The Heart of the Film

Chapter 1

Romantic Comedy Cute Meets

In The Holiday (2006, written and directed by Nancy Meyers), Arthur, an ancient screenwriter (played by Eli Wallach), explains to Iris (Kate Winslet) about the Cute Meet, or the Meet Cute, as he calls it, in classic Hollywood movies. He tells her how in old movies a woman would come into a department store, to the menswear counter, and ask to buy a man’s pajama top. She likes to sleep in these and doesn’t need the bottoms. They tell her they can only sell them in pairs. She is frustrated. Just then a handsome man comes in wanting to buy just a pair of pajama bottoms. He doesn’t wear the tops. They look at each other and “ding”, a little light goes off inside. They buy the pjs together, she takes the top, he ...