I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies

by Daniel M. Kimmel

While studying some of Hollywood's greatest romantic comedy films ever made, Kimmel explains why "When Harry Met Sally" (1989) was called the greatest movie Woody Allen never made.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Daniel M. Kimmel is the 2018 recipient of the Skylark Award presented by the New England Science Fiction Association. He is past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics and founding co-chair of the Boston Online Film Critics Association. His reviews appeared in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette and can now be found at NorthShoreMovies.net. He is also in demand as a speaker for various groups and writes on classic SF films for Space and Time. From 2014-2015 he was editor of The Jewish Advocate, America's oldest English language newspaper serving the Jewish community.

His book on the history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network (2004), received the Cable Center Book Award. He is also author of The Dream Team -- The Rise and Fall of DreamWorks: Lessons from the New Hollywood (2006) and I'll Have What She's Having -- Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies (2008). His book Jar Jar Binks Must Die... and other observations about science fiction movies(2011)was a finalist for the Hugo Award for best related work. His first novel, Shh! It's a Secret: a novel about Aliens, Hollywood, and the Bartender's Guide, which was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award given by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society for best first novel. His other novels are Time on My Hands: My Misadventures in Time Travel, Father of the Bride of Frankenstein, and Banned in Boston. He has also had several short stories published at HollywoodDementia.com as well as in AMAZING Stories, Three Crows magazine, and a number of anthologies including Transcendent, Science Fiction for the Throne, and Release the Virgins!.

Reviews

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun book that looked into the making and impact of fourteen romantic comedies starting with 1932's "Trouble in Paradise" and ending with "Love, Actually."

I would compare this book to hearing a knowledgeable friend talk about movies that we both enjoy. (Although I have only seen 12 of the 14.)

This would be a splendid book for someone who wants to learn more about classic romantic comedies.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun to read. I liked that the author discussed older 'romantic-comedies' as well as more modern ones. Several of the movies discussed I haven't seen, and I'm not sure he convinced me to go check them out, but they were fun to read about. Mostly, for the movies I was familiar with, it just made me want to watch some of my favorites again. I liked that the author discussed the origins of each movie's story, some background on the directors and actors and just how it all came together.

[Honeylyn Lisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A little academic, a little nostalgic, a little gossipy - all written in a great narrative style that's easy to read.

Made me want to go out and watch all of these films again/for the first time, and also to google many many stars, directors and other films and find out more.

I've always loved a rom com, but now I do even more! I guess I'm now someone who 'ships' Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart... only about 80 years too late!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love romantic comedies (who doesn't love laughing through a movie that you know [or hope] will end with a happy ending??

This is a behind-the-scenes look at some of the best romantic comedies - and if some of these stories are true, its a wonder that some of these movies were ever made, or even turned out the way they did. Just a fun read!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from the stupid title, the book is pretty good. In fact, much better than I was anticipating. I was particularly interested in the section on the most important classic romantic comedies - although the book did make me want to sit down and re-watch Annie Hall.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it goes behind the scenes of some of my favourite movies - like When Harry Met Sally and Love Actually. I love to read about the relationships between the actors, and about changes that were made along the way.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased. I wrote it. :)

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

The John Hughes book put me in the mood for this and then this, in turn, put me in the mood to rent "Some Like it Hot"

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of interesting anecdotes and back stories.

[Tina Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of interesting. Took me a while to read since I kept looking stuff up. For instance, trailers for each of these movies.

[Jon · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is singularly unfunny

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, many readers will justify giving this 5 stars, and I actually, justifiably, consider it 3 stars for me. In other words, the things about movies which you are interested in will color your reaction to Kimmel's book. It is very well written and certainly seems very well researched. There are two major ways of writing about films, however. One is to consider the film genre, in this instance, romantic comedies, as products of a historical/cultural moment and also as instigators of public opinion. The other is to focus on the lives of the stars in those movies, the ways that directors got assigned to do them, the travails of the screenwriters, and the bureaucratic decisions which allowed them to be made at all. Kimmel warns the reader at the outset that he is interested in the latter approach, and he does it well, often wittily, and always with flowing prose. As it happens, my interest is mainly in analyzing these movies in cultural and historical terms. There are plenty of books which do that, which Kimmel emphasizes. He seems to know that literature as well. I found all the trivia a bit wearing for my tastes, but I know from teaching film that many people just eat it up. This book deserves to be eaten up -- and even if you aren't quite so interested in the workings of the film industry itself, it is a good read.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only for the die-hard fans of the genre who are not looking for any deep analysis. I wanted more dirt, but for the most part, the action behind-the-scenes is nearly as glowy and perfect as what was happening in front of the camera. Boo! There's a little diva behavior detailed in the essays on "Sabrina" and "Some Like It Hot" that are particularly fun to read; the set of "Pretty Woman" was like a love fest, it kind of makes you want to puke.

Anyway, I read it in like 2 days, so it is definitely a quick, fun read. Not as good as Down and Dirty Pictures though. Not NEARLY as good, although the films that Biskind writes about are, in my opinion, inferior to films like Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally..., It Happened One Night, and The Philadelphia Story. In my humble, humble opinion.

[Carolynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment! The title sounded so funny but the book was tedious and dull. The writer kept going back and forth over the same material over and over. And I think the title gives a wrong impression of what the book is really about, which is a history of financing and producing and casting certain romantic comedies. There is not actually much humor in the book at all. I call it more 'film lore' than 'behind the scenes'.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in conjunction with watching the films he chose that I hadn't seen, and they are some good choices, only one, There's Something About Mary, would I say I didn't like. But the author provides a nice variety, and the overview of the making of each film is wonderful. I would have enjoyed slightly more analysis, and perhaps a closer look at the more controversial parts of the films he chose, but overall, a bit of behind the scenes fun in my favourite genre of film.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the parts for the movies I have seen. You get some nice tidbits about the movies. A nice read if you only have a few minutes here and there because you can read about one movie at a time.

[Kimberley · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty workmanlike

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun look behind the scenes of these movies

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read about the movies I'm familar with, but the chapters I read provided interesting insight and trivia into romantic comedies.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really fun to read, especially since I've seen all but one of the movies discussed, and because romantic comedies are my favorite genre.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

still need to see some of the movies listed.

[Christine Jasica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Such interesting back stories to these movies.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting look into a genre that usually cast off as "fluff"

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this there are a few movies I want to see. However, having recently seen Love Actually for the first time, I disagree with the author's assessment of that movie.