A Chaotic Taxonomy of the Nancy Meyers Cinematic Universe
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a nancy meyers film is comfort incarnate. In Meyers’ films, there is an overwhelming sense of warmth and justice and an understanding that nothing will go wrong that cannot be put right. Nobody looks for love, but everyone stumbles upon it. the protagonist appears at least once in a pale, monochromatic outfit (often all white), a shrewd indicator of feminine strength. there’s at least one hospital visit, often as a byproduct of sex, and at least one attractive doctor. the protagonist gets drunk or a little too high for the first time in years, and though everyone is surprised, they agree that this is good for her. children, when they appear, are precocious and ironic. there is at least one beautiful roast chicken and plenty of white wine.
through more than four decades of filmmaking, meyers has created his own very specific cinematic language and world. each of his gently offbeat and fantastically aspirational comedies is a confluence of elements not unique to his oeuvre: women sobbing in mirrors, creative neurotics in turtlenecks, references to “my shrink” galore, but there’s something about the way that she combines them and makes her work unique in the style of nancy meyers. In our particularly heavy times, when we’re all crying out loud in front of our laptops, Meyers’ films are a much-needed dose of lightness and catharsis. Which is why we’ve decided it’s time to evaluate her canon in its entirety and create a taxonomy of the Nancy Meyers cinematic universe.
in nancy meyers’ platonically ideal film, the protagonist is a woman approaching or significantly over 40, played by one of the most famous people in the universe: meryl, diane, goldie. She lives in or around New York City, California, or possibly the UK. She’s wealthy, white, and struggles with control issues. she is focused on her career, she is independent and a bit of a loner. she loves to cook, but no one forces her to cook, and she is dealing with a divorce stage from a man who is a scoundrel, but not irrevocably. she lives in an incredibly clean and well-kept house, where 70 percent of the film will take place. halfway through the movie, she buys gourmet groceries. an older man who hasn’t been cast as a direct love interest in years becomes an unlikely sex object for our protagonist. sex itself becomes comical.
This is not intended to reduce Meyers’ filmography to a series of labels, but rather to argue that she should be discussed, like the Werner Herzogs and Terrence Malicks of cinema, as an author in her own right. Hoping to work on a great Nancy Meyers theory, I’ve broken down the Meyers films into their components—repeating themes, outfits, and woes of the leads—to find out which are the least and most Nancy Meyers. The films I’ll study include Meyers’ work as a director and writer, counting the early films she co-wrote with her now-ex-husband, Charles Shyer’s. I won’t discuss the whodunit Once Upon a Murder (of which Meyers co-wrote a version), the Whoopi Goldberg psyops comedy Jumpin’ Jack Flash (which Meyers wrote under a pseudonym), or this year’s father of the bride , part 3. (give or take) (which, at 25 minutes long, is too short to really deal with.) I’ll Break Home Again: A film that’s technically directed by Meyers’ daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, but one that Meyers produced and feels like an odd simulacrum of her work.
please have your own glass of chardonnay and join me.
14. Protocol (1984)
(co-writer with charles shyer and others)
meyers’s usually flawless fingerprints are barely visible on the protocol, a 1984 goldie hawn vehicle bearing four separate writing credits (including meyers and shyer) and the kind of casual, if shocking, racism that was prevalent in the The 80s. The film follows Hawn as a cocktail waitress who incidentally stops a terrorist attack. she then becomes involved in a confused government plot involving her becoming one of many wives to a dignitary so that the us. uu. she can build a military base in hers “small but strategic middle eastern country”. Not only is the film the least welcoming of Meyers’s work (too deserted), its whole point (that we should all be watchdogs of our own political process) feels very divorced from Meyers’s ethos, which is mostly apolitical. Her movies usually exist in a serene limbo where no one ever talks about the president, but we can safely assume the president is barack obama. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ goldie hawn (+1 glass of white wine)➽goldie hawn in a huge white sweater (+1 glass of white wine)➽ goldie hawn as a ruined and unfocused lead (-1 glass of white wine )➽ … who works at a bar (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ the action takes place largely in DC (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ … but goes for a short getaway to a nice house in the countryside (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ there are several scenes in which people wear flannel (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ but they happen within the confines of a complex plot involving international political implications (-1 glass of white wine)➽ someone gets shot in the butt (-1 glass of white wine)➽ … and our protagonist becomes a pawn in a sick socio-political game (-1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonist appears in a bathtub , although (+2 glasses of white wine)
the punctuation
no glasses of white wine
13. I Love Trouble (1994)
(co-writer with shyer)
I Love Trouble is, appropriately, a haunting entry into Meyers’s cinematic universe. Directed by Shyer and written by Meyers and Shyer, the film follows Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte, who clearly, and later admit, can’t stand each other, as a pair of Chicago reporters trying to solve an industrial cover-up involving milk and train accidents. . I honestly can’t tell you what happens in this movie. What I can tell you is that, from top to bottom, it goes against everything Nancy Meyers seems to believe in, most obviously her insistence that movies should offer a fantastic and comfortable escape from our own harrowing realities. Shot almost entirely at night and often within the gray confines of a gigantic corporation, this film offers neither joy nor consolation, instead focusing on a fatal public transportation accident and featuring Robert nearly falling to his death. on a pile of broken glass. However, there are seeds of Meyers-esque things to come: a silly, impromptu wedding in Las Vegas; an attempt at your girl friday-ish will-they, no-they jokes; and several scenes in which the leads sway in a hotel room in fluffy robes. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ an attempt, but ultimately a failure, to make an aging, rakish, sleazy man sexy (-1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonist is a neurotic, well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine )➽… who is also an effortlessly talented writer (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … and divorced (+1 glass of white wine)➽ said that the protagonist is not looking for love, but she finds it (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the action takes place primarily in Wisconsin (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ Julia Roberts wears various fancy outfits and, at one point, a big cozy sweater (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the leads they spy on each other through the hole in the hotel door (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ meanwhile, people are actively trying to kill them (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ the dialogue involves lines like, “of where do you say you are? bitchville? (-1 glass of white wine); there are monologues about cow hormones (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ but there is an impromptu vegas wedding (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ jane adams appears on screen (+1 glass of white wine) and eugene levy (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ but also, rats (-1 glass of white wine)➽ a dog is an important supporting character (+1 glass of white wine)➽ but a corpse falls out of a cupboard (-1 glass of white wine )➽ julia roberts steams veggies—no salt or butter—and removes the bacon from the blt (-1 glass of white wine)➽ then has a turkey burger (-1 glass of white wine)➽ …which is heart-shaped (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a competitive interpersonal dynamic turns romantic (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ someone actually falls to their death on a pile of broken glass (-2 glasses of white wine)
the punctuation
a glass of white wine
12. What Women Want (2000)
(director, uncredited writer)
meyers doesn’t have a writing credit for what women want, but, as he told the vulture, he rewrote the entire script and then directed it, ultimately making the story feel more like his sensibilities than hers. from anyone else. It’s one of her only films to focus on a man rather than a woman, but it still manages to include a more typical Nancy Meyers leading lady in the form of Helen Hunt, a brilliant ad executive who is the unwitting pawn. in mel gibson’s metaphysical mind game. There’s a lot women want her to not feel like Nancy Meyers about, namely a lot of black leather furniture and suicidal thoughts, but her DNA is still visible. Seen years later, it also seems like a meta commentary on Meyers’ own career and how she was and still is one of the only female directors able to “get into women’s brains” before it became fashionable to “pursue women as audiences.” “. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ neurotic, successful, well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … who is divorced and not looking for love, but it finds her (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ she even has a very specific home – dreams of ownership (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ but she is not the official lead (-2 glasses of white wine) ➽ an attempt, but ultimately (upon seeing him again in 2020) a failure, to make sexy to a sleazy, libertine and aging man (-1 glass of white wine)➽ said man has a leather headboard and dark navy blue sheets(-1 glass of white wine)➽ … and is an absent father (-1 glass of white wine )➽ there is a wedding (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … and a prom (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … that goes terribly wrong (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ … but leads to a link between parents and children grade a (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the action takes place in chicago (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ … in a fancy office called “sloane curtis” (+1 class of white wine )➽ mel gibson dances to the tune of frank sinatra alone (+1 glass of white wine)➽ protagonist appears in a bathtub (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ … but she gets electrocuted there (-3 glasses of white wine) ➽ bette midler cameos as a psychiatrist (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ helen hunt wears all beige and white suits (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ a competitive interpersonal dynamic turns romantic (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ someone eats a large plate of pasta (+1 glass of white wine)➽ there are several toasts with champagne (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …. and a waterbed (-1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
five glasses of white wine
11. Private Benjamin (1980)
(co-writer with shyer and harvey miller and co-producer)
A reminder: This list is not a ranking of the quality of Nancy Meyers’ work, but rather how close each film is to established filmmaking traditions that I have identified throughout her career. In that sense, I’d say Private Benjamin, while it’s a great movie that I personally adore, doesn’t necessarily feel Nancy Meyers-esque. this is partly, of course, because she wrote it early, in her early 30s. there are certainly recognizable threads throughout, but it lacks the warmth and warmth (both literally and figuratively) and depth that permeates much of the rest of her work. . However, the film—in which Hawn goes to the army, the most unwelcoming place on earth—begins with the following line: “When Judy Benjamin was 8 years old, she confessed her life’s wish to her best friend: ‘Everything What I want is a big house, nice clothes, two closets, a live-in maid and a professional man for a husband.’” What is this list if not a subtle summary of the naked desires of many of Meyers’s later protagonists? (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ goldie hawn (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … who’s divorced (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ there’s a boisterous wedding (+1 glass of white wine) where a gift blender brings tears to someone (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … and a predominant feeling of hope thanks to a protagonist brimming with energy (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ reference to “decorating the study in mushrooms” (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ woman cries out loud with comic effect (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the protagonist experiences extreme physical discomfort while walking around drenched and sleepless (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ the person devoutly cleans the bathroom floor (+ 1 glass of white wine)➽ …with a toothbrush, as punishment (-1 glass of white wine)➽ blatant military propaganda (-1 glass of white wine)➽ female bonding takes place in a circle, while details are shared of sexual life (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone gets lost in nature (- 1 glass of white wine)➽ … followed of an exuberant group dance scene (+1 glass of white wine)➽ there is a joke about having faked orgasms for life (+1 glass of white wine)➽ but there is also a scene close to rape (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ … in which goldie hawn says “oy vey” (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ luxury Parisian estate with neutral bedding (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ dog as major supporting character (+ 1 glass of white wine) ➽ reference to “my psychiatrist” (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
ten glasses of white wine
10. Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
(co-writer with shyer and william a. fraker)
meyers and shyer’s second film, irreconcilable differences, is about how draw barrymore wants to divorce his parents, shelley long and ryan o’neal, who have divorced due to extreme self-absorption and narcissism brought on by fame for screenwriting and direct. . that plotline sounds like it could become a series of gags and reductive comedy, but it never really does. Irreconcilable Differences is original and weird and, well, awkward, a rare quality for a Nancy Meyers movie, which is why it doesn’t rank higher on the list. there is relatively little homeliness in this film; it’s about the way material success can destroy you. It also has many scenes that take place in a courtroom, a place that feels far removed from Meyers’s work in general. But it tackles many of the great Nancy Meyers themes: unexpected romance, divorce, family conflict (albeit with a lot at stake), astonishingly precocious children, and breakneck writing success. (Available for purchase on amazon.)
the essentials
➽ neurotic, successful, well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … who is embroiled in court drama (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ … and obsessed with a contentious divorce (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ the young man drew barrymore carrying a bag (+1 glass of white wine)➽ hitchhiking (-1 glass of white wine)➽ … as a romantic method of meeting the future wife (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the main character is a writer (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in the Los Angeles metropolitan area (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the woman cries loudly for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ poolside business brunch (+1 glass of white wine)➽ ryan o’neal in an all white suit (+1 glass of white wine)➽ sharon stone playing tennis in a comfy white sweater and skirt white (+1 glass of white wine)➽ room full of white sofas (+1 glass of white wine)➽ rude stepmother (+1 glass of white wine)➽ furious writing like romantic revenge (+1 glass of white wine)➽ several mentions of “my psychiatrist” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ anxiety attack that lands the man in the hospital (+1 pinch) and glass of wine)➽ ”just a drink” between exes (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …that turns into raucous sex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone falls into a pool (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone smokes at the table (- 1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
15 glasses of white wine
9. Home Again (2017)
(co-producer, mother of director)
back home there’s a strange bird in nancy meyers’ aviary. Not technically a Nancy Meyers film, it’s written and directed by her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer and produced by Meyers, but it feels and plays like a version of an uncanny valley. (There are hints that Meyers-Shyer knew this would be the case, namely the fact that her protagonist’s father is a celebrity filmmaker whose legacy as someone who “captured the spirit of his generation, found the truth in the bedroom, agony in love, and the humor in all” is overwhelming and impossible to avoid.) all the nancy meyers elements are there, but it doesn’t evoke the same feelings. the movie is a westworld robot version of a movie nancy meyers. and it’s a fascinating cultural object because of this, further proving the idea that you can do everything exactly like nancy meyers, but ultimately you can’t recreate nancy meyers. home again is in this position in this list because while it’s in the style of nancy meyers, it’s not in the style of nancy meyers. an important distinction! (available to rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ the protagonist is a neurotic, successful and well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … with very specific dreams of home ownership (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … who is part of a couple of divorce (+1 glass of white wine)➽ she is not looking for love, but it finds her (+1 glass of white wine)➽ prevailing feeling of hope thanks to a protagonist overflowing with encouragement (+1 glass of white wine )➽ two precocious children (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ the woman cries loudly, for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in the Los Angeles metropolitan area (+1 glass of white wine )➽ female bonding takes place in a circle, while details of shared sex lives (+1 white wine)➽ there are several scenes where people drink white wine during the day (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonist gets too drunk, with comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ appearance of several white sofas (+1 glasses of wine) not white) ➽ someone has “creative differences” with an interior decorator (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the lake bell plays more sive bitch (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ dialogue involves lines like “oh, god mine, I’m not kidding, you have to feel these sheets” (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ people walk on the beach fully clothed (+1 white wine glasses) ➽ spouse appears out of nowhere requesting a ride back (+1 glasses of white wine)➽ …and eat gourmet leftovers from the fridge (+1 glasses of white wine)➽ michael sheen in a fuzzy sweater (+1 glass of white wine)➽ ”are you hungry? there is some leftover nobu. (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ “what is nobu?” (-4 glasses of white wine)➽ outdoor fireplace (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
18 glasses of white wine
8. Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
(co-writer with shyer)
written by meyers and shyer and directed by shyer, fotb 2 is certainly in the nancy meyers style, though less so than several of her other films, most notably the first father of the bride. It has many of the iconic Meyers elements – a gorgeous California home decked out in neutral colors, a ridiculously functional family, precocious children, a soundtrack that makes you sob in the middle of the grocery store – but ultimately, it seems more smooth. shadow of its predecessor. The movie centers around a classically ridiculous plot: Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams-Paisley get pregnant around the same time and spend the movie doing pregnant girl things and wondering who’s gonna show up first. Meanwhile, Steve Martin loses his mind and tries to sell her incredibly beautiful house. Meyers’ surprising attention to detail and good humor are evident, but the film doesn’t brim with the same fresh energy that infuses much of his later work. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ a house as a metaphor for life (+1 glass of white wine)➽… that is almost demolished (-1 glass of white wine)➽… but it is saved in a last-minute real of half a million dollars – real estate deal (+1 glass of white wine)➽ steve martin (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ diane keaton (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ …who have a daughter who is a neurotic, successful, well-to-do career woman ( + 1 glass of white wine) ➽ the presence of chardonnay during the day (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ hanging copper pots (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ healthy bond between parents and children (+1 glass of white wine ) ➽ the protagonist takes too many drugs for comedy effect (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ dog(s) as important supporting character (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ humor around the concept of menopause (+1 glass of wine white)➽ mass event adjacent to the wedding, specifically a baby shower (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in the greater Los Angeles area (+1 glass of e white wine)➽ the main character moves to boston (-1 glass of white wine)➽ …because he got his dream job (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ there is an e the entire wing of a house built for a unborn child (+1 glass of white wine)➽ mischief takes place in the hospital as a direct effect of sex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ hot doctor (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …performed by Jane Adams (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ Eugene Levy appears! (+1 glass of white wine)➽ diane keaton tells a romantic story whose point revolves around a turtleneck (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
20 glasses of white wine
7. The Intern (2015)
(director, writer, co-producer)
we’ve reached the point in the list where from now on everything is going to be extremely nancy meyers. let’s have fun! The Intern is the least Nancy Meyers-esque of the most Nancy Meyers-esque movies because while it deals with many Nancy Meyers themes: the possibility of divorce, the travails of careerism, an impossibly large house, a charming friendship that defies stereotypes of the age. in particular, he approaches them in a whole new way. This is the only movie Nancy Meyers, or anyone else, has made about Robert De Niro who becomes an intern at a new e-commerce company and becomes best friends with its founder, played by Anne Hathaway. It’s also the only Nancy Meyers film to star two workaholics and to explicitly feature a boner. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ predominant feeling of hope thanks to a protagonist brimming with energy (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … who is a neurotic, successful and well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … and an incredibly young girl early (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in new york (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a friendship develops between a much older man and a younger woman in which he teaches her about life (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ robert de niro in a lei (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ robert de niro doing tai chi in central park (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ anne hathaway in a big white sweater ( +1 glass of white wine) ➽ divorce looms over the central characters (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … but no one really gets divorced (-1 glass of white wine) ➽ a masseuse in the office who wears all white (+1 glass of white wine)➽ we briefly see a boner through khaki pants (-1 glass of white wine)➽ glass of wine)➽ boy with a t custom tent (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ roast chicken as leftovers (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ random woman references freud (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the protagonist rarely eats and when he does, it’s cold pizza at his desk (-1 glass of white wine)➽ ”I love this house. like it was in a children’s book, it would make you feel good when you turned the page and saw it inside.” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ dressing room with revolving tie rack (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman with insomnia (+1 glass of white wine)➽ protagonist gets too drunk, for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ event adjacent to the wedding, specifically a funeral (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the protagonists walk around in white robes in a hotel (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ two characters quietly watch an old movie together (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ matching pajama sets (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ a key plot point revolves around cleaning up a messy desk (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
21 glasses of white wine
6. birthday (1987)
(co-writer with shyer)
in my humble opinion, baby boom, directed by shy and written by the duo, marks the beginning of nancy meyers’s most nancy meyers-ish phase of career, one in which she focuses almost exclusively on testing and Outer zen tribulations but inwardly nervous women trying to navigate their careers and relationships. It’s full of Meyers’ fledgling themes and characters: Diane Keaton, in her first role as Meyers’ film avatar, plays a ramrod careerist who finds herself the spontaneous recipient of a dead cousin’s perfect baby. We see Keaton being, in essence, seduced by the perfect baby into making gourmet baby food, sleeping with Sam Shepard, berating a roomful of corporate chauvinists, and ultimately discovering that she can have it all (the gourmet baby). . the food business, the baby, the sam shepard). it is also one of the first meyers films to use a house as…a metaphor for life! This time, the house is in Vermont, and it’s beautiful but it’s falling apart. you know the rest! (streaming on amazon prime video.)
the essentials
➽ diane keaton (+ 2 glasses of white wine) ➽ prevailing sense of hope thanks to a leading lady brimming with moxie (+ 1 glass of white wine) ➽ … who is a neurotic, successful, well-to-do career woman (+ 1 glass of white wine) glass of wine)➽ …with very specific home ownership dreams (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …and a black leather sofa (-1 glass of white wine)➽ …who realizes that her current partner is not the right one for her (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … and she still does not look for love, but finds it (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a hot doctor (+1 glass of wine )➽ … seducing diane keaton (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … wearing a white cashmere trench coat and later an all white suit dress, and later a big white turtleneck sweater (+ 3 glasses of white wine)➽ …and has a spontaneous sex-related outburst (+1 glass of white wine)➽ james spader appears (-1 glass of white wine)➽ a farm falls apart like metaphor for life (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman with insomnia (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place mainly in new york (+1 glass of white wine) ass)➽ someone mentions “my psychiatrist” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a baby with a turtleneck appears (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ …and eats spaghetti (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ there is a fancy company called “sloane curtis” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the dialogue includes lines like “I don’t know how to relax. It’s not in my nature. (+1 glass of white wine)➽ various gourmet grocery stores present (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the film ends with the camera focused on a very flowery living room (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
23 glasses of white wine
5. Father of the Bride (1991)
(co-writer with shyer and others, co-producer)
The father of the bride is so welcoming and charming that just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. while there are certainly some regressive and patronizing ideas, it’s mostly a story about growing up; about learning to leave your childhood behind and reimagine your relationship with your parents; about playing basketball with your dad; about first love; and about the pitfalls of upper-middle-class event expectations. It’s a sweet and heartwarming movie absolutely packed with Nancy Meyers vibes. the only thing it doesn’t have is divorce, and it would be strange if it did, considering its primary role as a really important wedding movie. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
essential elements
➽ predominant feeling of hope thanks to the protagonist brimming with energy (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … who is also neurotic, well-to-do and successful (+1 glass of white wine)➽ steve martin (+2 glass of white wine ) )➽ diane keaton (+2 glass of white wine)➽ an incredibly precocious girl (+1 glass of white wine), plus the presence of children who can drive cars (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in Los Angeles metropolitan area (+1 glass of white wine)➽ Extreme wedding (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ Roast chicken served for dinner (+1 glass of white wine)➽ Matching pajama sets (+1 glass of white wine)➽ full monologue about how much someone loves their home (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone wears pearls and heels and a little black dress on an international flight (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone wears a suit dress pink with belt and heels for lunch in a mansion (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ dog as a major supporting character (+1 glass of wine white)➽ woman cries loudly, with comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ main character speaks to yourself in the mirror (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a blender as a wedding gift that makes someone cry ( +1 glass of white wine)➽ meaningful interpersonal interaction takes place in the middle of the night (+1 glass of white wine)➽ dialogue includes lines like “thank god snow is white, it works” (+3 glasses of white wine)
the punctuation
24 glasses of white wine
4. The Parent Trap (1998)
(director, co-writer)
The Parent Trap is Meyers’ first film directed by herself, and it’s an embarrassment to Nancy Meyers’ riches. divorce! love when you’re not looking! precocious children! luxurious houses! Fantastic circumstances that lead intercontinental twins to discover each other’s identity! I’m running out of new ways to say these things! I’m also running out of words for cozy and warm. this movie is a peanut butter oreo eaten while she snuggles up to her illegitimate twin inside her cabin on a rainy day. it’s jumping into a stunningly blue private pool at your dad’s wine mansion and drenching his new girlfriend. it’s waking up and someone telling you “I made everything we have in the house for breakfast”. (streaming on disney+.)
the essentials
➽ prevailing sense of hope thanks to the energized leads (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …one of whom is a neurotic, well-to-do, successful professional (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ two children unbelievably early (+2 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place in california (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … and in the uk. (+1 glass of white wine)➽ two weddings and a botched wedding (+3 glasses of white wine)➽ French toast, bacon, pancakes, vichyssoise, sushi, oreos and peanut butter, cornbread and chili appear (+5 glasses of white wine)➽ divorce (+1 glass of white wine)➽ various scenes where people drink white wine during the day (+3 glasses of white wine)➽ matching pajama sets (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ two absurdly beautiful houses (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ the protagonist gets too drunk, for comic effect (+1 glasses of white wine)➽ the protagonist talks to himself in the mirror (+1 glass of white wine)➽ interaction significant interpersonal in the middle of the night (+1 glass of white wine)➽ competitive interpersonal dynamic that turns into… being twins (+1 glass of white wine)➽ rude wannabe stepmom (+1 glass of white wine)➽ coordinated separations on a plane (+1 glass of white wine)➽ too many cream and white outfits to count (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ too many cream and white suits to count (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ dialogue includes lines like “let’s go out for lunch and spend the day getting lost in harrods” (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ butler making fashion recommendations (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman throws household objects at man in anger (a hair dryer) (+1 glass of white wine)➽ someone takes a limousine to go to camp (+1 glass of white wine)➽ develops a friendship between a much older man and a younger woman in which he teaches her about life (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ dog as a major supporting character (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ someone falls into a pool (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ meredith blake inventing athleisure (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
39 glasses of white wine
3. the party (2006)
(director, writer)
The Holiday is the most explicit romantic comedy in Nancy Meyers’ oeuvre, and also the only film to have an explicit Christmas theme, even though all of her other films seem to have a Christmas theme. They’re not. They just came out around Christmas and you got confused. The Holidays is really four Nancy Meyers movies in one, and, in that way, it’s perfection. I literally can’t imagine this movie isn’t 136 minutes long. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law are in a movie about the British, death, book publishing, and esophageal spasms. Kate Winslet and Jack Black are in another movie about soundtracks, how rude the actors are, unrequited lust, and suicidal thoughts (maybe that’s a Nancy Meyers-esque theme). winslet and eli wallach are in another movie that is basically a budding intern with funnier tidbits. and the guy who takes diaz to winslet’s house but doesn’t drop her there but then picks her up there later without saying anything and then makes her run back there alone is in his own movie about the dangers of letting incels drive him through the British countryside. All of this is to say that The Holiday is the most relaxing, aspirational, fantastic, and slightly crazy movie ever made. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ predominant feeling of hope thanks to the energetic leading ladies (+2 glasses of white wine)➽… who are neurotic, successful and (relatively) well-to-do professional women (+2 glasses of white wine)➽.. .one of whom is also a writer (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ neither is looking for love, but finds it (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ both wear all-white or beige suits (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ jude law in a turtleneck (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ divorce (of protagonist’s parents) (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ the action takes place mainly in the metropolitan new york area, the metropolitan area of angels and the united kingdom. (+3 glasses of white wine)➽ woman with insomnia (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman who says she can’t cry finally cries (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman who can cry cries with comic effect (+1 glass of white wine) glass of wine)➽ the protagonist gets drunk, with comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a meaningful interpersonal interaction takes place in the middle of the night (+1 glass of white wine)➽shopping interlude in a gourmet grocery store (+1 glass of white wine) glass)➽ dialogue involves lines like “I found him buried in that little spot we found in covent garden, that time” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ white sofa , five coffee poufs and a giant coffee table (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ woman throws household object at man in anger (a shoe) (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ dark curtains provoke shouts of joy (+ 1 glass of white wine)➽ man gets punched in the face in front of landscaper in white-linen shirt (+1 glass of white wine )matching pajamas (+1 glass of white wine)➽ lindsay lohan as a woman who never knew her father (+1g lass white wine)➽ booking an international vacation the day before departure, several times (+ 1 glass of white wine)➽ woman monologue to herself on the computer (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the healing power of fettuccine alfredo (+1 glass of white wine) )➽ geriatric aquatic therapy (+1 glass of white wine )➽ woman who does not have a therapist (-1 glass of white wine)➽ woman who “has been with a therapist for 3 years” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ fills a blackboard with Kiehl’s products in the bathroom of the cabin (+1 glass of white wine)➽ a friendship develops between a much older man and a younger woman in which he teaches her things about life (+1 glass of white wine)➽ being very tanned in the winter of England (+1 glass of white wine)➽ two precocious children under the age of 6 who both have cell phones (+1 glasses of white wine)➽ the protagonist in a whole scene in the bathtub (+1 glass of white wine)➽ mr. napkin head (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ various scenes where people drink white wine during the day (+4 glass of white wine) ➽ a discussion ensues about the amount of marshmallows in hot chocolate (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the female bond takes place in a circle, while details of the sexual life are shared (+1 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
42 glasses of white wine
2. Something Has to Give (2003)
(director, writer, co-producer)
something has to give. y is the word count in this article. At this point, you understand what I mean here. this movie is like turning nancy meyers herself into a bottle of white wine and drinking it. Diane Keaton returns to star in the avatar of Nancy Meyers, a playwright who doesn’t look for love and finds it with both Keanu Reeves and Jack Nicholson, and Paris is involved and so is the divorce. adds a meta side plot where keaton writes a play based on her own life, in this movie nancy meyers wrote based on her own life and congratulations you’re very drunk on that bottle of nancy’s wine meyers. (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽ prevailing sense of hope thanks to the female lead brimming with energy (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … who is a neurotic, successful and well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ … and also a writer ( + 1 glass of white wine)➽ and also diane keaton (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ has an incredibly luxurious house in the hamptons (+1 glass of white wine)➽ she is divorced (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … and has a good relationship with her ex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ she is not looking for love, but he finds her (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … in the form of a hot doctor (+1 glass of wine)➽ hot doctor seduces diane keaton (+1 glass of white wine)➽ …wearing multiple all-white outfits (+10 glasses of white wine)➽ a turtleneck is part of a romantic moment (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ woman cries loudly for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the action takes place primarily in the New York metropolitan area (+1 glass of white wine lanco)➽ “the fabulous two-story living room” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ female bonding takes place in a circle, while the details of shared sex lives (+1 glass of white wine)➽ champagne ice cream at noon (+1 glass of white wine)➽ French is spoken in a gourmet supermarket (+1 glass of white wine)➽ “didn’t I read an article about you? in new york magazine? (+1 glass of self-serve white wine)➽ woman with insomnia (+1 glass of white wine)➽ random woman referencing freud (+1 glass of white wine)➽ matching pajama sets (+1 glass of wine white)➽ humor around the concept of menopause (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ jack nicholson saying: “we are cute!” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ meaningful interpersonal interaction takes place in the middle of the night (+1 glass of white wine)➽ pancakes, pasta, leftover coq a vin (+5 glasses of white wine)➽ mischief has place in hospital as effect of sex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ man is rushed to hospital with panic attack (+1 glass of white wine)➽ frances mcdormand brings keanu reeves home from farmers market ( +1 glasses of white wine)➽ paris (+1 glass of white wine) glass of wine)
the punctuation
44 glasses of white wine
1. It’s Complicated (2009)
(director, writer, co-producer)
If a very smart bot watched all the nancy meyers movies and then wrote his own script, it would be complicated. this film is almost the platonic ideal of nancy meyers, demonstrating both her ability and skill as a director as well as her evolution as an artist. If Father of the Bride and Parent Trap are Meyers’ versions of happy endings to family life, It’s Complicated is a more, well, complicated version of the American nuclear family game ending. It’s Complicated is what happens when Nancy Meyers finally scales the top of Nancy Meyers Mountain. (Imagine Nancy Meyers standing on a mountainous rendition of her own head, sort of like Mount Rushmore, except it’s just her.) To be clear, this movie isn’t necessarily my favorite of her movies (that would be something I have to give or vacation), but it is most unspeakably hers. no one else could have done it, and her confidence in understanding her past work makes it all the more special. Watching her is hard is watching a director who is finally in her prime, understanding exactly what she wants to say and how to say it in a way that will make you ignore the fact that meryl streep already has a perfect kitchen why is she redoing her kitchen ? Do not ask questions!! It’s…fucking…complicated!! (Available for rent on amazon and itunes.)
the essentials
➽a predominant feeling of hope thanks to the protagonist brimming with energy (+1 glass of white wine)➽… who is a neurotic, successful and well-to-do career woman (+1 glass of white wine)➽.. .owner of a bakery called “la panadería” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ she is not looking for love, but it finds her (+1 glass of white wine)➽ she is divorced (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … and has a good relationship with his ex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ maybe he’s too good!(+1 glass of white wine)➽ …and therein lies the complication (+1 glass of white wine)➽ attempt to make sexy to a sleazy, debauched, aging man (+1 glass of white wine)➽ meryl streep tending her garden in a straw hat (+1 glass of white wine)➽ meryl streep making chocolate croissants (+1 glass of wine white)➽ significant interpersonal interaction takes place in the middle of the night (+1 glass of white wine)➽ steve martin (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ action takes place primarily in new york and santa barbara (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman with insomnia (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonist gets too drunk, for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonist takes drugs too much, for comic effect (+1 glass of white wine)➽ woman stalks the therapist for a brief unscheduled consultation (+1 glass of white wine)➽ protagonist in the bathtub throughout the scene (+1 glass of white wine)➽ ”just a drink” between ex (+1 glass of white wine) glass of wine) that turns into raucous sex (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ hot doctor (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ wedding adjacent events (part anniversary and, prom) (+2 glasses of white wine) ➽ lake bell plays a huge bitch (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ meryl streep in all-white outfit with turquoise jewelry (+1 glass of white wine) ➽ house inexplicably under construction (+1 glass of white wine)➽ humor about the concept of menopause (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the bond of faith menino takes place in a circle, while details of sexual life are shared (+1 glass of white wine)➽ various scenes where people drink white wine during the day (+2 glasses of white wine)➽ the protagonists walk around in white robes in a hotel (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the way meryl streep says “details” as “da-tails” (+1 glass of white wine)➽ meryl streep in a silk robe dancing with cakes (+1 glass of white wine)➽ the protagonists spy on each other (+1 glass of white wine)➽ croque monsieur, giant bowls of pasta, roast chicken for leftovers, mashed potatoes, “too much food” for dinner (+ 5 glasses of white wine)➽ the man has an anxiety attack that requires medical attention (+1 glass of white wine)➽ … as a direct effect ect of sex (+1 glass of white wine)➽ turning croissant dough into a beard ( +2 glass of white wine)
the punctuation
45 glasses of white wine
