I would love to say that those who have coupled up get along with their spouse/significant other’s family. But that is not always the case.
In the 2005 romantic comedy, Monster-in-Law, Charlotte (Jennifer Lopez) has finally found the one. Kevin (Michael Vartan) is everything she has wanted in a man. Charlotte meets her future mother-in-law Viola (Jane Fonda) just before Kevin proposes. Instead of accepting her son’s future spouse, Viola will do everything to tear them apart.
What makes this film interesting is the unique love triangle. Neither Charlotte nor Viola are shrinking violets. They know what they want and are willing to fight for what they want.
I loved this book. The author clearly has an affinity for these types of stories. In delving into the behind-the-scenes tales, he gives the reader an opportunity to explore what makes some successful and others a waste of time for all involved.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy is available wherever books are sold.
Falling in love with your best friend is complicated. As much as you know this person, you also know that there is a chance that your friendship may not last.
Maid of Dishonor (the first in the Love Mishaps series), by Gracie Ruth Mitchell, was published in 2021. Samantha Quinn and Carter Ellis have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Neither knows that one is in love with the other. While doing everything they can to prevent Carter’s cousin from marrying for the wrong reasons, their unspoken feelings rise to the surface.
Both Samantha and Carter have emotional scars that are preventing them from revealing their feelings. They can either pretend that nothing has changed or take the plunge, not knowing what their future holds.
I loved this book. It has all of the elements of the genre. But it is neither completely predictable nor boring. The chemistry between Samantha and Carter sizzles. They have a perfect Emma Woodhouse and George Knightly-style relationship that quickly drew me in and held me until the last page.
My only issue is the low point in the story could have been extended a bit more.
Do I recommend it?
Absolutely. Maid of Dishonor is available wherever books are sold.
For one week, they switch lives. Peter travels to LA to take care of Debbie’s son. Debbie flies to New York to fulfill her educational dream. While temporarily living in each other’s houses, they discover new things about the other person. They also realize that they are in love with one another.
I loved this movie. It is romantic, funny, charming, and the perfect way to relax after a long week. The lead actors have fantastic chemistry and the narrative is pitch-perfect. The cherry on top is that the portrayal of NYC is the way it’s supposed to be. The chaos, the beauty, the people, it’s all there.
My favorite scene is the one in which Debbie has arrived in the city and is walking to Peter’s apartment. He tells her to stop. She is in DUMBO and is standing in front of the bridge. Her mouth drops at the sight. It is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn. Every time I see the bridge framed by the building, my heart stops. No matter how many times I see it, I am awed by its beauty.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Your Place or Mine is available for streaming on Netflix.
It is easy to assume that the person you are with will be in your life forever. What happens when they leave?
In the 2001 romantic comedySomeone Like You, Jane Goodale (Ashley Judd) is living the life. She is the producer of a popular daytime tv talk show and is happily settled with Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear). Ray is the executive producer of the program. Then he dumps her.
In order to figure out what went wrong, Jane decides to do some research. In doing so, she becomes an icon and a voice for single women across the nation. Using her roommate Eddie Alden (Hugh Jackman) as a guinea pig, the results are not what she expects.
Jackman is hot in this film. I mean, smoking, mouth drooling hot.
Now that that is over with, back to business.
Overall, the film is entertaining. The narrative hovers enough outside of the boundaries of the genre that it has a decent level of uniqueness. The problem I have is Judd’s character. She is clearly an accomplished and capable woman. But that is meaningless unless she is coupled up with someone.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the most iconic stories in human history. William Shakespeare‘s tale of love, hate, and war has been told and retold across centuries.
The new Hulu film, Rosaline, asks the following question: what happened to Romeo’s (Kyle Allen) first love, Rosaline (Kaitlyn Dever)?
After being dumped for her younger cousin, Juliet (Isabela Merced), Rosaline will do anything to get him back. Adding to her troubles is Dario (Sean Teale), the guy her father wants her to marry. He is interested in her, but she only has eyes for Romeo.
Rosaline is fun to watch and entertaining. It is an interesting twist on a chronicle that we all know. Dever is perfectly cast as the title character, bringing a new perspective on Romeo and Juliet. As she does in Ticket to Paradise, she proves that has the romantic comedy chops to revive a genre that sorely needs a kick in the figurative behind.
Not everyone is meant to live happily ever after. For every couple that spends their life together, there are many who have long since gone their separate ways.
A recent college graduate, Lily is on vacation to Bali with her bestie Wren (Billie Lourd) before the real world comes calling. When she meets Gede (Maxime Bouttier), their relationship goes from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. When Lily tells her parents that she is engaged, David and Georgia book a flight to the island. Their goal is to prevent their daughter from making the same mistake they did. The pilot behind the controls is Paul (Lucas Bravo), Georgia’s boyfriend.
This is a proper rom-com. Clooney and Roberts have a chemistry that is both undeniable and off the charts. I truly believed that their characters were once in love and are now in hate with one another. It wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but there were plenty of chuckles along the way.
Given what is going on in the world right now, I needed a break from reality. Ticket to Paradise is everything I could have asked for in that break.
Love can make us do crazy things, as cliche as it sounds. So can divorce.
In the 2011 romantic comedy, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Emily (Julianne Moore) has told her husband, Cal (Steve Carell) that she wants a divorce. Needing a pick-me-up, Cal turns to Jacob (Ryan Gosling) to teach him to meet women at bars. While this is happening, Jacob is trying to romance (or at the very least, get into bed), Hannah (Emma Stone). Hannah is Cal and Emily’s daughter.
If this was not enough, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), Hannah’s little brother has a thing for his teenagebabysitter, Jessica (Lio Tipton). Jessica, for her part, has a crush on Cal.
I like this movie. It is one of those rom-coms that manages color outside of the proverbial lines while keeping to genre standards. The cast is terrific and the story is thoroughly entertaining.
Among the thousands of writers that have existed throughout history, there is only a handful who have reinvented or added to stories as we know them to be today. One of them is William Shakespeare.
Katalina Gamarra‘s new romantic comedy, Ben and Beatriz: A Novel was published last month. It is essentially Much Ado About Nothing set among a group of modern twenty-somethings. Beatriz Herrera and Ben Montgomery are as different as night and day. Beatriz is a queer, biracial Latina who can take you down a peg or two with her sharp tongue if needed. Ben Montgomery is an all-American boy who comes from a WASP 1% family whose politics couldn’t be farther from Beatriz’s.
Though they claim to hate one another, underneath that hate is an attraction that cannot be ignored. As their expectations about one another begin to dissipate, there is a question of whether they can be honest about their feelings and their future as a couple.
I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately, the excitement quickly turned to disappointment. The promises made by the description were not fulfilled. Though the reader is told that Beatriz is queer and trying to hide it because of the political climate, it was barely mentioned. I kept asking myself if it was just being used to pull in readers without truly exploring this part of her persona.
Though the author does a good job of balancing the original text while recreating it in our time, it cannot be overcome by the expectations that were not met.
Do I recommend it? No.
Ben and Beatriz: A Novel is available for purchase in bookstores.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love stories in human history. William Shakespeare‘s tale of forbidden love set against a background of two warring families has touched generations of readers and romantics.
In the new Netflix romantic comedy, Love in the Villa, Julie Hutton (Kat Graham) is ready for the week-long vacation with her boyfriend to Verona, Italy. Instead, he decides that it is time for them to go their separate ways.
When Julie arrives in Italy, she discovers that the property she rented has been double booked. Charlie Fletcher (Tom Hopper) arrived at the home first and is refusing to find another place to stay. After they play a game of “top that” to force the other one out, they discover that they have a few things in common. Which of course, grows into a mutual attraction. But of course, there are barriers standing in their way.
Is it cute and charming? Yes. But it is also a little too predictable. That predictability comes from Julie’s GBF (gay best friend) and the return of both of their exes. I wish that the screenwriters would have transformed the narrative from hate to love a little sooner. It was also a bit too long. The last scene could have been cut down by a few minutes. I was almost wanting them to get together just so the movie would end.
Do I recommend it? Maybe.
Love in the Villa is available for streaming on Netflix.
Writergurlny 
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