Creating a Meta-Rom-Com: Karen Morey and Terence Chen on “Meet Cute in Manhattan” | Interviews

Director/co-screenwriter Karen Morey and co-screenwriter/star Terence Chen wanted to make a romantic comedy about romantic comedies, a meta-story that nods to many of the most beloved classics in the genre, from “Roman Holiday” to the oeuvre of Richard Curtis. In “Meet Cute in Manhattan,” the movie within the movie has a couple named Jason and Nora in a classic rom-com situation. They audition for a dating app commercial by pretending to be in love when they’ve just met and are in relationships with other people.

Morey and Chen sat down with RogerEbert.com to discuss naming the female lead character after one of the greatest writer-directors of romantic comedies, the Hollywood auteur who contributed to the script, and their disagreement over how a rom-com should end. 

What are the essential elements of a romantic comedy?

TERENCE CHAN: I believe the couple have to end up together at the end of the film. Both characters have to be changed by the courtship. And it should be funny, which is really, really, important because otherwise it’s just romantic drama and that’s a very, very different genre.

KAREN MOREY: You need the comedy and the romantic relationship, but we disagree because I don’t think they need to end up together. “La La Land” was a big reference for us. They don’t end up together, but you see in that film how impacted they are by the relationship. 

How do you balance the rom and the com? There are many successful movies that lean more into one than the other.

TC: We hadn’t seen a New York rom-com in a very long time. And with New York, it’s easy because New York is comedic in itself. The city is a ridiculous place, and in many ways, when characters interact with it, the comedy comes across very naturally. And then, if the chemistry is there and Karen’s idea of the meta-narrative is well-received, it just weaves very seamlessly through. The meta-narrative provides a lot of the comedy. The romance stands on its own as the characters progress through the story.

KM: We needed both to make our movie what it is. Yes, with Nora and Jason, that’s the core rom. A lot of the comedy came when we found our supporting cast, as we filled out our supporting cast with Chloe [Wang, who plays Jason’s on-and-off influencer girlfriend] and Mia Rose Kavensky [as Billie] and other studio executives, I think that’s where we found a lot of the comedy. There were so many lines on the page that made me laugh, but just hearing them bring the lines to life, hearing them performed, really brought out the amazing comedic side of the film.

One element of a rom-com is a quippy side-kick, and you get that with Jason’s sister, Lily. What does that add to the film?

TC: Carolyn Kang has been a friend for a long time, and she’s incredibly witty, great at improv, and she has that kind of innate spunkiness that you need. She always speaks her truth, and it’s so much fun working with her because the truth can be cutting sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, Lily is very, very direct, but it also comes from a place of love, right? Sarcasm can be funny, but no one connects with sarcasm, right? It’s a one-off. But earnestness with sarcasm matters way more.  Her biting remarks are always balanced with a real sense of love, and I think that’s what makes the relationship work.

You joke about Grand Central Station in the film, but it plays an important role. What does that iconic setting mean?

TC: Grand Central is a nexus for people, right? Everywhere we go, we have to travel through places, and that is such a hub. Millions of lives intersect every single day there. That’s such a great metaphor for what America really is. You cross paths every day, and you never know what one hey, one hello, or one twist of fate can lead to.  

KM: I’ve never actually been in love, and this was an interesting process. My parents had a meet-cute, and I’m really longing to experience that meet-cute. Especially in New York, it feels like it’s always around the corner. As we were writing the opening, I wanted to capture that feeling, especially in this age of dating apps and swiping where it takes the happenstance out of meeting someone.

Another element you usually find in a romantic comedy is deception or misunderstanding. Here, there is a deception, but instead of one of the characters deceiving the other, they combine forces to deceive the casting directors and then, when the ad goes live, pretty much everyone.

TC: When I think of deception, I think of the bubble tea scene where the two couples meet each other. Every one of the characters is lying to the others. No one’s telling the truth about how they actually feel about each other. Jason’s and Nora’s mutual deception comes from a place of, “Well, yeah, we can pull this off. It’s survival mode, and we can use the extra money.” But you realize that when you craft a lie, there’s something in it that they desire but do not have. They want someone who supports them and believes in the veracity of their dreams. There’s something beautiful about discovering what you truly need in a fantasy. 

KM: I’ve always loved the line, “Art is the lie that tells the truth.” It’s kind of an homage to our original title, “The Truth in Advertising.” Although this is a scripted, fictional film, it conveys many truths that resonate with both of us, and with our entire team behind the camera.

TC: Jason loves the people that he loves very, very fiercely. But he has settled for a type of love that completes 80 percent of him, rather than the full 100 percent. We did not want to portray the couple’s romantic partners as the villains. I don’t think there’s any doubt in my mind that Chloe loves Jason. But discovering that sense of what makes him complete is kind of the thing that makes him realize that while he cares for Chloe, she is not what he needs. On the flip side, for Nora, I believe she has fallen onto a pair of railroad tracks that she got on when she was 18 and realizes, “Okay, now, closer to my late 20s, this might not be where I want to be or where I want to go.” How do I get off?” We didn’t want anyone that was evil, right? It’s just like, no, people fall out of love, and love is very, very complicated. I think sweetness and earnestness matter. Hopefully, this movie shows that.

KM: One person that had a huge impact on this script was Michael H. Weber, who wrote “500 Days of Summer.” He read the script and gave us some really significant feedback. “500 Days” is such a big influence on this film, on the structure and beginning with the male perspective. I remember him saying, “You don’t want Chloe and Kip to be villains. You have to show why they were together and why they’re no longer right for each other. 

What classic rom-com would you like to have directed or appeared in? 

KM: “When Harry Met Sally…” is such a foundational film for the genre, and Nora Ephron is such a huge influence on this film, to the point where we named Nora after Nora Ephron.  

TC: I like “10 Things I Hate About You.”  It came out when I was in high school and the writing was so quippy and fun. We grew up on the late 90s, early 2000s and we miss those types of films. Not every film has to be about saving the world from destruction or some sort of suffering you went through as a kid. Sometimes people just fall in love. I want to make a film you can watch when you’re sick.

What did you learn from making this film that you will bring with you to what you do next?

KM: You can never have enough money. But when you make a film with people who are passionate and invested in the film, it turns out to be incredible. This was very much a work of love from everyone involved, and everyone was fantastic in it. When you have people invested in the creative process from inception to editing, it makes the experience transformative, and the product is just so much better.

Are you going to make another rom-com?

TC: Yes, we have a very, very terrible first draft. But I love a New York rom-com, and I don’t think there have been enough. So, I’m very, very hopeful.

KM: I definitely think I’ll return to the genre, but my next film is called “Hookers.” It’s about a murder at the crochet conference where all the suspects are women.