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A review by christinecc
From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy by Scott Meslow
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Reading this book really felt like eating a bowl of popcorn (nutritious but delightfully buttery popcorn).
Meslow's "From Hollywood with Love" is basically a chronicle of the rom-com movie's trials and tribulations from the late 80s to the present-ish day (ending with the Netflix summer of love and the hit "Crazy Rich Asians" romcom revival). It starts in such a perfect place, the rom-com that brings everyone (or at least a lot of people) together: When Harry Met Sally. After that chapter, we get a profile of America's Sweetheart, Meg Ryan, and what the heck happened to her career (and why??). There was a ton of stuff that, by virtue of my age, I just didn't know was going on behind the scenes when her top movies were hitting the big screen. Meslow's research really pays off, giving the reader context as to how a movie came together and how its aftermath changed the course of not just the genre but also the people who got caught up in its current.
The book follows the pattern: movie, actor, movie, actor, and so forth. The transitions are perfect, the material is fascinating, and I love that it never veers into tabloid territory but rather LOOKS at and dissects the press and media's treatment of the romantic comedy genre and its stars. There's a lot we brought to our interpretations of the movies at the time they were being released, and I loved getting a better look at the (admittedly toxic) media scene from the 2000s. In spite of all that, the book maintains an upbeat tone, like a documentary that can look at the good and the bad without much trouble.
There were definitely more movies that could have made the list (sadly, "Saving Face" didn't make the cut), but Meslow definitely points to the fact that the chapter-focused movies are only the tip of the iceberg, not the full ocean. Get ready to add things to your movie list. I'm dying to watch "Waiting to Exhale" now.
If you're a fan of movie history, romantic comedies, or even Caroline Siede's article series "When Romance Met Comedy," this is THE perfect read for you. I love all three of these things so, well, I couldn't put this book down.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dey Street Books for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Meslow's "From Hollywood with Love" is basically a chronicle of the rom-com movie's trials and tribulations from the late 80s to the present-ish day (ending with the Netflix summer of love and the hit "Crazy Rich Asians" romcom revival). It starts in such a perfect place, the rom-com that brings everyone (or at least a lot of people) together: When Harry Met Sally. After that chapter, we get a profile of America's Sweetheart, Meg Ryan, and what the heck happened to her career (and why??). There was a ton of stuff that, by virtue of my age, I just didn't know was going on behind the scenes when her top movies were hitting the big screen. Meslow's research really pays off, giving the reader context as to how a movie came together and how its aftermath changed the course of not just the genre but also the people who got caught up in its current.
The book follows the pattern: movie, actor, movie, actor, and so forth. The transitions are perfect, the material is fascinating, and I love that it never veers into tabloid territory but rather LOOKS at and dissects the press and media's treatment of the romantic comedy genre and its stars. There's a lot we brought to our interpretations of the movies at the time they were being released, and I loved getting a better look at the (admittedly toxic) media scene from the 2000s. In spite of all that, the book maintains an upbeat tone, like a documentary that can look at the good and the bad without much trouble.
There were definitely more movies that could have made the list (sadly, "Saving Face" didn't make the cut), but Meslow definitely points to the fact that the chapter-focused movies are only the tip of the iceberg, not the full ocean. Get ready to add things to your movie list. I'm dying to watch "Waiting to Exhale" now.
If you're a fan of movie history, romantic comedies, or even Caroline Siede's article series "When Romance Met Comedy," this is THE perfect read for you. I love all three of these things so, well, I couldn't put this book down.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dey Street Books for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.