The Big Picture - 'One Night Only' and the 21st Century Rom-Com Canon

Episode Date: August 7, 2026

On today’s show, Amanda is joined by her Jam Session co-host and romantic comedy expert Juliet Litman to discuss a movie referenced as "The Purge, but for sex,” otherwise known as ‘One Night Only,’ starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro. They break down why it’s an incredibly charming movie that almost works, mainly because it has all of the essential “rom-com” tropes nailed down, but has an insurmountable premise. Later, they theorize why romantic comedies have been dying as a genre and form their legally binding 21st century romantic comedy canon. (0:00) Intro (0:49) Juliet Litman joins the show! (2:45) Movie news (12:38) ‘One Night Only’ (55:45) Why are romantic comedies dying? (1:07:02) Our definition of a romantic comedy (1:15:36) The 21st Century Rom-Com Canon Host: Amanda Dobbins Guest: Juliet Litman Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amanda Dobbins, and this is the big picture, a conversation show about what happens when Sean goes out of right. The letterbox lord is out of office, and that means I'm joined by my friend, Jam Session co-host, and generational romantic comedy expert Juliet Lippman to discuss one night only the newest Will Gluck entry in the genre. We'll also build the 21st century rom-com canon, which will be perfect and make no one angry. All of that right after this. Mid-sized business, we see your big ambitions, but how do you achieve the wins you want when your technology is holding you back? SAP Grow is built to grow with your business, no matter its size, with AI embedded at its

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what if. Just style you love and quality you can trust. Visit Wayfair.ca. Wayfair, every style, every home. It's Juliet. Okay, I'm putting my prop down now. That is that's a very light one night only joke, but also

I just thought of it while I was falling asleep the other night and it made me laugh and I wanted to amuse myself. It makes me think of the viral videos of people covering Natasha and Bettingfield. Have you seen that with all these like moms in the kitchen with their various kitchen supplies and toilet paper and brooms? No, I didn't know about that. But this is a good opener. It's Juliet, welcome to the big picture, by the way. Thanks. This is different internets and different cultural references coming together on the big picture.

And I doubt that Sean Fennacy knows who Natasha Bettingfield is much less about the videos. She, of course, sang the title song to the hills, Unwritten. Unwritten. And in these videos, people aren't like covering that song. Yeah. Covering you loosely. They're playing that song and dancing along in their kitchens. So this is the level that the big picture is going to be on today. And I almost just called this podcast jam session because that's what it is. But we are going to talk about movies. It is a happy fate of scheduling that Sean is away and you, You, Juliet, are here for the romantic comedy event of the summer. Agreed.

I just want to say I'm very nervous. I just feel like the big picture audience has high expectations and demands a lot. So I hope I can deliver. I'll do the best that I can. You know, I respect you. I respect Sean. I respect your listeners. So I'm here to come to your level.

And you respect romantic comedies. So we're going to talk about one night only. We're going to talk about the last 25 years in romantic comedies, which I think is going to be a fraught but exciting conversation. And there's no one else I'd rather have it with. So I'm very glad you're here. I want to do some quick news because we haven't recorded in a week. And I'll just, I'll talk at you on the news and you want to weigh in.

Great. You don't. You don't have to. Most of the news, we'll keep it quick because most of the news is about how people who are not us have made a lot of money. And that's great. But it's not coming to the big picture. So Spider-Man brand new day. Have you seen it, Juliet?

I have not. I really have always wanted to be involved in these movies, and it's just never taken for me. I'm just going to be honest. But I'm really happy for everyone involved because I know that they're seeing a lot of success. Yes. Everyone else in America seemingly has seen it.

It made $360 million domestic dollars in its first weekend, which is a lot, and in fact breaks the Avengers in-game opening weekend record. though, you know, you figure in for inflation, whatever. It's a lot of money. It's doing very well. Currently, as of this recording, $1.1 billion worldwide. One of the narratives was like, can it cross two?

And, you know, we don't know, but outlook good, as the eight ball would say. And the only thing I want to add to this is that on our last Spider-Man episode, Sean asked me, gave me an over-under on the number of movies that Tom Holland. would play in Spider-Played Spider-Man in going forward. And his over-under was 2.5. And I said under because I think too. And that was a mistake. And I should have said more because I wasn't thinking about the fact that he could also then like pass the Spidey Torch to the next Spider-Man but then show up as a mentor.

And I think he'll be doing that at least for a very long time because he is too bankable. I will say I have seen the Spider-Verse movies, the animated ones. Yes. I love them. I think they're, like, so beautiful and great New York movies. And that sounds very similar to the Spider-Verse movies with the mentorship and the multiple Spitees. So, sounds like a good plan to me. Yes.

Everyone in Spider-Man Land is doing very well, and I congratulate them. And I congratulate everyone who loved the movie. I liked it. I just did a quick Google to see if either Zendaya or Tom Holland were Leo's. They're not. But congrats to them on enjoying the abundance of the Emerald Year. Exactly. Less abundance or abundance on pause.

We haven't been talking too much about the Paramount Warner Brothers merger acquisition because it is on pause and we are also not business people. The trial was recently set. There was a deal made to delay it, to delay the trial, a deal between Paramount and the state attorneys. and the trial date was set for March, 27. So this is ongoing. Meanwhile, David Ellison took to the op-ed pages of the New York Times

to kind of restate his case seemingly like reframe the narrative. There was a lot about like I've, I'm taking this back for myself. A lot more I love movies, you know, he cites Top Gun Maverick because a broken clock is right once a day in Europe. And it's, you know, it is what it is. Nothing. No real news, except that nothing. will move forward until March 27.

I, do you follow this at all? I follow it through Matt Bellany's newsletter, almost exclusively. Like, I don't really read new stories about them. I read the headlines, essentially. My question for you is, what if Europe blocks it, but the U.S. allows it? What happens? I don't know, honestly, because once again, I'm not Matt Bellany or one of these experts. I do believe that Europe passed something more favorable to it recently.

Yeah. So I think somehow that that is not the front concern. Seemingly with the judge who made a ruling that actually did, the language seemed to suggest that she bought the state's attorney's argument that this would be like a market monopoly against movie theaters. Which is why David Ellison is again stating in his op-ed. Like, I will release X many movies and, you know, op-eds are not legally or financially binding. So, sure, that's nice. So I think right now this trial, as I read it and from all the business journalists who cover it,

the trial and the timing is, the American trial is the issue for Paramount right now. Gotcha. Okay. So you're up to go. Yeah. I don't know. I'm not, again, I'm not a legal party to any of this. That's a thing that is happening.

Okay. More exciting news. Brittany Snow joins Sydney Sweeney in Lions Gates, the Housemade sequel. Did you see The House Made? No, I did not. Really fun time at the movies. Can't say it was great. Britney's, but that's okay.

Great and fun. Don't have to coexist and maybe we'll talk about that more. Sure. I did consume a lot of the press tour. Amanda Safered is like a big part of my online life, I would say, in part because I watch videos of her preparing for the 2012 Oscars frequently as I watched the video of the Les Mis cast singing their number together before they actually performed it.

And of course, she's in it. So drinking tea, looking beautiful. In general, also, she, I don't know, this probably made it to you. It's a movie. They released some set photos from Octet with the next film from Lynn Manuel Miranda, which he is directing. And she is in it, among a lot of other Broadway stars. And, like, Gatton Matarazzo and Jonathan Groff, Philip Asu, et cetera.

Charlie Ralph was in it. It's exciting when Lynn Manuel Miranda takes his talents public. He's always working on so many things. In this photo, she, like, shined brighter than all these other very bright stars. And I just think that she has a certain... It factor that called out to me. And so I follow her very closely ever since Big Love. I would assume that you can now watch The Housemade in the comfort of your own home. Yes. My Roku television has advertised that to me.

Well, I think it's a very fun time at the movies. The Housemade, too, is on my radar because I enjoyed the Housemade one and also because Kirsten Dunst was previously announced as a cast member. And also, so Paul Anthony Kelly, aka JFK Jr. John John, John from American Love Story, Carolyn Beset Kennedy, and JFK Jr. I think I got that title correct. You know the one. Sure. He will I assume be playing the husband. He has joined this film. And I think that's the correct use of him. I think most people know what they're doing. So I'm looking forward to this. I've never seen anything that Britney Snow didn't make better. Like I think she's great. Why don't we have more of her? Did you watch her TV show on Netflix? You know, Juliet, I did not because I don't watch. TV. This is a film podcast. Would you like to tell us briefly? No, it's fine. Go ahead.

I know. I just, she's charming. She's always charming. Um, yeah, she also was like a really weird thing happened where like, you know, she was like a teen star. And then I, she was in the pitch perfect movies. So like, she's had a very steady, successful career. She had her first husband went on a Netflix reality show and was like incredibly inappropriate with one of his co-stars, like just really crossing the line of flirting. and touching while married to a very famous person, Britney Snow, they've since gotten divorced, and they're both now remarried.

But this is like all happened within the last four to five years. And I feel like she's been freed and, like, her career is soaring once again now that she's no longer dating to the dating this or married to this guy from Netflix. I think this is great casting for the housemaid too. And I look forward to it. Okay, last thing that I want to mention to you,

so Netflix dated and scheduled its theatrical release for La Bolanegra, which is one of its seeming Oscar hopefuls. La Bolanegra debuted at Cannes, but at the end of Cannes, so I didn't get to see it. That's okay. I will. And then was acquired by Netflix. It's going to be released October 16th in theaters, December 2nd on streaming, which many people are trumpeting as kind of like Netflix's largest or longest ever theatrical release

window. I personally don't think that this means that Netflix is completely. reversing course on its theatrical strategy. I do think it means that it believes in Leboleinegra for the Oscars. And it's the Lebel Inegra is a Spanish, like, historical epic directed by Los Havis. And it was one of the movies that Sean like immediately texted me after walking out of it saying, like, wow, I was very moved by it, which is, you know, that immediate response is a very good sign. So I'm excited to see it. And I'm excited that Netflix seems to think that.

this has some Oscar heat. The theater thing, guys, you know, it's a long road. Sure. I mean, they've owned theaters for a long time, so I don't, it doesn't seem like it's like a big indicator of anything. I understand, like putting their, I think your point about it suggests they believe in it. Yeah, I get that. But like, yeah, the theater thing seems.

Right. From all indicators, not like a huge part of their strategy. And also we've been talking a lot about this. The fall theatrical release schedule is a little strange. And Thanksgiving is a little, things keep moving around, things keep getting delayed. Thanksgiving is still a little bit empty. So maybe it's just a reflection of what's available. Anyway, we'll see.

I'm excited to see it. Let's talk about a film that is in theaters that we have both seen. We sure have. It's called one night only. I'm going to give the details. Okay. Which may surprise some people because I've had this experience while talking, to friends and many people who have seen the trailer and are still surprised to learn the premise

of this film. So anyway, this is directed by Will Gluck, who directed EZA, anyone but you, friends with benefits, also some Peter Rabbit movies. The script is by Travis Braun, and it was on the blacklist in 2024. And it stars Monica Babaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawk, Molly Ringwald, Levar Burton, King Princess, Michelle Hurd, Julia Fox, and more. The story is, two strangers, this is the logline, two strangers try to find love on the one night of the year when pre-marital sex is legal. Juliet Lippman, what did you think?

I had a good time. Yes. I liked it. I had a good time. I thought it was really clever in some ways. It was flawed in many others. Yeah. But the feeling and the movie stars were enough for me. And it was at appropriate length at one hour and like 46 minutes.

And so that was fun. It comes out strong with some good jokes, particularly using Monica Barbaro's talents. And I had a good time. I mean, certainly not like, you know, a Nora Ephron movie or a Nancy Myers movie or, you know, even some of my favorite recent Netflix movies. But I really like enjoyed myself.

Okay. We're going to get into that. I mostly disagree with you. I thought that this was an incredibly charming movie that almost works. It almost works. And the reason that I can't give it like the full pass is because it is just an insurmountable premise. And I do not think that the movie surmounts it. I don't know that a movie could, but this one tries to have it.

both ways and five other ways. And so you're in this complicated situation where you're in a sex comedy without any sex. You're in a romantic comedy on the, as I'm quoting the film and the trailer here, the least romantic night of the year. And you are also in a film

where the federal government has banned premarital sex and embedded bio-trackers in every single person. So I just... You can't get past it. I had less of a problem with that because I just was like kind of happy to go along with that, I guess. I'm like, I was willing to be led down a dark path.

But I felt the seams of the movie were just very apparent. I noticed edits a few times. And it didn't feel like it had like the utmost craft to it. Maybe that's because there were so many challenges in streamlining the plot, which is like to really explain everything would take a long time. And they don't. So I have notes on the premise, and then if you're accepting the premise, I also have other notes that I'd like to go through. Okay, I'd love to hear them.

Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, you said that you were willing to be led down a dark path. And this movie strenuously avoids the dark path. It is, it makes kind of elliptical, or not elliptical. It has references to what they call the mandate, which is the law that's been passed where you can't have. premarital sex. And they have a talking head. They, you know, kind of like a news report with a fake congressman or a fake elected representative who's supposed to be very conservative and is kind of a blowheart explaining why they did it. But, you know, not with any specific terms. They have,

you know, kind of like repeal signs and decorations throughout the set and throughout the movie to kind of backgrounds suggest that there is some sort of acknowledgement and like quote-unquote resistance. They are all in the resist font, by the way, you know, or the multiple resist fonts. There is, what I thought was the most forced part of, like, the premise and trying to work through the premise was a conversation that Monica Babarro's character has with Michelle Hurd, the great actress Michelle Hurd, who is an NYPD officer, who is forced. who Monica Pavarro's character

winds up in the hotel in the she winds up in the police station and asks her, you know, why do you do this? Why are you being an enforcer of it of this thing that is so repressive?

And it felt so inserted into the text and so half-hearted attempt to kind of acknowledge larger sociopolitical discomfort in a movie that's otherwise not trying to do that,

that in my experience, it draws it more to the unreality or the kind of having it both ways of this movie. Yeah, and it pulls you out of it when you're like that forced to think about the like. Yeah. Like all of the plot strands, but also like the morality of it.

It's also just like unfun. Yeah. I mean, the bio-trackers do play a plot point and also kind of set up the final reveal of the movie. But, you know, so they're there, and I assume they're animated, but they're on everyone's wrist.

And you're just talking a lot about the government monitoring your sex life via something that's embedded in your body. And they, I guess they do the best they can, but you are reminded of it. It does also feel very noted to me, like that there were,

the Michelle Hurd conversation is one. There's another one where there's a gay roommate who says, has like one throwaway line about how, like, we've been skirting straight people laws for years, you know, which is to maybe acknowledge the fact that you do primarily see heterosexual couples, like, getting it on. You know, like, you feel all the hands in the kitchen trying to solve this problem. It also feels like if they're trying to restrict sex, wouldn't they also try to restrict, like, you know, different sexualities?

It doesn't track that you could be, like, open, openly and happily gay. Okay. also like, you know, straight people can only have sex on this one night of the year. Like, why would they stop there? And also, the main problem with the, like, one night a year is there's no rationale for it, except for, like, there was that congressman you reference, I think at some points, like, you know, like, reinforcing the importance of, like, the family unit. Right.

But then the, you know, non-straight person is a woman who's watching a kid that night and sort of, like, like, the only one of the two family units were, like, introduced to is, like, two friends. a random kid. So it doesn't track with the mandate itself. Yes. And it does feel like the original idea

for this movie was like what if it was the purge but sex? Right. And that's a really funny elevator pitch. Yes. But the purge is a gruesome like horror movie. And so you can tell

that the more you have to think about it and live in the world, the more this seems come apart, as you said. Because there are just many questions. You had a segue to all of the notes within the premise that I wanted to make. So here are the questions I want to ask you about because this is a problem. The premise itself isn't sold.

Or you just have too many questions about like, okay, why are you outlawing sex for, you know, except for one night a year or premarital sex for one night a year? and what does that say about the world at large, but also power enforcing that. So the number one question I had is why doesn't everyone just get married immediately? Yeah. And like, are there rules against divorce? Are you limited on the number of divorces you can have? They don't mention that.

They don't get into cheating and whether you can cheat if you're married, which seems like a very easy way to circumnavigate this. There is a rule, and this is a good rule. that you have to wear a condom. So there's a safe sex aspect of that and that also forms, you know, plot because, plot point, because there's a run on condoms

on the one night a year and you gotta make sure you have a condom. Can we just pause on the condom thing for one second? I couldn't help but think of the movie the Trojan War the entire time I was watching the Condom Odyssey with Wilfredel and Jennifer Love Hewitt, which was a very formative movie for me.

Okay. And I was like, is this intentional? Am I supposed to be thinking of Will Friedel looking for a condom as like the whole movie? Because that was like a movie I saw in the 90s. I feel like it was like, wow, the guy from Boy Meets World is now searching for a condom. And I just couldn't believe that that was something they were trying to like call upon. But if you also watched that movie many times as a young person, then you probably were thinking of it too. So the Trojan Trojan wore the movie, not to be confused.

with The Odyssey or Troy is a 1997 teen comedy starring, as you noted, Wilfridel, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and according to Wikipedia here, made only $309 in ticket sales because it played at two movie theaters in the United States. So I think, like, flip side, everyone else in the world has seen Spider-Man brand new day, and you have seen Trojan War.

I watched a lot of movies in the 90s. That's all I can say. Okay. I didn't know this was an obscure movie. I assumed everyone had seen it. I have not seen it, but I know we have some context for it. Do they... This is the plot.

This is the plot of the movie is that he meets Jennifer Love Hewitt and they want to have sex and he can't find a condom. And he's going to all these different stores to get a condom and he can't find one. And then like he meets a Cyclops and he meets the sirens. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. There's like an honesty like tail to it. Does anyone get turned into a pig?

No, not that I recall. I also don't really remember the ending. But I don't think they ever have sex in the movie because it was like the 90s. And, yeah, I thought of it the whole time. We'll come back to not having sex. Speaking of condoms, so we get no specifications on the biometric measure things. So I don't know how you can tell if a condom is used or not.

So I don't know how that's enforced. It's a weird thought experiment that the movie begs you to partake in. Like, you have to think about, how would a biometric tracker that's embedded into your wrist be able to sense if you a woman, we're being penetrated with a condom on, or fewer man are wearing one. Like, what is the science there?

And I regret having to ask this question publicly on a podcast. Well, sure, but let's keep going. So is masturbation allowed or, like, hand jobs allowed? They do at one point in the NYPD office show, like, a poster, a humorously illustrated poster of like what's allowed and what's not allowed. And it seems pretty clear, like, all forms of oral sex are banned. they're on the strikeout poster. I at least saw a couple of them.

But nothing about hand jobs. So I just, these are gray areas. It does seem like, and no, absolutely no energy is devoted to the people trying to get around these areas,

these, you know, in creative or humorous ways, much less the realities of what it would mean. The final thing that I would say is that, what everyone at 7 p.m. is not already ready to go in this universe. Like at 7 p.m., people are, like, out in public and, like, throwing parties and celebrating. And I just don't understand why you wouldn't be, like, about to start the 100 meter dash, you know? Totally. Also, a part of the original conceit is that Callan Turner is supposed to be proposing to his girlfriend

on this night. Right. Why would you propose on the one night a year you could have sex? Like, and also the movie says it's not romantic.

So the way that people were using their time on this evening, that's questionable. Well, I mean, it sets up the fact that Callum Turner also doesn't really

understand what's going on. You know, he's a lost soul. He's not of this time. And that's why the other most ridiculous thing that happens in this movie.

And his name is Owen, by the way. It's Owen and Allie. Is that within 15 minutes of the movie starting and before the clock hits seven and everyone's allowed to have sex for the next 12 hours, he is not quite dumped by his girlfriend, Maya Hawk, who he was going to propose to, because she wants to have sex with someone else other than him in their building. In their building on the one night a year when sex is allowed. Right. This is unbelievable for a number of reasons, including that the person's sitting opposite her

is Callum Turner. Well, we did see a picture of the other person. I don't want to ruin it for everybody, but it is someone very handsome who might be familiar with. It's a good gag reveal later on. There are lots of good jokes. Okay, I do want to talk about Callum Turner,

but let's talk about the flip side of everything that we just said, the premise is not believable and draws attention to your fact. Well, of course, it's not believable, but they just can't sell it. They try really hard. I think they make a good effort.

It doesn't quite land. Everything else is pretty charming. And everything else is well made. I had a really, really great time. And we were talking about this on the Spider-Man episode of that experience when you go to a movie and you're like, wow, I had the best time in the world. And then the further you get from it, the more you remember the holes or the things that didn't quite add up.

And because the film was so directed to your particular pleasure centers, it really lands. is the case for me. I walked out of this, like, this is the most charming, wonderful thing I've ever seen in some time. And it hits a lot of rom-com things, right? In my opinion, I think that Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro are excellent. Agreed. I have some notes on certain aspects of what's going on with Callum Turner, but we'll get to it. The jokes are really funny. There was a couple times where I just like really laughed out loud. There was one scene where I was like, I don't know what's really going on here, but I find it absolutely hilarious

and I was like just dying in my seat. I really enjoyed it. There's one scene in particular, I should say. And it's filmed actually in New York City and in real places. Yes. And it has actually good soundtrack for once, which is unlike most other romantic comedies,

which are like the leftovers of, you know, female-centered, like pop light that they couldn't place anywhere else, so they placed it in a romantic comedy. Well, to that point, the movie basically the second scene introduces Allie, Monica Barbaro, at her job, where she sings for pharmaceutical commercials. She sings like well-known pop songs that have been rewritten for these commercials. And it's a version of Brave by Sarah Borrellas. And it's really funny.

It's really, really well done. And she sounds great. And they introduce it as here is the bad song from a romantic comment. that is playing and it's a little cheesy. And, you know, like, Brave is, it's fantastic. But in this context, you're like, oh, no, they weren't even invented. They didn't even go get, like, a new song. And when it turns, it's really, like, I laughed.

Me too. I was like, oh, that's really smart. And it's a clever way of, like, inverting a well-known trope. Yes. And a well-known song. Yes. So it's knowing, and the movie knows what it's doing. like on almost every front.

It's very aware of the genre, very aware of what comes before it, and is kind of spending the time and the money to try to make everything work. So I'm with you. I had a really, really good time. Yeah. And as I was watching,

this is both an indictment and like a credit to the movie. I was thinking throughout the movie of like the different pieces where I was like trying to guess what I thought the filming were referencing, I was like, of course, I was thinking of, you know, Jennifer Love, Hewitt, primarily. But I thought about her again because one of the, another song that's included in

You by Yazoo, which is essential to Cannon-Hardly Wait in the train station scene. And so I was, like, thinking throughout, like, are they thinking of this from this movie that I love? Like, I felt like I was speaking the same language as the creators and particularly the writer. But I wasn't, but at the same time, I was like, it's probably a bad sense. that I'm thinking so much about all the reference points and not just, like, losing myself in the movie. But I think as, like, a lover of romantic comedies in this day and age,

that really good ones are so few and far between, and I wouldn't say this is a really good one. But just, like, wanting to celebrate the genre with other people who love it as much as you do, I think, as part of being a fan at this point. And so I don't know if seeing a movie like that, you could avoid that experience anymore. Yeah, I mean, what you just described are Easter eggs,

and there are Easter eggs, not for a specific superhero movie, but instead for this genre that we know and love and are very protective of and are going to try to build not quite a Hall of Fame, but an essential list for later on this episode

with very strict rules because we believe in this stuff. So I think you're right. And I think some of it is that it is very hard in this day and age to make a brand new romantic comedy that stands on its own without any of the references

because at this point, much like Spider-Man, it's burdened by all of our expectations and all of the... Yeah. Like, not the fan's service, but the fan acknowledgement it has to do.

Right. Yeah, I mean, we're a generation, like, just so tapped into Nancy Myers and Nora Ephron, as mentioned before. It's like their presence over the genre is so,

so heavy that you can't not think about them whenever, like, a Robcom is just, like, as an idea, as mentioned. Let's talk about, Callum Turner. Okay. I mean, I'm on the record on this. What did you think?

I liked spending time with him. Yeah. I felt the movie worked in part because he's so handsome and you're happy to spend so much time with him. I didn't think he was like so convincing as a lead, but I understand why he's like a working successful actor. And it's because he's so handsome and you just like want to be around his smile. I thought the American accent was very tough and verged into kind of

fake mobster impression from time to time. I felt like he was sort of his own version of like Danny Zucco in Greece, but like Pizza Man in New York. Yeah. And I did spend some time in the movie thinking, okay, so why couldn't he just be British? And I guess that that brings in like some, you know, sort of the geopolitical arrangements and you'd have to establish that like anyone with a green card has a, you know, has to have a tracker or something. And then you're just, you're, you're in hell once again. So, easier just to give an American an accent, but we're not there yet.

Totally. Yeah, we're not there. Can I ask you a question before we go any further? Because it's like, it looms over this whole movie for me. I watch everything through like my New York goggles, like being obsessed with the city in which I was born and continued to live. Like, I think the character doesn't work if he's not like some kind of New Yorker. Like, because you would have to change so many fundamental things that we know about this character. Which are.

I don't know if that's just my bias, but I think to your answer to your question, why couldn't he just be British? Well, then he couldn't own a pizza shop. If he doesn't own a pizza shop, like, who is this guy? Yeah, well, who is this guy who owns a pizza shop to you? I'd love to know what you think was essentially New York about this character. Who is the most handsome man you've ever seen who gets dumped by Maya Hawk 20 minutes before they're allowed to have sex at an Omicasse restaurant? I mean, there is it. there's a very funny joke within the movie

that's meta and it features two well-known actors in cameos being like, why is he alone? This guy's so handsome. Like, what is it? Great question. Even the movie knows. And that was one where the movies

trying to make things fit together in a way that was amusing to me. But all I know about him is that he makes pizza that looks quite good and that he's incredibly handsome. Incredibly handsome. him. His mom is Molly Ringwold. He's an avid subway rider.

Never getting into a taxi, that guy. And he knows his neighbors. I don't think that Callum Turner in this role as Owen screamed New York, but I felt that the writing was so invested in the city of New York as a character. Whether that succeeded, we can discuss. But even the breakup scene is like,

you know, like delivered through this vessel of like, I live in a New York city building and I'm curious about my neighbor and like I see him in the elevator. You know what I mean? Sure. So it felt very present to me, but I'm also obsessed with New York. So I don't know if that's my personal bias. I accept it. I'm not sure I sat there thinking this is the most American man that I've ever seen in my entire life. Sure. Well, I don't think of Cal Turner. I think of the script, though. Like also with the Red Lighthouse and stuff. Have you ever been there? No, I haven't. Oh, that's because you're...

Yeah, that's because... I live in Los Angeles, and I'm not a true Upper West Side New Yorker like you. The other thing I wanted to mention about Callum Turner was The Running, because there is a tremendous amount of running in this movie, which, you know, it's structured, it's clever. It is right there in the title. It's one night only.

It's not even a... It's not even a 24-hour movie. It's maybe like an 18-hour movie. Maybe 13, though... I think it's less, yeah. Though, like, the time and geography. constraints are not realistic, but that's okay. So it's a 13-hour movie,

and he's got to get a lot of places and have a lot of adventures. So he is running through the streets of New York. And every time he ran, I thought to myself, we got to work on this run if we want to lock down James Bond. It was not a Tom Cruise

in Mission Impossible level run. The ergonomics are... I was just going to say, he lacks the swiftness that we are familiar with from Tom Cruise. It's not tucked in, you know? we haven't gone to a running coach yet. And I got a little nervous for him in that moment.

How much of it is his neck? He's got a thick neck. He's a real football player type body. To me, it was more about the arms and the arms were going out almost like chicken dance as much as they were. And so it was his forward motion. Like I said, the ergonomics were not very efficient. So he's almost putting his elbows in like a circle situation. And he's not totally veering in a straight line.

He's not tucked in, you know. He would not win the 100 meter dash. No, he's a little all over the place. And listen, I look like a total goofball when I run. It's not a problem. And also, maybe the new James Bond is not going to run. You know, maybe he's not that kind of action start. But I did have that moment sitting there where I thought to myself,

this is not a James Bond run. So he lacks the aerodynamicness that we're hoping to find in all of our James bonds. Yeah. I think he can get there, but I do think he would need to like shed some pounds, not because I think he needs to lose weight, but I do think he looks like he's a running back and we need him to be more of like a point guard. Okay. Thank you for those sports references. On the flip side, he has one of the best, we'll call it like the rom-com reaction shot,

the appreciative, I think I'm falling in love with this person close up during Monica Babarro's solo of Only You that I've ever seen. He's really, really, really, really, really good at the smile. And it just helps that he's dreamy, but they nailed those close-ups. And that is a really under-discussed part of a romantic comedy that he has down. That's a great point. He's very good at smiling, like very, very good at it. And it lights up his adorable little face. He is, I mean, he is an interesting one where the ears, which the script makes note of, make him cute as well as incredibly James Bond level handsome, which the movie knows, like the movie knows. Like the movie.

is using him. The movie makes jokes about how handsome he is. Like, he is cast because of the way that he looks. And then isn't it funny that someone this handsome doesn't have a date for the one night a year where you can have sex? But I really, it really works. And those emotional moments he can kind of play, which I was surprised by. I think there's something also about him that's very non-threatening. Even though he's like so hot and whatnot, he doesn't feel like an imposing presence. He doesn't feel toxic. He, you know, there's like many hijinks throughout it where like, you know, this one woman, he meets her in the park and then she ends up zipped tying his hands to the tree and she steals all his stuff. You kind of like feel bad for him and never think that like he would

be the aggressor in that scene. And there's something about him that I think is also very true to, particularly like rom-coms of this century so far, that felt like a familiar trope that also really works. Yeah. He is also incredibly well-matched with Monica Barbaro, who I just think is the most wonderful in the world. She's got it. That haircut. I need to know who did the hair in this movie. I was, I was envious the entire time. Her highlights looked incredible. The cut was great. It like framed her face and her shoulders so well. Oh my God. I was just staring. I loved it. I mean, she's very beautiful and very talented. And she can sing. as we learned in a complete unknown.

She says she just learned to sing for a complete unknown. She played Joan Baez. She was nominated for an Oscar. I thought she was wonderful in that. And so they make use of her singing in a very funny way in this. And they make her just goofy enough that, again, to the Kalim Turner point, you don't feel threatened by her. It was very early Sandra Bullock vibes.

to me. And it was... Yes. And this is a person who doesn't quite have it together and clearly doesn't also, she also does not have a date for her, you know, one night of passion a year. But she's also not a total mess, right? Right. And it's, it's a good mix because I do feel like romantic comedies in the past decade or two have kind of swung all the way from super aggressively together woman who can't find love to total mess of a woman who can't find love. And this to me was a happyish medium. Yeah, I agree with it.

She's like a professional who's trying to find her way. Yes. And she has friends and she has standards. And their meat cute, which sets them on their path, is that he barfs on her feet. And so, and she is just like, no, thank you. I don't want anything to do with you. So she's not desperate.

It makes sense. The standards and the setup, at least as it speaks to two of them, do work. And I just like watching her. I like her watching so much that I liked a climactic moment of romantic comedy that involves someone giving a live musical performance. I was wondering about that. But first of all, she can sing, you know, and so much of, and I knew that already because of a complete unknown.

And much of my live singing allergy is the fear that someone's not going to land it, you know? And the fear that we're all sitting there together in like a note gone wrong and it's just too vulnerable for me. But I knew she could do it. And also she sings only you, the Yazoo song, which is just a banger.

A great song. Yeah, it's a really good song. Also, I think the way they introduced the music up top as a joke is sort of makes it easier, I would guess, for someone like you who doesn't like a musical number. Yeah. She has like a hang up on this guy who, what's his name? Noah? Is that his name in the movie?

Ezra, excuse me, similar names. I thought the guy who played Ezra, whose name is Charlie Gillespie. I've never seen him before. I thought he was so funny. He has like a performance that I found absolutely like mortifying, but intentionally so. The musician, yeah. Yes, I absolutely loved that scene. I was dying.

I thought it was hilarious. It is weird. He's perfect casting because he's playing. a musician that she's had a long time crush on and she like almost gets her opportunity. And the whole time you're sitting there, at this point, the sparks have flown between Callum Turner and Monica Babaro, between Owen and Allie in such a way that you're like, no, no, no, no, just have sex. So you can't cast another Callum Turner-esque person, right? It's got to be the total opposite and someone who's willing to play into the comedy. And he does a great job.

Yeah, he crushed that. I was dying. The cameos. Yes. Really good. There's so many. Impressive. I was really wondering about a lot of them.

Because you knew about, you knew that people were in the movie and you didn't know how they were going to be used? Or you were just like, oh. I was just kept being surprised to see people. And I was like, oh, why are they here? Oh, they wanted to do this? Like, I was just really surprised.

Who were your top cameos? Spoiler, we've spoiled a lot of this movie at this point. And this is a podcast about a movie. So, yeah. Hopefully you see it. I mean, I think just from my own personal kaleidoscope, the double cameo of Esty Higham and Zeeway as bouncers at a club really got me. I was like, Esty was acting now too, because Alana Higham famously acting in PTA movies.

That was surprising to me. And that was probably the biggest one. I guess the one that was the most surprising to me, actually, or I guess the biggest one was probably Julia Foxx because she had like an actual role in the movie. Yes. playing the person who sets off Callum Turner's hunt for a condom. So I guess those are the three where I was like, wow, okay. The Julia Fox one comes early enough and is intentional enough that it signals to you like, oh, okay, they're being funny.

Like they've thought about this and they've thought about who they can have in here and they want you to chuckle and to kind of play along with the metanus of all of it, which I think was a smart move. Levar Burton was probably my favorite. Nice, yeah. He was great. He also had an actual role in the movie. Yes, exactly.

And, you know, the Molly Ringwald and the throwbacks to all of the John Hughes comedies was great. Who else? King Princess, Nicholas Braun, who seems to show up in everything. Oh, Nicholas Braun was another good one. Yeah.

Well, it was funny. It was an eye roll one, too. Like, of course he's in this movie. That makes sense. But he took exactly the right part. He was in it for just, long enough. And then also some of the other people that Allie talks to you at that party include one of Ben Marshall, who's one of the Please Don't Destroy young men. And I was excited to

recognize one of the Please Don't Destroy young men, myself, on my own. You watch it a lot of Saturday Live, Amanda? No, but I watched enough. I was like, oh, okay, I'm not totally on the glacier yet. I can still pick up these cameos. So that was great, a great use of stuff and a good range of ages and cultural references, which I appreciated. Do you want to do New York City? Do you want to talk about it? Yeah, I mean, it's just very president in the movie. I would love to know Travis Braun's

connection to New York, like where he lived, how long he lived there, clearly very deeply tied to the city. I was following the subway routes very closely, curious about going to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Though I did have like a really bad date during COVID in Brooklyn Bridge Park, which felt right with what was going on

with his bad date. I don't remember this. I hope it wasn't that bad. I think I probably just didn't want to repeat it because it was so bad. Okay. But it was, you know, good humor, I suppose. But the piece that stood out the most to me was at the pizza

place, Claremont pizza. Yes. The exterior shots that they show repeatedly in the movie are of the original famous raised pizza. Of course, that's the full title. I don't claim for it to be the original. I don't even know if it's famous. But it is famous to me.

It is on 82nd in Columbus, and it was the site of my sixth birthday party. So I have known it intimately for a long time. I would love to know why they selected that pizza shop because I'm pretty sure they shot in most of the movie, the interiors on soundstage or soundstages. But they clearly recreated it. I went back to like confirm with pictures.

and everything. It looks so much like it. And I don't know why, of all the, you know, what it claims to be original famous for raised throughout New York, this was the shop. I don't know if it was like, you know, a location scout who was like, this would be a really good exterior and like we can easily rebuild it. I don't even know why they had to rebuild it. We can make it look like anything. But that pizza place, that's living rent free in many people's minds now. I will say that the structure of that particular pizza place, while maybe foundational to you, is not like a in the sense that I thought it was a pizza place that I went to in Brooklyn Heights for a while. I mean, the interior is there are pizza ovens on one side and booze on the other, you know, and there's brick.

And so I see your point and I love the consistency. Yeah, the detail of it. I was just like, this is really close to the original. Yeah. I will also say that I thought the pizza looked great. It did look good. It looked really good. Yeah, they spent.

And it was traditional New York style, but also slightly. I mean, I guess it's like a famous raise or a Johns or that type of... Yeah, slice shop. Yeah, the fanciest pizza. Do they... Were they selling slices or just pizzas? I'm assuming they were selling slices, too. We just didn't see it.

Okay. Do you think that that's core to a... Yeah, I think so. Okay, you don't acknowledge. Well, I'm just asking pizza places in general. Different experience. Just a different experience. I acknowledge both.

But, like, for what Owen is doing, I think he's giving you slices too. Yeah. The last hour of the movie, they traveled to 15 different places in order to try to get a condom and be reunited. And that is obviously not geographically possible. That's sort of the collateral Michael Mann's Los Angeles, but moved to New York. That's okay. It's movie magic. Yeah. He was at 145th Street at his mom's house and then he was in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Those two are far apart. The bee doesn't run at nights or on the weekends. It's tough. Yeah. They also, so you have to assume that this is happening in the summer because of when the sun is rising and setting, though the mandate and the one night only are not tied to the sun. They are tied to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. But I will say that the sun rose like very, very early on this day. It must have been June. Very close to the solstice. Which then at this point, why don't you just give people, you know, sun down to well you would want to give them

that would be even shorter yeah you would want to do December I guess you'd want to do the shortest day and the longest night of the year and no one's thinking through this I like it when people shoot in daylight so it's fine that they chose this

the finale they're downtown and then they have to make it back to the George Washington Bridge and to the little red lighthouse yes still within the hour yeah I guess so yeah she lives in the East Village.

Okay. I believe. I think they even say that at some point in the movie. And then yes, they have to make it to like, you know, 180 whatever street and the Hudson River. So you gotta get... Hard to get to. Cross town. Also, like, are the subways running all night? Yes, they are. That's key to the movie.

And they say it's like a daytime schedule but all night? Oh, I don't know, but they have the countdown clocks in the subway. They've replaced where you're getting off. Which I thought was clever and good storytelling. But they didn't up. the subway schedules where they didn't tell us whether they update the subway schedules because there's no way the East Village if you got to get all the way over to a west sideline and then

up and then they have to get to this red lighthouse this little red lighthouse which is a real place in which they've filmed the finale at which I thought was great again film in real places we can tell um is it's they still have like 30 minutes left yeah doesn't make any sense Also, why would any production schedule that for that morning? Like, why would you do that to people? Like, work should be canceled. If the government has said, this is the one 12-hour period per year in which you could have sex.

Like, everyone should just be like, work's canceled. I do feel that, like, they did try to address this, like, the babysitter issue. And, like, you know, like, you can make a lot of money in that one night. Right. They need to address child care. They need to address getting rid of work. Sure. Like, there's just a lot of things that need to have.

Married people are allowed to have sex. Yes. So the married people take over the pizzeria. And then they do say a couple times that there's a lot of filming on this day because there's no paparazzi because I guess the paparazzi are unmarried and need to go have sex. I agree with you that and again, the production starts right at 7 a.m. So these people weren't using the most of their 12 hours. Maybe they're all married. Yeah, there are a lot of holes in the same. the mandate. Yeah. What did you think of of the final decision, of the ending and they're getting together, but not really getting together? I liked it. I was very distracted while watching Monica Barbaro in each new outfit she was wearing. So at the end, she's wearing a new white outfit and I was just trying to take it all in. She looked great. I love

the slipped dress at the beginning. Can't believe we haven't discussed it yet. I know you're interested in slip dresses right now. Yeah. She'll look great. step around one. The ending was good. I was glad it didn't end with a wedding. In my other job, talking about reality TV, I'm always advocating for like no weddings, lower the stakes. So I was glad that it just like ended with sort of like the raison d'etra for the movie, which is sex. So that was good. Well, after a fake ending where they make it to the lighthouse and they decide to not have sex. And they make Monica Barbaro say the line, let what if we didn't let the mandate win?

which was tough. That was upsetting. I agree with you. That was tough and that was sort of leaning into what doesn't work about the movie at the crucial moment when they could have just had sex and then had a nice life together. And then our lesson could be that it is possible both to have sex and find someone that you love and the two do not have to be mutually exclusive. like the government in this movie has mandated to the American government. So I question that choice. And once again, this also sets up the way the film ends,

which is they flash to one year later. And the mandate has still not been repealed. I don't know what everybody was doing in the year, but they were not resisting hard enough. And they're at home. and the timers go off and they very leisurely

wake their way into the bedroom. I just don't understand the time management. Right. Why is there no primal instinct to just get in there right away? Also, what happens if you go abroad?

Like, you know, if you go to a different country, do the sensors still work? I do think that the broadcast acknowledges that in other countries, the governments have not given it, have not given this one night exception. And so I think that there is,

there are some troubles elsewhere in the world. Okay. So it's a rising tide across the globe. But I don't know about the technology. We don't know who built the technology. We don't know, you know what tech company is monitoring this, what kickbacks they've received, you know. None of that is explored. I liked the detail that you got to choose.

your shape. Like, you got to choose the shape of your biometric. Good. Good. It's like a tattoo. Great. And I was like, okay, so the government doesn't want you to have sex except for one night per year, but they want you to have like some playfulness with your biometric tracker. Okay. No-Did. Okay. Yeah. That, the ending just called back my attention to the problems of it, I think. But that doesn't, I was still smiling when they were together in the thing. And then, you know, there's a goofy dance number afterwards, which I also... Yeah, the goofiness was great. I thought was very, very charming.

So again, this movie has all of the tropes and essential elements of a rom-com nailed down, except for the one. But it's the big one. Yeah. Yeah. It's... It really, um... It almost like felt like the jokes made it get lost in its own ideas. Because the jokes are funny.

But they're like the romantic. is just not there. The calm is effective. Yeah. But I'm looking for way more ROM, obviously. Yes. That is a, that's a great segue into the next part of this podcast, which is building the 21st century romantic comedy canon. And what actually meets our standards.

I don't know whether One Night Only is going to go into it. I think it's not. I think it probably won't, but that doesn't mean that we didn't have a good. good time. And I recommend it. I do. And I think it would be fun to go see it with friends. Yeah. Agreed. And there is obviously a lot to argue about as we have we have just argued. So I don't think it's going to go in. What is going to go in? Well, let's set some ground rules. The first one is this is the 21st century romantic comedy canon. So we are defining that as 2001 to 2006. That means that miscongeniality released in 2000 is not eligible. I don't make the rules. That is the definition

of the 21st century. I agree with you. I was delighted that you were starting 2001. Thank you for being a purest. You know, here we are now. So it's like a neat 25 years. Sure. Sure. So. And it's been an interesting 25 years. And I think this is going to be an interesting task for both of us. Because as you indicated, we are the children of Nora Ephron and Nancy Myers. We were maybe not quite a age when when Harry Met Sally was released in 1989, but we saw it many times. And when Harry Met Sally is kind of the start of the golden age of romantic comedies in our lifetime. You know, there's the old Hollywood era. And then there are many great ones released before, but 1989 and when Harry Met Sally sets forth a lot of big budget, movie star-led, like high box office sensations of

romantic comedy. So we are very, very attuned to the 90s versions. And none of those are eligible. No. Which is probably for the best for this exercise, right? Really makes us stretch and think about what should be in because those are all so obvious. Yes. And in our definition, the 90s rom-coms are the heyday. So the films that we're working with from the last 25 years, there are some that are like the kind of the last vestiges and the last grasp of that traditional studio rom-com with those stars. And then things get pretty dicey. It's been a rough 25 years for our beloved genre because after that kind of last gasps really until about 2007, 2008, when you still have Renee Zellweger and Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Annison, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Lopez and Rees

Witherspoon and Catherine Heigle. who was kind of the usher of the at the end of romantic comedies. Yeah. And Matthew McConaughey and Will Smith. We know all of these stars, but they're pretty concentrated

in the first seven or eight years of the century. And then it just stops. And it doesn't just stop. There are a couple things that happen. One, I think, knocked up happens

and kind of the Brocom and the rise of Judd Apatow. And who is the, lead of a romantic comedy because with the exception really of a Will Smith or Hugh Grant, it was usually women, usually white women, who were the stars, which is not an endorsement. That's just an observation of the trend. And so knocked up, switches it more to brocom, switches it, and proves that that that can be a success and that also that, you know, men can be in these.

and also what the balance of romance and comedy should be in these should change. Now, like Adam Sandler has been doing this his entire career, and his ratio is way more comedy than romance, and that works perfectly. So I'm not saying that knocked up introduced that, but it's kind of when things start to turn. The other thing that starts happening is the ensemble com. Right.

He's just not that into you. Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve. Crazy Stupid Love kind of fits in here. Kind of. Yeah. I think also those two polls, like the Brocom and the Ensemblecom, are interesting because the Brocom, first of all, you mentioned Adam Sandler and Judatatel in the same breath. Obviously, they came up together. That's sort of the subject of funny people. But I think that's, like, really noteworthy that, like, Adam Sandler was doing this for men, largely, but really for everyone for a long time.

And I love The Sandman and his movies. I think, like, Judd-Apato, I think, sort of took a lot of the same DNA and, like, put it in a package that felt more palatable, maybe for a different, like, makeup of the audience. But they are really tied together. So that's an interesting point. But I think the source of those movies, Adam Sandler movies and Judd-A-Pat-O movies, like, the jokes are bits. They're not situational. Whereas a lot of rom-coms, like, the humor is, like, tied to whatever is going on. Right. I think that's not true of when Harry Met Sally. You think about the scene and the Met or some of the other, just like epic Billy Crystal Lions in particular. It's like him just like having bits or whatever,

which is just such a testament to that movie. That's very different from a lot of the other movies I think we're going to talk about. And then with the ensemble combs, those just aren't that funny. They have like a lot of the sheen and the pacing and like the feeling of the rom-coms that we love. But I don't think of like he's just not that into you as a funny movie. I think of it as a pretty sad movie.

I mean, it is. And also like a sad reflection of a moment in our sociological culture where we were all just told, yeah, you got to give up. Move on. But they all kind of happen together and they're all successful enough that more things come out. Another interesting data point in that time is bridesmaids, which is a huge hit and does have a romance. Yes. But is secondary to the female friendship and like female ensemble aspect of it. And I think some people feel does it really even need the rom-com element? Can't it just be about Chris and Wigg and Myrudolph finding their way back to each other? Right. I don't even think of it as a rom-com. I just think of it as a comedy. Yeah, exactly. But that is also a movie that uses a lot of female movie stars and on the rise female movie stars, which is kind of the playbook for, romantic comedies for a long time and makes a ton of money. And so then everyone's trying to make

the next bridesmaids with their female movie stars, which means that they're not really making romantic comedies. Other things happen around this time, which is superheroes and really and Netflix. And so the kind of the middle of the box office completely disappears. At the same time, the industry is trying to make all movies super international and, you know, comments. are not as translatable internationally as, say, a giant superhero movie, even though I kind of disagree with that. But that's what studios think. And it just, it all kind of crashes. And so there's a great Amy Nicholson piece that ran in 2014 that's called The Death of the Romcom, which is reflecting what has already happened.

And she notes in it that in 2013, there was not one romantic comedy in the top 50s. films, not even in the top 100. And it's not just that the romantic comedies weren't performing at the box office, that in 2013, the sole boy meets girl matrimony comedy was unceremoniously dumped into theaters

by big indie Lionsgate and limped to number 101 on the chart. And her premise, the premise of the piece, which investigates and talks to a lot of people, it's really well reported. I recommend that everyone read it. It's, you know, it's the same. It's a lot of different factors.

It's the audiences. It's the distribution systems. It is like international box office. It is, you know, competition. It's that the budgets of the economics of movies, right? And I think it identifies how do you know that James L. Brooks' infamous 2010 romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, among others, that just didn't work. And it does not work. It doesn't work.

It doesn't work. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. But you get enough of those and those become expensive enough as if the economics of the movies are changing as they always are. And people just stop making them. But I, 2013, 2014 is like a real stopping point. And they just do not make studio movies anymore. And so what we've gotten in the last 12 years, literally half of the eligibility time for this list, is very different.

Yeah. And not as widely seen and sometimes follows the rules, but also is kind of trying to to change up a formula that wasn't really working. And so that's the interesting part of this is that we can talk about what our definition of a romantic comedy is, but I still do find myself gravitating towards the very classical definition. They don't really, that doesn't make sense anymore for people to make. Like, that's been done. That's been done well.

To your point about one night only and like the Easter eggs, the only thing that is left to do is make references to it. So I may have to be more flexible about my definition in this exercise, but I'm not very good at being flexible. I think we've talked about this on Jam session.

A lot of the best rom-com ideas are also just now on TV. And I actually felt this way a little bit with one night only. Like, would this have been a better idea as a TV show? Because it clearly had so many ideas and the sort of like travelogue piece of it,

the Odyssey piece of it, like is that better done over the course of like eight episodes than in 146 minutes, or an hour and 46 minutes? And maybe it lets you experiment with tone a bit more and be a little bit looser and just a bit more messed up in a way.

I think this movie is really just trying to skate over all of the complications that its premise presents because it wants you to have a fun time at the movies, which it is until you remember that sex is legally planned by the federal government and everyone has sensors in their body. You're right, it's insurmountable.

But the other thing it lacks is like actually good friends. Like we did this exercise at Grantland like a while ago. I'm sure it'll come up here. A hallmark of all the best rom-coms is like a really great friend who is there to help like work out inner monologue stuff. I mean, all of the greats have that, right? Like Carrie Fisher is, I hope, as famous for when Harry Met Sally is. She is for Princess Leia, at least in my home.

And, you know, that's really lacking in one night only, too. And I feel like it's hard. It seems like it's hard to make space for that kind of thing in movies now. Okay, let's enumerate our criteria for a romantic comedy. I feel very strongly about my structural definition. Okay. And this may come back to bite me in the ass specifically because some of my favorite movies don't meet it. But, and I guess it's a bad idea.

to be a very strict traditionalist in any forms, certainly in a legislature, but also when making this canon. But I guess you need some place to start from, okay? And this is a made-up list. So my structural definition is that it's two people who are opposed at the beginning of a film and they wind up together at the very end.

Okay. If they get together halfway through and then they have some like emotional setbacks and they're not sure whether they can trust each other, that's a different genre. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just a different genre. If someone dies, it's a different genre. If someone is a dragon or whatever, that's a different genre.

I hear it's very popular. This is going to be controversial, but I don't think that we have any animated examples on our list. So that one is not just a different genre. That's just not an area where we are experts. And so there's not a huge tradition of adult animated romantic comedies, at least in a box office space. And so we're not considering them for this. And I'm sure people are going to yell, but I'm sure people are going to yell a lot.

Do you have anything else you want to add in terms of the structural definition? Can I just throw a couple movies at you that I'm like wondering how you think of them? Sure. The breakup starring Vince Vaughn and Jen Bronson. Don't spoil it. I put it on the long list. We're going to talk about it. Yeah.

I don't know who's going to be on it. Okay. Sorry. Yes. I'm new here. When I am in control of the document, everyone's comments and concerns are added to the document, including yours. Okay. I'm following your lead.

Carry on. So that's the textbook structural definition. Then obviously personal tastes and preferences are going to come into play here. And so here's something I feel very strongly about. And you can push back, but I think that this is an adult-only space. I think that teen... It's porn? I'm sorry?

Is it porn? Well, not one night only because it's illegal. They don't even touch porn. There's like not even a reference that porn exists that I remember. Maybe they do.

Maybe there's a passing reference. I don't think they do it because they don't talk about masturbation either but it is like the number one form of media throughout the world. What happens if the condom breaks?

No conversation about that either. Okay. Anyway. It didn't seem like it was too top of mind because Calvin Turner was practicing with a glove. Sure. That was funny. It was good physical

comedy. Okay, so I just think teen movies are different. Yes. Yes, completely agree. I think if you have to ask, is this a teen movie or a rom-com or is this a sports movie or a rom-com? It is not a rom-com. Exactly. Is this an action movie or a rom-com is a similar one? There are many movies that have a romance, but are they leading as a romantic comedy? Is the question that we're trying to identify. So for me, I'm particular about the premise, which is similar to what you're saying. is the premise that needs to be, it needs to be specific to the real world and also not confusing in terms of other genre designations. Right. Right, right. So the premise can be immoral or amoral.

I'm thinking of while you were sleeping. I'm thinking of you've got male. Those are not eligible because they were released in the 90s, but their core text. But for example, Kate and Leopold, which is when it's, Meg Ryan falls in love with Hugh Jackman, who came from the past. Is that right?

Yeah, I believe so. That's a little too romantic. You know, that's a different. And what we're dealing with in whether or not they can be together is more about time and space and metaphysics than it is about how people meet and interact in the real world. Sure. So like this also eliminates Enchanted with Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. Yes. And James Marsden.

Yes. We don't have musicals on this. I don't think. We have many musical sequences, but I think of Enchanted as Musical first. To your question of, is it a rom-com or is it a musical? Sure. Right. There's one music-motivated movie that I can't wait to discuss.

I mean, it is also enchanted as Cinderella, more or less, isn't it? Yeah, but like with some jokes about modern life. And Amy Adams. And it is a musical because Working Girl is also Cinderella, but I do think that it is romantic comedy. and but it's the 80s, so it doesn't matter for this. So I agree with you. You've added really great friends, which I think is important.

That is a, that's a key. It's a huge one. Yeah. It's a really big one. And I think that we will have that reinforced throughout this. Right. And then my last qualification is time and money spent. If you have fake movie stars, if you have people who can't hang, if you've, if you've miscast

this, it's. we can tell. If you're using a green screen of a famous bridge, we can tell. And which has happened in many movies that we're going to discuss.

But not one night only. I will say, they used the real bridge and I give them credit for that. But, you know, Nora Ephron and Nancy Myers are very specific examples where they write their scripts

and direct most of their movies themselves and they are like complete, they are a tourist, right? They are a specific world that these people imagine. And not most romantic comedies and especially most studio romantic comedies are not made that way.

The script and the director are often very different. And so the expression, the writing and the expression of the world are slightly more divided than in Nora Ephron and Nancy Myers, but it is really essential to the text no matter who's writing and directing.

And if you're doing a lazy version, it takes away from the movie. It's evident, yeah. Hey y'all, it's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't hold up? That sofa was four days old. You should have ordered from Wayfair. With Wayfair, there's no what if. Just style you love and quality you can trust. Visit Wayfair. Wayfair, every style, every home. Do you feel good about this? Do you feel good about our long list? Is there anything?

Yeah. I added all your suggestions. You think we're clear? Anything else you want to say? Well, I just want to say like one other genre, I feel like has permeated this. century is like, is the combination of sex in the city and girls. And I think those have a lot of motivation or like have a lot of similar motivation and interest as romantic comedy. But of course, they're TV shows. So it's a slightly different conversation. But those are also ultimately about friends. Yes. The friends are the thing. And I think that like people who love romantic comedies, I think frequently also love those two television shows. And I think they appeal to similar senses, but they're not like in the conversation in the same way. But I think it's

worth mentioning them because they're so tied to the genre. It's an important point because sex in the city was turned into a movie and a sequel, both of which would be eligible for this. I don't have sex in the city too on the long list because it is not good. And I don't have sex in the city, the film on the long list because I do think that it is a friend's first movie. I think it's a different genre. And there is even in that movie after the wedding's canceled and they go to Mexico and

then she hires Jennifer Hudson and it's, you know, labels and love and whatever. I've seen this movie like a thousand times. I'm not above this movie. It's a great movie. But when she and big, spoiler alert, finally do get married, they're at the courthouse, and then they have their nice moment. But the real emotional moment of that movie is when he swings the door open at the courthouse

and her friends are there. And they all just, you know, squealed together. And it's lovely and wonderful. So I... I just wanted to acknowledge sort of like... It's like friends of the... Pod, friends of a genre. It's more than friends of the genre. It's like spiritually tied, but ineligible for this exercise. Yes. Okay. So here's what we'll do. I'm just going to go

through the long list. There's some that we can just be like, no, we don't want to include this. And some we can say, yes, this is essential. This is a long list that you and I brainstorm together. We will forget things. Once again, this is our personal but also legally binding canon. And we have explained our criteria. They may be slightly. different than yours. That said, we've watched a lot of these. So here we go. Number one that I put on Bridget Jones Diary 2001 adapted from the Helen Fielding novel, which was inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Unassailable, yes. What a wonderful movie. Yes. And yes, absolutely. I mean, it fits everything that you've listed, and it's also an incredibly wonderful, special movie, and a great book.

stars Renee Zellweger, who was nominated for Best Actress for this performance. It's written by several people, but Richard Curtis wrote it and he created he wrote four weddings and a funeral. He created love actually, which I also don't think is eligible. That's an ensemble, not a rom-com. The ensemble. Many of those people don't find love at all, especially not.

But I say, it's a sad movie. Yeah. So it's a really sad movie about how our workplaces are not professional, and you can't trust Alan Rickman, even if you want to. So we are aware that he also made Notting Hills from 1999. Yes. I'm going to be clear. Right. I mean, one of the, probably still in my top three romantic comedies.

Oh, definitely. It's so good. I mean, it's so good. I feel warm thinking about it. Sure. But that's 1999. He also wrote the film yesterday. You know about that one?

Of course, yeah. Did you see it? I love the music of the Beatles. Okay. Sure. But what if someone else wrote it? And no one or what is it? What if no one else remembered the music of the Beatles?

Yeah, I think that's what it was. I didn't see it, no. It's pretty outrageous. Okay. Bridget Jones Diary. An absolute yes. Collins first as Mr. Darcy's. I like you just the way you are speech was a literal reading at my wedding.

So we will move on. Okay, this is an interesting one. Legally Blonde. Also, 2001. Reese Witherspoon. Luke Wilson, Harvard. Harvard Law, I should say. I'm going with no. Say more.

Well, she is opposed with, I would say, Warren. Is that his name? The man she wants to marry. That's his name. Okay. Yes. And they do not end up together at the end. She does find her way to Luke Wilson.

They're never really opposed. He's sort of more bemused by her. That's true. And it is as much about L finding herself. Yes. It's about L finding herself. And also, like, the affirmation of her lifestyle and, like, caring about your hair matters

because a perm unlocks the case. So I think this is much more about, like, you know, one woman's journey from... I accept. ...to informed. And she happens to find love along the way. And on the friend's point, she makes a good friend along the way

in Jennifer Coolidge. But she's not sort of that... that like ride or die friend who helps you understand the character. She's another project. She's another case. Well, but then she does give the character a purpose. Yes, she is. You know, the character has not really been paying attention to the people around her,

except for sorority purposes. Oh, I accept it. I think you're right. It's more about Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. It's a great movie. Yes. It's really, and honestly, one of our great courtroom dramas, courtroom comedies. How about that? But the perm seal, the perm reveal electric. Oh, it's so good.

Okay. It's a, I mean, Allie Landry, she's wonderful. It's just, it's a great movie. Victor Garber. We love it. All right. It's not a rom-com. It's not going in the kitten. Okay. The Wedding Planner, 2001, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey. This is one of my favorite movies. I like, as we talk about it, I feel like we're talking about a cute boy. I'm like, I love this movie the way I love a cute boy. What speaks to you about it? I put this on the long list because I knew you felt this way. And this is also, Jennifer Lopez was a sensation in this era for her romantic comedy. Some of them with Ben Affleck, which were not as successful, and the wedding planner, which was pretty successful. Yeah. Yes.

And then I think the third in that is made in Manhattan with... With Ray Fines, which I think did make more, make a lot of money, but leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yeah. Yeah, it's not good. Okay. The wedding planner. This is my favorite Matthew McConaughey. It is definitely pre-haired transformation.

Okay. He's wearing a great, thin blue sweater in it, like, that I just can think of very fondly. I think one thing that's great about this movie is that Bridget Wilson is very, very likable. So at no point are you rooting for, like, this woman to, like, take down another woman, even though you might, like, lean in that direction.

It's everyone in it is a joy. It's a great Judy Greer. She's, like, totally hysterical in it as the number two wedding planner in this firm. And it is just really charming. Also, I think it's a great San Francisco movie. And we talked about how, like, you know, the place really matters.

Yes. They do San Francisco well. They do wine country well. It introduces Dr. Alex Karev, which is very important to culture. It's a great anatomy reference for those of you. He's Massimo. Justin Chambers.

So the scene with the peanut M&Ms, where they meet and you can tell that they're in love. So Matthew McConnorhey is someone who's getting married and using Jennifer Lopez's wedding planner services. But he doesn't know, yes. When they have this park, is the Golden Gate Bridge in the back? Is that in the full house park?

It's in the park. That's a different park. That's Alamos Square. I think this is supposed to be in Golden Gate Park. So you can't see it? No. Which is great. Save some money.

Don't even try to pretend. I guess so. I mean, I would like to see it. Did you watch voicemails for Isabel? I started it. Okay. Well, yeah, and that's the problem there. That, to me, is, I guess, it's not a romantic comedy because it doesn't start with them being opposed.

It starts with a terminal illness, which I was not expecting. Anyway, they also use green screen golden gate bridge. Okay. Wedding planner is going in for you, Juliet Litman. What do you say? We need, yes, we need a J-Lo and a McConaughey. And I- Yes.

Go ahead. They end up together. And there's a trials of tribulations. They do end up together. She's mad at him throughout the movie. And he's sort of like, rightfully so. It's to your point. It's immoral.

But I don't know. It fits the bill. I'm curious how many wedding-related romantic comedies we will end up with at the end because this becomes its own genre. Okay. Next, my big fat Greek wedding. Speaking of, 2002. This stars Nehraudalas.

John Corbett. So this has to go in because this was an absolute sensation. This made $241 million domestic in the U.S. It is like... The In Gomez character was based on one of my high school teachers. So it was like loomed large. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it was huge. I feel like Neavardellis became a household name. Yes. I... They're not opposed, but they are not married at the beginning of this. And it is about all of the things that are going to keep them from getting married and can they make it getting married? And spoiler alert, they do.

So I think structurally, we're on safe ground here. Yeah, I agree with you. And I think just like culturally significance and amount of money made, it has to go in. Yeah. Okay. Yes. Here's another one. Okay.

2002, Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon is a fashion designer. And she wants to marry Patrick Dempsey because he's JFK. Jr., but with a different name, and Candace Bergen is his mom. And how lucky is he? Unfortunately, she has not finalized her divorce with Josh Lucas, who is back home in Alabama. And so they must all go home to finalize the divorce, but then some feelings are revealed. I've seen this movie a tremendous amount of times.

I don't think that that makes it good. It did make $180 million, which is a lot of money. this is Reese Witherspoon really ascending. This movie is great. I don't even know why you have any trepidation about like admitting to liking it. Sweet Home Alabama is like one of the most charming movies I really have like ever seen.

Also, a lot of people we love. You didn't even mention that Ethan Embry is in this movie. It's one of his great performances in this century. Okay. It also has a great Melanie Lindski as her best friend. Right. Who's still living back in a former best friend, I guess. still living in Alabama.

It surmounts a really cheesy, like repeated motif about lightning in a bottle. We're able to get past that. I was going to say, the lightning in the bottle is one of the arguments for putting in the romantic comedy, the 21st century canon, because you need to have a couple of facts or scenes or setups in a romantic comedy that you think of every single time you encounter them in the wild. It's where I learned really about the mechanics of lightning in a bottle. And so now any time I think about lightning hitting sand or just lightning striking in general, I'm like, oh, I wonder whether it will make a sculpture that Josh Lucas can dig up from the sand.

And then the other one is shutting down Tiffany's in order to propose, which Patrick Dempsey's character does at the beginning of the film. And I don't know that many people who have done it. But anytime it comes up, I don't know anyone who's done it. I don't know why I said that many people. I was going to be like, wow. I think it also does something that we like, which is like it has these small Easter eggs. The Tiffany's thing makes me think of the scene

in Sleepless in Seattle when they go to Tiffany's and like eight is too few, 10 is 12 is too many. You know, Tiffany's is part of the rom-com, like building a rom-com, it's part of it. So it does that well. Okay.

It picks and chooses other small things. It's a great movie. It also has reenactors in it. How many great rom-com? has civil war reenactors in it. I don't know whether they're reenacting the version of history that we would like to see on, whatever. I can go in.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 2003, like the biggest. There's no limit here on the number that we can put in. That's what differentiates this from a Hall of Fame. But if we only had five spots, even, I think that how to lose a guy in 10 days would go on there. I think it's iconic and canonical. Yes. That said, I don't like it that much. I don't like the Kate Hudson performance of her, you know, like the, it's not really her fault.

But first of all, this is, you know, kind of shortly after she really blows up with Almost Famous. And a few years later. And so she's sort of like riding this new wave of fame, even though she's obviously famous as Goldie Hawn's daughter, among other things. And it's sort of like a pathetic performance. The character is sort of pathetic of like the things that she does to prove her point. And it's one of these movies that I think is, like, kind of gross for women, even though it's, like, a movie for women. And so I just don't really like it very much. It is very retrograde when you watch it back.

And also you think about how old you and I were when we first saw this. And it does, though, so many, it sets a precedent for so many romantic comedies. She is a writer at a women's magazine. And, you know, you have... Judy Greer as the best friend once again. And you've got like the yellow dress that becomes like the Halloween costume and the reference point. And the Knicks game, there are a lot of memes and things within it that are incredibly sticky if they even, even if they make you feel bad. Which, and then where does she go?

She writes the column at the end and then they're on the side of a real bridge. Maybe this should be the only litmus test. Is there a real bridge? or a fake bridge. If there's a real bridge, you can be in the canon. If it's fake, you're out. Anyway, they reunite on the side. I believe the Brooklyn Bridge could be Manhattan. And they fall in love. It's got to go in. This is... It's got to go in. And we just... I just don't like it. Okay. Yeah. I agree. I ask for more from the men in your life. Something's got to give. Also 2003, written and directed by Nancy Myers. I mean, one of the greatest movies of our lifetime.

It was on our 25 for 25 list. It's a great movie. Yes. I made a lot of money. $124 million domestic. Also, you know, is about someone over the age of 40. So that's very exciting and pretty rare on this list. Great writing.

I think the most influential of her production designs and clearly inspired coastal grandma among other TikTok trends. Of course. Yeah. You know, and Jack Nicholson. And anytime someone is not picking Keanu Reeves. is a level of rom-com wizardry. It's really hard to put everyone in a situation

where the audience is not rooting for Keanu Reeves, who's a doctor in the Hamptons. I know. But they figured it out. A nice one. Okay. Really, really, really good movie. Okay, that one's going in.

Under the Tuscan Sun. This one is a little bit closer to the Legally Blonde. I agree with you. I think that it's not going in. I mean, it is culturally influential, and Under the Tuscan Sun is a shorthand for... Or a woman finding her own and through some home renovation, usually in Europe. Right.

And so there is a romance. And there's also heartbreak at the beginning and the middle of the movie. But I agree. A great movie. A great reference. A great framework for life once you can get past the cheating and the divorce, not in the canon. We've covered several movies now that include actors from Grace Anatomy. And there's more to come.

I just want to say, probably why I love Grace and Adam. me so much, you know, tied to the genre. 13 going on 30, 2004. Speak on it. As a teen movie. This is a teen pretending to be an adult. This is big for 2.0. It's a fun movie. It's got the Michael Jackson thriller, dance number. There's a sequel coming. But this is not a rom-com. It has a romance. But again, this is about a woman or a young girl finding her way. I think that's right. I think we're going to get a lot of blowback for that. And we obviously, you and I are very pro Jennifer Garner.

It's an understatement. Yeah. I, but I agree. I like Mark Ruffalo as well. Sure. And Judy Greer. I mean, it's a great movie. Yeah.

But it's not a rom-com. Uh-oh. Okay. I agree. I agree. Hitch 2005. Don't quote classic rom-com. Absolutely.

Yes. It's so, so good. I think it's my favorite Will Smith movie. He's so funny in it. His physical comedy's really good. It's definitely like when I think of Eva Mendes movies, I think of Hitch.

Like, I feel like, I feel like this is like just a cultural touchstone, recently covered on the rewatchables. Yes. Great, great movie. And also, one thing it does really well, which not some movies attempt, is it basically is two romances

that they're trying to land at the same time. And it's successful. Both are sort of unexpected. Obviously, Eva Mendez, Will Smith one is the main one. But Amber Valletta and Kevin James is great too. And like a dancing scene I just think of and smile.

It's a great movie. Does the fact that it's two couples So that's... Disqualify it? Or does it just make it double rom-com? I'm being devil's advocate here. Sure. I think I can easily point to when Harry Metzali,

which is also two couples, and that didn't disqualify that. That's true. It's no problem. Okay. That's great. This also made $179 million domestically, which is a lot of money.

It's so good. Yeah. I agree. I'm a big fan. Classic timeless movie. Also, it's spawned many memes. Again, it's influential. Okay.

Yes. going in. This is an interesting one, and also related to the question I just asked you, Wedding Crashers, 2005. I think this stretches the limits, but it's a yes for me. I think it also stretches the limits and is a hugely influential movie and also incredibly successful, made $209 million. But it's about friendship, too, you know? Yes, it is, absolutely. And it is about the cast of character. and they're not really opposed at any point. Rachel McAdams is engaged.

Sure. And Owen Wilson has just, like, has lied his way into the family vacation. Right. So they're sort of opposed, but like the opposing force is really Bradley Cooper and Christopher Walker. If this is not a wedding set movie, does it make it more? And they're just... They're just con men. Yeah, their con men.

Yeah, they're con men. Is this more or less of a romantic comedy? I think almost more in a way. Which is interesting. I guess the bones are there. Okay. We'll take it. I think the bones are there.

Okay. And it's... I love... I missed the era like, you know, in 2005 to 2010. Mm-hmm. Where people were quoting the rules from wedding crashing, like, frequently. Yeah. What are the rules?

Do you remember them? No, I don't because I've lost my mind. But, like, you know, it would be like number whatever, play like a champion or like, yeah. Just like, I just loved that era. This movie was a force for good. That's what I'll say. Okay. It can go in.

The breakup, 2006. It raised this one before. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. And it is about a couple who gets together and then breaks up. It is that the premise is that it's not a romantic comedy. The premise is what happens after the romantic comedy. It is using everything that we know and expect in a romantic comedy to watch this other movie,

which is like sort of a comedy, but this is the other thing. It's not very funny. It's sad. There's the one funny scene. Do you like the singing scene in this movie? No. It's like supposed to be awkward.

Yeah, no. I don't like that. I think of it frequently. Okay. You're going to sing? Come, come. The kick drum. Yes, it's a great scene.

I do not think that this is a romantic comedy, but I thought it was an interesting experiment at the time. I didn't like it at the time because I was like, this isn't a rom-com I thought I was seeing a rom-com but I do think it's like it's successful

in trying to subvert expectations. Made a tremendous amount of money $118 million. That's a lot. I agree with you. I don't think that according to our structural definition it is romantic comedy

so it's not going in. The next is on the list because of you. Julia Lippman, the holiday, directed and written by Nancy Myers, 2006. Would you like to make your case?

Yeah, I know you do. This is a tough one too to make the case. This also stretches the outer limits. And I'm open to your feedback, Amanda, but here's the case for it to be in. It is two women in parallel who are going through, like, you know, relationship crises

who go to another location where by all accounts, they should not be getting into another relationship, but they both meet someone with whom they're not necessary. Well, Cameron Diaz's case, they are sort of opposed, at the beginning at least,

because it's like she's annoyed. She's just sort of harried in general. Although who would be annoyed when that beautiful Jude Law shows up? Yeah, it's not really that annoyed. Yeah? I guess they're opposed to... They're opposed to time.

They're opposed to time, and then Kate Winslet is still sort of in love with Rufus Sewell when Jack Black is falling for her. Right. And so... Also, he sings to her in a Blackbuster. Starring Robert De Niro.

Or featuring Robert Teniro. It shouldn't... Both of these are like relationships. that shouldn't be, and then they end up working. So it builds to the happily ever after. But I do think these are more like women on a journey movies than they are. Women on a journey movie and also, this movie is not as successful in theaters as Nancy Myers' movies, but it has been reclaimed as a Christmas special because it does happen at Christmas.

But a Christmas movie is not necessarily a romantic comedy. So I think that this is a different genre. I think this is women finding themselves and also Mr. Napkinhead at Christmas. So it's not going yet. That's controversial, but that's how it goes. The next one is going to be really tough, but I wanted to make my case to you. Okay. So the Devil Wears Prada 2006, which I traditionally have gotten annoyed with people who have described the Devil Wars Prada as a romantic comedy because it's not a romantic comedy.

it's just a movie that focuses on women. And it's true that there are very few of those. But I was thinking about it recently. And I'm like, well, what if the romance is between Miranda and Andy? Okay. And they find each other and they find a moment at the end. But even then, they come together and then Andy goes on her way. So really, Devil Words Part of Two would be the romantic comedy.

And it's a time's a bit of a downer DeWhorst product too Yeah I don't think it quite fits But it has this It's a workplace Comedy Okay

Which is important All right Women who yeah And it is also Ladies Finding themselves Totally Yeah I said that

Okay Well I tried I love the original Devil Wars Prada very much It's great Okay All right We're gonna move through these

Knocked up 2007 This is not our favorite romantic comedy, but I think it's so essential. Yeah, it's like it has to be in. I mean, there is just the basic point that these two people would not end up together, nor would this situation pan out the way that it does in the film. Sure. Sure. Because it almost feels more akin to one night only in its setup than it does to like almost everything else and the real world. It's true, but since it's only one, you know, one couple as opposed to the entire United States,

then you don't really need to worry about why they aren't just terminating the pregnancy and moving on. Anyway... Also, we'll say, I love Seth Rogen. And, like, he is very charming in this. He's a great actor. He's a charming human.

He's a charming actor. He's great. And, like, it did sort of... I think that he is, like, as big as some of the other people we've mentioned in terms of rom-coms, obviously because of Jed At Patow. And, like, this is sort of his main rom-com.

I agree. And it's... It's a big deal and it is so influential in movies and also in the arc of the romantic comedy. So we'll put it in. The next one, so one thing I want to introduce to you, for a Hall of Fame, we pick 10 and then we pick one special blue film, which is just a personal endorsement, which we don't have number limits on this candidate, but we could also do one personal endorsement. But at first, I'd like to offer you the chance to make the case for your beloved music and lyrics. Well, I don't know why I need to make the case because it clearly is a rom-com. Are you saying because it's not good?

Well, we are making the canon of the romantic comedies that we feel are essential of the last 25 years. Okay. Well, this is definitely one of them. I mean, it's funny. We actually maybe should talk more about Drew Barrymore. Like, do we have 51st dates on here? We don't. You want to put it on?

I don't know, but I'm just thinking about Drew Barrymore and the Sandman. I mean, there's the wedding singer. Right. There, but the what year is the wedding singer? The wedding singer is 90s. Okay, so that's out. 51st Bates, though. That's in the 2000s, isn't it?

It is. I believe it's 2006. That's a depressed so one, though. I don't think that one should be in. It's 2004, and I agree that I didn't put it on the list. Yeah. Quality does factor into what we're doing here. Go ahead.

I feel music and lyrics is a high quality movie that I, one point in my life purchased from the Apple store and therefore carry around around on my phone every single day. Music and lyrics, if you haven't seen it, stars Hugh Grant as a former pop star who is just looking to make any dollar he can.

So he, like, will go on, like, the nostalgia-driven, like, ultimate fighter shows for formerly famous people. He was basically supposed to have been in, like, Wham. And then he is writing a song for a new young pop star, like, as if it was, like, Ariana Grande, and he can't write lyrics.

He can only write melodies. So he's somehow paired up with Drew Barrymore. I won't get into the specifics, but it includes watering plants and a plastic plant. And they can't stand each other, but he needs her to write the lyrics for this song. And so they end up falling for each other while writing the song way back to you.

And I don't know what doesn't sound good about that, Amanda. He explains music to her. He tells her about Smokey Robinson over coffee in the West Village. The New York geography makes no sense. It is a very 2007 movie featuring

someone from Everybody Loves Raymond and somebody from Third Rock from the Sun. And of course, Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. I don't know. I think this is a great, great movie. This might be your blue, because if we're going to include

one film written and directed by Mark Lawrence, then it should be two weeks' notice, which came out in 2002. and stars Hugh Grant and Sandra Bollock in which you and I have a real soft spot for even though it features incredibly bad office politics

and also a cameo by a certain president. So this music and lyrics is going to be your blue and we have a lot more to get through so we're going to keep moving fast. 27 dresses. Catherine Heigle, 2008. It's in. I don't like this movie.

I do also find it a little bit depressing. It's a woman who is kind of down on her luck. It's the always-a-briest-may-ne-never-a-briad, old idiom that we should eradicate from our language. Quite literally. But it's a good idea for a movie, and it was pretty successful. And it gets referenced a lot. This is also, you need a Catherine Heigel in the mix because as Catherine Heigel's star rises in the world of romantic comedies,

so do the rise of all the other movies doing better at the box office? That's not fair. She does a couple, but she's kind of the last. She's the sign of trouble to come. Definitely maybe 2008. I have to tell you. Yeah. I never finished this movie.

So you don't know who is her mom and who he? I don't know who he passed. Okay. Who's the mom? This is the Abigail Breslin era. This is the Abigail Breslin era. I think I put this on the short list because Ryan Reynolds is the star and it's Ryan Reynolds telling you.

his daughter the story of how he met her mother, but also telling her about three previous relationships he had in inappropriate detail. One of those relationships is Rachel Weiss, who's a political journalist at New York Magazine, and Rachel Weiss is my hero, and one of the more beautiful person, people in the world to me. So I just remember it because of this. And, but I think it doesn't meet the structural definitions, and also you don't know how it ends. And it ends, frankly, annoyingly. Okay. Forgetting Sarah.

Do you want to tell me? I mean, I've been waiting since 2008 to find out. No, I think that there are some things that should remain a surprise to you, you know? Okay. Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008. Excellent movie. Obviously, a rom-com. Yes.

I think that this is a yes. So, and this is, this is a yes. This is the movie that Craig Horlebeck always cites as incredibly important to his generation, which is slightly younger than ours. Sure. But this brought, This brought some new people in to a dying genre. It's a great movie.

I love Jason Seagull. Who doesn't love Milakunis? It's really good. The Proposal, 2009. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. She's a publisher. She's a publisher. She's an editor and he's the assistant.

Right. Great movie featuring Betty White, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenbergh. Great cast. Really good. Also, Oscar from the Office, I believe. Great movie. And they need to get married.

Obviously, Romcom. because she's getting... She needs a green card. Do you know how much money this movie made? No. $164 million. That is a tremendous amount

of money domestic for a romantic comedy. This has never been one of my movies, but I do think that it's the last box office sensation and other people seem to enjoy it. And we didn't put definitely maybe in

so we should have Ryan Reynolds on it. I agree with you. I think that also, it's a good reminder of like the star power of Sandra I feel like I take for granted. But like, remember when that bird box movie came out on Netflix and it was like such a big deal? People just like for movies.

They do. Practical magic too coming this fall. Okay. Morning Glory, 2010. I think our shared most underrated romantic comedy of the last. And every once in a while we can do one for us. I recently got some feedback in that big picture mailbag that like I've made my case on this one. Morning glory?

Yes, I have talked about Morning Glory on this podcast enough. And I've said the words Frittata enough, just like that. It's Rachel McAdams. It's Patrick Wilson, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford. It's a great Hunter Boots movie. Yes, that is when Hunter Boots were a real thing. And it's filmed in New York and she's running around Rockefeller Plaza trying to do whatever she is going to do. Didn't make a lot of money, but pretty wonderful.

And this is our list. So I think we can put it in. We can do what we want. It's a great movie. I don't understand anyone who thinks otherwise. I also don't understand how people haven't seen it. So just, you know, sign it up, everybody. Okay.

The next one, what's your number, 2011? I put this on the list because I met my husband outside of a screening for this movie. It stars Anna Farris and Chris Evans, and it's an incredibly insulting film about how Anna Farris reads a women's magazine article about how you can only sleep with 20 people in your life or you can't get married or something. And she's on 19. So she has to go track down all of it. the people she had sex with. It's

degrading and occasionally funny because Anna Ferris is an incredibly gifted comedian and then guess who her number 20 turns out to be. We don't have to put it in but you know it's it's a piece of big picture history. Okay, that's beautiful. Okay. Silver Linings Playbook

2012. I think that's a yes. I think so too. I like this movie. I'm not supposed to I think, but I do like this movie. Yeah, well, the mental health stuff plus the David O. Russell conversation, but it launches Jennifer Lawrence more or less. I mean, this is her Oscar winning role. And it does a lot for the city of Philadelphia and trash bags and Bradley Cooper. Made a ton of money.

I think it's a yes. I also when I asked, I asked my husband, I was like, what is your favorite rom-com of the last 25 years? And Silver Lenings Playbook was his answer. So there we go. It's very good. Agreed. All right. Enough said, 2013, directed and written by Nicole Hollisenter. I think she makes movies that are rom-com adjacent. And I understand why it's here. But I don't, I think this is a movie about adults navigating life. And I, and like navigating dating as old,

like, you know, not even as older people, but it's like, you know, people who aren't 28 or supposed to be 28. You're completely right. And I don't think that it is, it meets our definition of a romantic comedy. I think it's one of the most wonderful films made in the last 25 years. I rewatched it. I recommend it. A beautiful James Gannelfini performance. Julia Louis Dreyfus forever. Okay.

So now we're in the type of movie is changing. The frequency of the movies is changing. And certainly the box office is changing. I think this is sort of like the internet indie era. Yes. Yes. So this is 2014. at which point the economics of a big budget studio romantic comedy starring movie stars is gone.

We're not doing that anymore. Obvious Child. Directed by Jillian Ropes-Bear starring Jenny Slate and Jake Lacey. Definitely a rom-com. Also one of the most unrealistic rom-coms I've ever seen. Because Jake Lacey's character is like too perfect. Like only a woman would write Jake Lacey's character. But sometimes in a romantic comedy, you can have a real person.

And I mean, that brings up the question of, is this more about the Jenny Slate character and what she's going to do and whether or not she's going to have an abortion and her own personal. That's true. Her personal decisions and sort of like a response to knocked up and with a romance alongside of it. The flip side is that I was out to dinner with two friends last night, asked them what their favorite romantic comedy of the last 25 years was. and they both said obvious child. So... I think I responded to quickly. I do think this is more

of like a woman on a journey story with a cute guy. And I think I just really like it. So that's why I was like definitely but I think you're right. Okay. Yeah, it's wonderful. But I don't think it's in.

It's out. I retract. Okay. Train wreck, 2015. This was a Juliette suggestion and I thought that it was very, very wise. I think it's a rom-com.

It's not my favorite. It is. But it's a rom-com. And I think the way that it was, resolves itself very much meets our definitions of a rom-com, though its resolutions are what greets, what it's grating to me,

because they feel a little tidy and a little bit, like putting the messy Amy Schumer character in her place. Yes. And she, the Amy Schumer character is also like a real throwback to like the earlier of like the kind of like messier Jennifer Anston style like characters. Like, you know, it's,

it's also kind of. condescending, but there's like some truth to it too. I also just think this movie is like a cultural touchstone. I feel like it was just such a big deal. LeBron being in a movie was so funny. I don't know. It was a really big deal and it follows all like the arc of it like a classic rom-com perfectly.

Yes. This used to be my favorite movie of all time because I saw it on a date in middle school with a girl I had zero chance with. Wow. How did the date go? The date went well. Okay. But I was way more into her than she was into me. nothing really happened, but I think I tweeted train wreck is the greatest movie of all time at

like 14 years old, so that was pretty cool. So this is also a touchstone for me. Okay. Where you want to weigh out on it now? Uh, I still like it. Okay. Is it a rom-com? Yes, 100%. Because the conflict is really just about whether she's, A, whether she's being ethical in her job, which is a hard no, but B, whether or not she can be, you know, in a relationship and whether he can be in a relationship. And they are, they're not quite opposed, but they're also never really on the same page until the end and her really cheesy romantic gesture. Also, LeBron is great in this. Also, this made over $100 million, which, like, in 2015 for comedy, like for this genre is significant. So it was a hit. Judd Apatow directs woman. Miracles happen. Let's do it. Okay,

it's in. To his credit, he was like a major sponsor of Lena Dunham when girls started. I think he was the executive producer. And, you know, I just saw a headline about his daughter's movie finally being released after it was a hit at TIF last year. Okay. That's exciting. I haven't seen it. Well, maybe you will. Okay.

Carry on. The Big Sick, 2017. Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kamal Nanjani, who stars in it opposite Zoe Kazan, directed by Michael Schoelwalter. This was nominated. Autobiographical, right? Yes. And nominated for a lot of it. a screenwriting Oscar.

A decent hit made $42 million. I think it was very funny. Launched the Ray Romano meme about you go online. People hate Forrest Gump. I'd never go online. I love Ray Romano. He's so, he is such a good actor. I found this movie sad.

And I think we try to eradicate illness from our rom-coms. I think this is more of a family movie than rom-com. I think you're right that there is more drama. And it is very funny, but it's not light. And we have been... But then we're going to get in really tricky territory. If we can't do anything sad for the rest of this list,

then we won't have anything after... Anything good? Yeah, certainly not anything good. And I'm willing to give up on a lot of things. But I think this one was a big and of enough hit and also... being recognized by the Oscars in screenwriting as a big deal. Like, it was sort of a sensation. It also maybe is important to, like, recognize it's a shift in what is a rom-com.

Yes. In this moment. Yes. In terms of scale, in terms of how it's reduced and released and received. I think it's important. So I'm going to fight for this one. Okay. All right.

Next one, set it up. The big deal here at the Ringer, because it is set up at a company. not unlike the Ringer, which existed when this film came out. I believe it was based on Grantland. Yes. Yeah. Well, but by the time it was released, the Ringer existed. Written by Katie Silberman, who I believe went to Dartmouth, much like you.

Yes, and also wrote Book Smart stars Zoe Deutsch and Glenn Powell. This is like Zoe Deutsch's first big Netflix movie, and she's still making them all those years later. She sure is. I think this is a rom-com I think this also like really helped Glenn Powell I feel like people were really talking about him after this

and this is one of the first Netflix originals about adults that I remember other people talking about being like oh did you see it set it up pretty good and I do feel even if we now as we talk about all of the Netflix romantic comedies

which are a very varying degrees of quality we all say yeah but like set it up was pretty good. Yeah, set it up was pretty good. Okay. And it also, it sort of like takes the idea of share and clueless setting up per teachers and then sort of like expands it in a way. And yeah, I think this is a rom-com.

Okay. Great. And you think it's worthy of the canon? I do. I think it, similar to the big sick, I think it ushers in a new era of streaming rom-coms, which is where most rom-coms are now. That's true. Fleabag season two, written by Phoebe Wallerbridge starring Andrew Scott and Phoebe Wallerbridge.

This is a TV show. This is a TV show. And I do think that it's important to recognize the fact that some of our greatest romantic comedy writing in the last 10 years has migrated to TV. And also Fleabag and the other example that we'll get to are concentrated enough that the runtime is not that much more than a, feature-length film would be. Especially because Flewback's only six episodes. Exactly.

I do still think it's TV and it can't technically go in, but it was also, it's complicated and it's, the point is that they can't end up together and that's what that's interrogating. But, you know, and they're not really like opposed. Well, his faith makes them opposed.

Well, sure. He's a priest. Sure. Who gets to blend in. Yeah. I think that it introduces Andrew Scott, even, because, you know, season one, Phoebe Waller Bridge was already around, and she, oh, so this was like, you know, at the fringe. And Andrew Scott had been around too,

right? Like, he was in Sherlock, which was a huge, huge hit in the UK. But I think it introduced him to, like, a female audience in a different way and, like, really launched him as a heartthrob. He hasn't really done anything like heartthrobish since, if I'm recalling correctly. He's done a lot of stuff, and he's really successful. But this was sort of like, I don't know, just like this is such a moment. Fleabag season two is a moment. That's, I guess, the best way I can put it. And Hot Priest was a moment.

And I think even 10 years earlier, it would be a movie. But it was a TV show, so it can't go in. All right, it's out. Plus 1, 2019, Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine. Did you see this one? I did. Another wedding-related movie. I did not really enjoy it.

I thought it quite boring. I want to like Jack Quaid. for his lineage and also I like the boys. But I was not into this. Maya Erskine dancing at the first wedding that they go to is one of the funniest things that I've ever seen. Like I stopped because this was on Hulu. So I stopped my TV and rewound it to watch again. I don't think I've ever done that in a movie before.

But it does not have to go in because you weren't as enamored of it. Happiest season, 2020. Speaking of Hulu. So we're in the COVID era now. Yeah, we're in COVID. This is a Christmas movie as well. Yeah. I liked this movie.

I really clearly remember watching it. I think it's important. I think it should be in. It's also one of the only non-straight movies that we have in this conversation. Correct. And I think that makes it pretty important as well.

And it was very charming. I really liked it. They technically are together at the beginning. And it's more. about finding their way back to each other. Yes. But after family hijinks and insults ensues

ensues at Christmas. But, you know, we do have precedent the comedy of remarriage, which, you know, technically, and those the people are divorced, but they're coming from a place, you know, you start together-ish, and then as long as you rediscover your love,

then it works out. I mean, the real issue here is that everybody wanted Kristen Stewart to just run off with Aubrey Plaza, Yeah, totally. But in a way that makes it interesting. We do have many other examples of there being a very compelling third person in the love triangle who's a man. So why can't we have a same-sex version? I agree.

Happiest season, really good one. Palm Springs is also a 2020 COVID-Hulu situation. And I do think it has to go in. I think it has to go in. I also do not like this movie. I just wasn't moved by it. You don't like Palm Springs, the place. I just the idea of pumps ringing.

I'm like, oh, it's too bright. I need sunglasses. Just like anything that's like sun drenched is the past for me. Yeah. So I didn't really want in a pool movie. And no, thank you. But I understand this was very popular and people loved it. And very inventive and moved a lot of people.

And I think it came out very early in COVID. And it sold for a lot of money at Sundance pre-COVID. And we all watched it and thought like, oh, maybe life isn't over and also romantic comedies aren't over. They still kind of are, but whatever. Great movie. It's going on. Starstruck Season 1 is a TV show.

So by my own rule, it can't go in. But it is also two hours long. It's an inversion of nodding kill, or it's a gender switch of nodding kill, I should say. Written by Rose Matafayo, stars Rose Matafayo, the most delightful two hours you can spend. It's so good. It is so good. I just want to make a plug for the other TV show that I was thinking of. Yes.

I dared not put on here, which is Love Sick on Netflix. I think it's all Netflix. Oh, right, yeah. It's so good. I would just go straight to season three. It's very similar if you're looking for the same vibe. Okay. Worst person in the world, 2021.

This... I did see this, Amanda. I'm happy to tell you. I liked it a lot, obviously. It's a wonderful movie. As I was making my rules for a romantic comedy, I realized that it doesn't really fit romantic comedy. It's more of a woman figuring things out about herself.

But it's great. Renata Rinesvvvvvvah. Absolutely delightful movie. My favorite movie of 2021. Check it out if you haven't seen it. Fire Island, 2022. Still in COVID. This is written by Joel Kembooster,

directed by Andrew On, and it's gay Pride and Prejudice and set on Fire Island, which is the beach community. The titular island. The titular island of beach community outside of New York. I thought this movie is very charming,

and I still think they do a thing where they sing the, the searchlight fanfare like to the screen or something when it opens and every time I hear that now I think of this movie I don't think it has to go in

it was smaller I don't know how many people saw it but I did not see it I'm aware of I did not see it it was charming and they I mean they talk about fiction and reading books in this movie so that's good anyone but you also directed by Will Gluck I watched this on a plane

starring Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell Yes. I think that I watched this on a plane to meet you in London. I recall correctly. Oh, nice. Yes. I feel like the press tour for this movie, it clips to the movie itself. We got so much Sydney, Sweeney, and Glenn Powell. It is a good, solid movie. I enjoyed myself. It did well. It's not that good. It's not that good. If we're lowering our standards, it's in as almost like one of the only rom-coms to get like a wide theatrical release. Yes. And to be. successful and make money. And they do also, if we're doing the bridges test, I don't know if there's a bridge in Sydney Harbor, but they do have a major set piece. Oh yeah, I'm sorry, forgot that some of us on this podcast have been to Australia. They have a- Thank you to United. They have a major set piece in Sydney Harbor with that was filmed there, at least part of it was filmed there. It doesn't look totally fake. So it meets a lot of the criteria. I don't. think Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell are well matched. There's not a lot of chemistry there

beyond the sex scenes. That's another thing. This is as much as sex comedy as it is a romantic comedy. But I do think that it fits the rules. And it made, it was so successful that we have to include it. Okay. I think you're right. It's canonical, but not good. Yes. Okay. There we go. Our, like, our standards can only take us so far. Rye Lane. It's true. 2024. Have you seen this? I have not. This is a wonderful, this is much smaller movie. It's British. It's set in London and it's a, it is a one night, you know, only type of movie of two people who meet wandering the streets and fall in love. It stars David Johnson, who you would recognize and then, and who has since been cast as the new Black Panther. So, um, cool. It's lovely. And, and, I really liked it. It was a Sundance movie. And I guess not enough people have seen it

for it to go in the canon. But it's kind of like should be canon. Maybe this will be my blue. Okay. Okay. You've music and lyrics. I have music and lyrics. You've Rye Lane.

It's beautiful. Sure. Okay. Anora. Is it a romantic comedy? I'm ashamed to say I haven't seen an aura. I'm honestly ashamed. It won best picture.

Jack. I know. Is Anora a romantic comedy according to our definitions? I think so, right? They're not together at the start. Well, who's they? Mark, oh, interesting. Very interesting. You're saying you're a Burroughsov.

Yeah. Well, I was thinking through Mark Edelstein. Well, sure, but they get together and then the movie, if it's Mark Edelstein, then it's not a romantic comedy, because that doesn't end well. Spoiler alert, Juliet. This is a wonderful film. I am going to see it, just to be clear. And I also just want everyone to know, like, tonight, I have to watch, like, six to eight hours of reality. TV. It's not. I want to see more movies. I just don't have time. No, I know. So I think that this is more, this is a comedy and also a drama that uses a lot of screwball comedy and screwball comedy references,

which are a big part of certainly the first, the earliest romantic comedies, and has romance in it, but it doesn't, it's not a tradition. It's not just a romantic comedy. No, I agree. I also think it has some of the same reasons you put Big Sick in, where it's like, this is a different version of the romantic comedies we've been getting. It got recognized by the Academy. I would personally have it in, because it's also a wonderful movie.

Yeah. And it did, I mean, it won best picture. It's really stupid to not claim it for the romantic comedy genre. It's great. I agree. I loved it. It was my favorite movie of 2024.

Pillion, 2025. This is the dot com. You recommended it to me so many times. This is wonderful. written and directed by Harry Leighton, written with Adamars Jones, stars Harry Melling, Alexander Scarsguard. This is a... This actually, though, if we're going by our own rules, and even though the very neat catchphrase, Dom,com is there, it is, ultimately it's about a young man discovering himself. And then he is discovering how he wants to be loved.

I know, but Jack is making a face at me in the booth. I think it's definitely a romantic comedy. I'd argue it's more of a romantic comedy than an aura. Well, okay. So I guess at this point we have to decide with our list and with this last portion of our list, which is about the ways in which the romantic comedy had to change. And it cannot meet our original standards and survive. Then, like, how flexible can we be?

Because I kind of agree, like, Pillion is right there. And it is so wonderful. It's your podcast and your list and Sean's not here, so do what you want. Jack? But... Oh, but... Go ahead.

If a genre is dead, then a genre is just dead. Like, I don't know. Is it going to evolve and adapt? I'm not sure it's going to. It's just going to be a different kind of movie. And there's all these movies that are like adjacent to it, but aren't quite the same.

Sure, but there is also... A movie that uses the tropes of a genre so specifically to comment. on it is, I still think of the genre, even though it's trying to do something new. So I think, I mean, this is, this is about a guy who gets into a dom relationship, a sub-dom relationship with Alexander Scars Guard. And it is about their relationship. And then what happens?

And it has this magical last scene. No, it has to be. Okay. It's going in. It sounds like a rom-com from what you just described. We're breaking our own rules. And like the relationship and the nature. of their romance or what the definition of romance is between them is the text of the movie.

Okay. My last pitch is just being cute, and I've been saying this all year, the drama, 2026, which I do actually think is a rom-com. It is probably more... I plan to watch this too. It's more a romantic comedy of remarriage because they are together and then some hijinks ensue. But it's set around a wedding. It uses so many of the tropes and the structure.

and even the final beat of the romantic comedy is set up and lands perfectly. There's a dance element to it. There are friends. There's a really, really bad best friend speaking of. But she's supposed to be bad because she's sending it up. So I think that there's a case to put the drama in here just to be cute. I would put it in over one night only, which I think is a more traditional romantic comedy. and very fun, but...

It's not going to be canon. It's not canon. As you've said at the very beginning, the plot set up is insurmountable. Yeah. Okay, so that leaves us with 23 movies, which is for 25 years. Wait, are we counting the drama?

Yeah, I'm putting it in because Sean's not here, but my pot and pan are. Do you feel okay with that, Jack? I do. The only counter, I think, is that they're not. opposed at the start, but otherwise, I agree. That's also a wonderful movie.

Yeah, but they, they're separated pretty quickly by the revelation. And like the drama, the drama of the drama is them, can they find their way back to each other? Or should they? It's also a fun example of a movie that goes against your rule of movies that start with weddings are good and movies that end in weddings are bad. That's Sean's wedding. Yeah, that's Sean's rule. But it's the flip of it in that it is, I personally think how the wedding at the end is a good

use of it. It's really, really funny. Julia, you'll like that movie. Okay. I'm definitely going to see it eventually. I'm going to read the list very quickly in my movie phone voice and then. Okay. And then I'll release you. Okay. Oh, no release necessary. Honor to be here. The 21st century rom-com canon as decreed by Juliette Littman and Amanda Dobbins with support from Jack Sanders. Bridget Jones Diary, the wedding planner, my big fat Greek wedding, sweet home Alabama, how to lose a guy in 10 days, Something's got to give. Hitch. Wedding Crashers, knocked up, 27 dresses, forgetting Sarah Marshall, the proposal, morning glory, silver linings playbook, train wreck, the big six, set it up, happiest season, Palm Springs, anyone but you, Anora, Pillion, and the drama. I don't know why I need to do that. Go ahead. Let's bring us to a clean 25. Ryle Lane from Amanda and music and lyrics from me. That's 25 movies. That's great. One for each year.

Yeah. That seems appropriate in summation, but it's felt like a real desert living it. I would love more than one a year. Well, we do have a gap from 2020 to 2023. There's some other gaps in here from 2012 to 2015. We need more. Yeah.

We need more and we need them to not be just released on Netflix or thought of as a Netflix movie. Give us more. I agree. All right. That's it. This has been two hours. Juliet, thank you truly. I think it's been over two hours. That's fine. Juliet, thank you for coming

on the big picture to discuss our most beloved shared topic. So many movies that make me smile. Thank you to Jack Sanders, our producer for his work on this episode and also for some crucial insight on Trainwreck and his 14-year-old dating life. I mean that positively. Listen, this is how we learn and grow. Thank you to Sarah Reddy for her production support. I am now going on vacation. This is This is my time. This is me hitting the vacation bell. But Sean will be back next week. We're trading.

And Sean is going to do a mailbag episode. You can send mailbag questions to big pick mailbag at gmail.com. And don't send them for me because I won't be here. But I hope you guys have a great time. Juliet, thank you again. And I will see you guys on the other side. Hey, y'all. It's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair.

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