After taking an acting hiatus, Meg Ryan is returning to the big screen, and fans will be delighted to hear that it’s for a romantic comedy. This time, she’s also directing.
Though she’s had variety of meaty roles throughout her career, the 61-year-old actress is best known for playing winsome, attractive, forthright women who fall for impossible (and impossibly charming) men.
David Duchovny plays her irritating yet irresistible sparring partner.
The independent movie from Bleecker Street Media, which hits theaters Nov. 3, is called “What Happens Later,” and the tagline could easily be: “When Harry Met Sally … Two Decades After Breaking Up.”
The pair’s back-and-forth banter is right out of the signature Nora Ephron rom-coms that Ryan starred in. Take a look at the trailer and see for yourself whether you think Ryan and the former “The X Files” star have rom-com chemistry:
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The couple’s “meet cute” happens when both characters, Bill and Willa, are indefinitely stranded at an airport during a snowstorm. After an awkward moment of recognition, they settle in to wait for their respective flights … and wait … and wait some more. Their polite pleasantries lead to some real catching up, including discussions about relationships (and what happened with their own). After hours together, their initial courteousness turns to frank pronouncements about what they really think.
“This behavior? This is exactly why we broke up,” Bill says in one scene.
“So basically, my personality,” Willa says, dripping sarcasm.
As you can see, the trailer seems to include plenty of snappy dialogue and emotional moments, so it should be perfect for those loving the resurgence of rom-coms that’s been taking place in Hollywood in recent years.
That Ryan and Duchovny are both in their 60s adds a certain depth to their dynamic. These are people who’ve lived long enough to take on plenty of emotional baggage, but also to gain some self-awareness along the way. It makes the dialogue that much richer.
“Sometimes there’s a question of: Will they be together? Will they not be together?” Ryan told Entertainment Weekly. “For that reason, [‘What Happens Later’] sort of evolves the rom-com genre just a little bit. It’s also about old people, and it’s still romantic and sexy.”
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