From Hollywood With Love by Scott Meslow
No Hollywood genre has been more misunderstood — or more unfairly underappreciated — than the romantic comedy. Funny, charming and reliably crowd-pleasing, rom-coms were the essential backbone of the Hollywood landscape in the ’80s and the ’90s, launching the careers of many of Hollywood’s most talented actors and filmmakers, such as Julia Roberts and Matthew McConaughey, and providing many of the yet limited creative opportunities women had in Hollywood.
But even after its unfortunate decline in the 2000s and explosive reemergence in the age of streaming, the rom-com has routinely been overlooked by the Academy Awards and dismissed by critics.
Now, Dey Street Books has launched From Hollywood with Love by Scott Meslow, which offers exclusive interviews with the directors, writers and stars of the iconic films that defined the genre. Meslow also shows the impact of these films not only on Hollywood, but on pop culture as we know it.
Also featuring incredible original black-and-white sketches of iconic movie scenes by illustrator Alex Kittle, From Hollywood with Love is pure joy, filled with entertainment, insight and most of all, love.
The book:
- Defines what a romantic comedy is: Far too often, comedies that focus on a female protagonist — The Devil Wears Prada, Miss Congeniality, Legally Blonde — are described as “romantic comedies” just because they happen to star women. What’s the proper balance between romance and comedy? How has the genre changed over the years? And is it still a romantic comedy if the couple doesn’t end up together at all?
- Shares behind-the-scenes stories: How did Pretty Woman change from a grim drama about life on the streets to a modern-day fairy tale? How did the Farrelly Brothers talk both the studio and Cameron Diaz into letting them shoot that “hair gel” scene in There’s Something About Mary? How did Nancy Meyers parlay her grief over a real-life breakup into Something’s Gotta Give? These stories, and many more, offer a revealing snapshot of what these movies could have been, and how they finally came together.
- Discusses the future of romantic comedies: After years of premature eulogies, romantic comedies are back, buoyed by the mammoth success of Crazy Rich Asians and a slate of Netflix hits that includes The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogies. As the genre trends toward franchises instead of standalone movies, and embraces a belated but welcome push toward more diversity, are we on the cusp of a new golden age of romantic comedies?
- Reveals how the Oscars view romantic comedies: Romantic comedies are rarely nominated for Academy Awards — why do awards groups have a bias against these types of films, and what do the ones that do get prestigious awards attention tell us about the film industry’s priorities?
“From Hollywood With Love gives rom-coms the analysis and respect they finally deserve, especially since part of the snobbery around them is rooted in misogyny,” says Rachel Bloom, comedian, actress, writer and author of I Want To Be Where The Normal People Are.
