Hi Stephane: Thank you for the many, many thoughtful comments on the various "Rona Rom-Com" posts! You're clearly a film lover of discerning taste. I'm glad you've enjoyed this series. And thank you especially for the list of suggested French films! Of the ones you've mentioned, I've only seen "Heartbreakers" and "Blind Date." (I love "Heartbreakers" - and my studio, Universal, briefly flirted with an American remake of it.) I look forward to seeking out the others. I hope you are staying healthy and well in these terrible times. Thanks again for visiting the blog, B.

Kathy: Glad you like MAN UP - and thank you for reading the new edition. My interview with Tess may be my favorite part of it!

Thank you, Ed, and a very happy 02-02-20 to you!

Ah! I agree. She did the switcheroo that would have the most effective subliminal effect. Very cool... ;->

Hi Andrea, That's fascinating. I've heard Gerwig on other venues (e.g. NPR's Fresh Air) and she's always smart and funny about all such matters, but honestly, I'm not sure this principle applies as a general one. In many a rom-com, for example, we meet the heroine or hero with a "Bellamy" - a Wrong Guy - first, so that the arrival of Mr. Right is a clear and significant contrast. In some cases, the "prefer her with the first guy we saw - even though he's not who'll she'll end up with" idea creates intentional complexity (Broadcast News is a good example of that), but... I'd say Gerwig's "First One" theory only applies to some rom-coms. So I guess I wouldn't advocate it as a Thing One Should Necessarily Do... while on the other hand, it's a cool strategy to use if you want to create triangle-like tensions that can misdirect or play with the audience's expectations (e.g. if you WANT the audience to assume your heroine should be with Guy#1, and initially resist Guy#2, even if Guy #2 is ultimately her proper match). And etc. Thanks for the thought-provoking comment!

They don't make 'em like they used to, eh, Stephane?

Hi Rob, From your mouth to her ears! Best-o, B.