Ryan's Annie is driving home after spending dinner over the holidays with her family and fiance (Bill Pullman was just the best in this movie and I hope his character found happiness in the end). En route she ends up listening to a talk show and falls for Tom Hanks's recently widowed Sam as he talks about how much he loved his wife. The moment when Sam describes how what they had was like "magic" and how Annie says it at same time truly understanding how he felt, is what really makes the scene showing their undeniable chemistry without any physical contact. It all the more makes their official meeting on top of the Empire State Building even more worthwhile and special.
You've Got Mail (1998)
Having already proven that meet-cutes can begin without physically meeting each other, Nora Ephron does it again but through email (oh the days of AOL) between Meg Ryan's Shopgirl a.k.a Kathleen Kelly and Tom Hank's NY152 a.k.a Joe Fox. Both are rivals in the bookstore business, with her small bookshop, The Shop Around the Corner, against his commercial big store, Fox Books, yet the two cannot deny the growing friendship and chemistry they have between their aliases unaware of who the other person really is. Although they do meet and spar with each other early on in the movie, the real meet-cute here is at the end when Kathleen as Shopgirl and Joe revealing himself as NY152 officially meet as they are.
It should be noted by the way that this movie is a remake of Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner which is set in Budapest with the two characters as pen pals. The meet-cute ending is just as lovely featuring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan.
The Holiday (2006)
I forgot to mention how happy I was that Would Like to Meet gave a lot love and appreciation for this underrated Nancy Meyer's rom-com. Apart from the overall joy of the whole movie itself about two women who decide to exchange houses over the holidays, we get not one but three meet-cutes. The first is Cameron Diaz's Amanda opening the door to Jude Law's handsome but inebriated Graham just as she was considering leaving Surrey, England and returning to L.A. The second is Kate Winslet's Iris meeting Jack Black's sweet Miles with Ennio Morricone's diegetic score playing in the background and the Santa Ana winds coming into play. The third meet-cute that I am counting is Iris meeting Eli Wallach's elderly yet nostalgic screenwriter Arthur Abbott, who becomes her best friend and confidant in L.A. though as he said " 'course this isn't quite that cute."
Serendipity (2001)
We all know this one, and it really is quite serendipitous. The movie opens with an exterior shot of Bloomingdales as the camera pans through its interior following a clerk holding a tray with a pair of gloves amidst the hustle and bustle of crowded holiday shoppers. The camera stops as the clerk hangs them up on a counter and we get a short shot of the gloves before they are immediately grabbed at the same time by John Cusack's Jonathan and Kate Beckinsale's Sarah. They share a look, an instant connection, and then the adventure begins.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
This one is inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a similar meet-cute, yet is still a classic with Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy. We meet our heroine Bridget Jones unfortunately having to go through the motions of a holiday gathering at her parents' house and begrudgingly having to mingle with the very colorful array of family friends and relatives, including a pervy "uncle" and questions about her love life. And then ding dong! Enter handsome Mark Darcy... wearing a hideous ugly Christmas sweater that is not meant to be the traditional "ugly" sweater we've come to know. Poor Bridget cannot help but be herself and talk total nonsense, which later leads to her overhearing Mark criticize her to his mother. While this meet-cute starts off badly, it later goes to show that like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, there is more to a person than the first impression they give.
Notting Hill (1999)
This one is my favorite and probably as I mentioned the most British meet-cute I have seen in a movie. Hugh Grant's William Thacker runs a travel bookshop and goes through the days not expecting anything spectacular until Julia Roberts's movie star Anna Scott enters his bookstore. William is pleasantly surprised yet awkward as he cannot help but comment about the books she is browsing through, only to be distracted by a theft happening in one of the back shelves of the store. The way he dismisses the book thief, Rufus, from putting a book down his trousers is funny and is even more hilarious when Rufus asks Anna for an autograph and she writes "Dear Rufus you belong in jail." Classic.
The follow up to this scene is the drink spill mentioned in Would Like to Meet, when William accidentally bumps into Anna on the street spilling orange juice all over her prompting him to politely invite her to his flat so she can clean up. She surprisingly kisses him afterwards. Surreal but nice.
About Time (2013)
The great thing about this time traveling rom-com is its reflection on life and the moments that make it, including meeting the love of your life. Domhnall Gleeson's Tim is a hopeless romantic who wants to find love. After an unsuccessful attempt pursuing Margot Robbie's character, Tim decides to move to London both for work and to hopefully meet someone. That someone turns out to be Rachel McAdams' Mary.
Their first meet-cute is through a Dans Le Noir restaurant where he gets to know Mary in the pitch black atmosphere never seeing her face until later outside when they finally meet. There's an instant connection and they promise to meet again exchanging phone numbers, but after Tim travels back in time to help a friend he unfortunately ends up never meeting Mary.
He tries to find her remembering that she loves Kate Moss and winds up at a museum where there is an exhibition on the model. He keeps waiting at the museum day after day until he finally sees Mary. Unfortunately again this time around, since he and Mary never met, she has a new boyfriend she just met a few weeks prior at her friend's house party. This prompts Tim to time travel to that house party and meet Mary before the other man does. He sees her alone by the balcony and the moment feels like the first time he met her all over again. He introduces himself and asks her out on a date away from the party, first breaking the ice sharing an admiration for Kate Moss and then admitting how beautiful she is. They then manage to leave the party before the other man arrives and get to know each other more throughout the evening.
So there you go - we get three meet-cutes with one couple setting up for a timeless love story.
The April Fools (1969)
This one is another underrated rom-com starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve. Jack Lemmon's Howard Brubaker has just been hired for a new job and is invited to a swanky party in the city hosted by his boss, Ted Gunther, played to sleazy perfection by Peter Lawford. Ted suggests to the kindhearted Brubaker to mingle and flirt around just as he will, using the pick up "Buy you a drink?" despite the fact that both men are married.
Brubaker ends up awkwardly walking around the party trying to enjoy himself. Meanwhile, Catherine Deneuve's character Catherine cannot help but be amused watching him from afar. Now mind you, this movie is set in the late 1960's so you can imagine how eclectic this party is, especially when just as Brubaker is about to try to flirt with a woman she suddenly (and randomly) breaks out into a rendition of Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer." All Brubaker can do in this instance is nod and sing along hopelessly. Finally, Brubaker casually taps the back of a woman he sees and it turns out to be Catherine. He pulls the line "Brubaker is the name, buy you a drink?" and to his surprise she accepts.
They end up going to two clubs, one a naughty safari themed nightclub suggested by Ted and the other an alternative dance club before winding up at a nice older couple's mansion. Throughout the evening, they enjoy each other's company and get to know each other despite the places they visited. Realizing how both unhappy they are in their marriages to spouses who do not understand them or let alone even try to or want to, they end up admitting their feelings for each other that have developed throughout the night. The irony to all of this is that Catherine is actually the wife of Brubaker's boss who encouraged him to pick up someone at the party in the first place.
The rest of the movie is great with my favorite scenes being the montage that takes place the very next day when Brubaker and Catherine spend the whole day at Central Park continuing where they left off before the dawn of a new day cut their previous evening short.
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