{"id":79613,"date":"2024-01-20T17:59:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T17:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodintoto.com\/?p=2038985"},"modified":"2024-01-20T17:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T17:59:16","slug":"what-happens-later-leans-on-conservative-rom-com-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/20\/what-happens-later-leans-on-conservative-rom-com-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018What Happens Later\u2019 Leans on Conservative Rom-Com Appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meg Ryan deserved better than the reception “What Happens Later” received.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The film hit theaters, oh so briefly, near the end of 2023 and got little press, marketing attention or box office glory.<\/a><\/p>\n

(This critic attempted to snag a screening link for the film and was ignored. That rarely happens for indie projects)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ryan, who does double duty as director and star, is synonymous with big-screen romance. Co-star David Duchovny’s comedic chops rarely get a workout. Together, they patch over the story’s flaws and remind us that screen romances don’t start, and end, in your 30s.<\/p>\n

\"YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

Willa (Ryan) and Bill (Duchovny) seriously dated more than two decades ago, and they have a not-so-meet-cute reunion at a snow-bound airport.<\/p>\n

She’s never been married and is still a free spirit in almost every way. He’s stuck in a failing marriage and scrambling to connect with his teen daughter.<\/p>\n

The former lovers struggle to connect at first, falling back on the dreaded “small talk.” Soon, thanks to a series of magical flight delays, they rediscover why they worked so well the first time around.<\/p>\n

Is it enough to spark a reconciliation?<\/p>\n

“What Happens Later” is all talk. Seriously. <\/p>\n

The film’s spare budget is obvious, and so is the story’s theatrical roots. It’s based on the stage play  \u201cShooting Star\u201d by Steven Dietz,<\/a> but that production didn’t have stars of this caliber.<\/p>\n

Ryan’s Willa gets bogged down in clothes from the Annie Hall collection, but her spirit is impossible to contain. Duchovny’s dry humor is perfect for Bill, a man whose love for rock music is blunted by modern-day anxieties.<\/p>\n

The two don’t click immediately on screen. That may be by design, but a swift spark would have helped the film. <\/p>\n

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A post shared by Meg Ryan (@megryan)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n