Unpredictably Predictable Rom-coms with Chloe Yellin
Rom-com-versations is an interview series with people from the entertainment industry discussing all things rom-com.
Hi Meet Cuties,
I had the pleasure of chatting with Chloe Yellin, Head of Film at Fierce Baby Productions. Fierce Baby is Nahnatchka Khan's production company known for films like Always Be My Maybe and Fresh Off the Boat. Chloe started her career at William Morris Endeavor before transitioning to Universal Pictures and working her way up to Director of Development where she oversaw titles like the 50 Shades franchise, Neighbors 2, and Bridget Jones's Baby.
đ Naomi: What is your favorite rom-com and why?
đ Chloe: This one is easy for me: Pride and Prejudice. Itâs a very classic example, but itâs a classic for a reason. I experienced that storyline, as so many of us had, in so many iterations. I remember reading the book in English class in ninth grade and being so excited to do my homework. Dawson's Creek was on at that time and there was an episode with the love triangle between Pacey, Dawson, and Joey. Reading Pride and Prejudice at the same time of Dawson's Creek was one of the first times that I experienced and understood how these timeless stories can be repeated over and over. Obviously, Dawson's Creek was very different and didn't follow Pride and Prejudice precisely beat for beat like Bridget Jonesâ Diary, but there was plenty of overlap as I recall and proceeded to point out to my English class over and over again. The dual experience of watching my favorite TV show and reading a novel and seeing the similarities â it was a very formative experience for me. And there's just something so special and relatable about the classics. Â
I also love that even a book published in 1813 could have a headstrong, intelligent, active female heroine, at the center of it, who ultimately had agency, fought for what she wanted, and was rewarded. In that regard, it was way ahead of its time, and a distinctly modern feeling to it, even though it's 200 years old.
đ Naomi: You're hitting on something that is so interesting, which is that the narrative arc of rom-coms can be predictable and the storylines can be repeated. That's part of the reason we love these stories, but really, it's about the characters and the character progression. I think this is a genre that because the actual arc of the story is held constant, you are allowed to focus on complex characters and build them out because you don't have to be nervous that the ending is not going to be a positive outcome in some way, shape, or form.
đ Chloe: There was a trend in Hollywood, probably in the early to mid 2010s, where so many scripts were going around following the beats of an entire rom-com and at the end the girl decides, âI don't need the guy, I just need myself.â It was supposed to be this empowering move beyond the tropes of a classic rom-com shifting the idea of what constitutes a happy ending: itâs not about a man or partner, but about self love. Which of course is a great message ⌠BUT. Personally, I never found those satisfying that because of what you're talking about. There is a familiar structure in rom-coms and romances that when you deviate too far from it, you canât help but wonder, âWhy did I spend the time watching this?â I love the message of self love, but itâs such an internal journey that itâs just not the most satisfying ending for a rom-com movie. For me, sticking to the basic signposts is always the way to go. Instead, we ask, âHow do you put different people at the center that havenât been traditionally, or bring other things to the forefront that have previously been overlooked, but still use the basic framework of a rom-com on so there's still a shared language with the audience that allows you to tell a satisfying story?â
đ Naomi: That leads perfectly to the next question! A lot of the stuff that you've done, like Bridget Jones Baby and Lovebirds, has stretched the genre of rom-coms while keeping some things the same. What elements do you think define a modern day romantic comedy? What are audiences today looking for that have changed since 10 or 15 years ago?
đ Chloe: I think there's a lot of differences, frankly. There are the rom-coms that you and I grew up on that I still love, like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or When Harry Met Sally. Those will always have a place in my heart, but they feel dated. Â
The world that we're in right now are very different from 2005 or pre 9/11. The struggles that people are dealing with, the way they're approaching their lives, and the idea of wanting to ultimately find happiness is what it was 20 or 30 years ago. So, how does the genre adjust?
Today, there is more desire for inclusivity and diversity. I think that what was done well in Always Be My Maybe was putting Ali and Randall in this sort of When Harry Met Sally story structure. The movie wasn't exclusively about them being Asian American, that was just a fact. In The Lovebirds, part of what worked was staying true to Kumail and Issaâs voices. We were trying to make things feel âof this world.â It's about perspective and the point of view of the characters and in that specificity that you find the universal themes that todayâs audiences can relate to better. Can I relate to hitting and killing a bicyclist in my previous relationships? No (or I wonât admit it here!). But I can relate to Issaâs character questioning, âIs this the right guy for me? Does he get me? Should I have done something else? Maybe we should break up?â The craziness of the set-up brings all those issues to the surface but in a sudden and unexpected way. Tapping into those same universal experiences, but through the specificity and through an unexpected way still makes it surprising, fresh, and fun.
đ Naomi: I thought that both of them were incredible actors and also I loved that even if the plot points aren't relatable, the emotions that the characters go through are. Rom-coms are a great vehicle for those emotions because love and emotions around love, including uncertainty and fear, are so vividly seen through the characters on screen.
đ Chloe:Â Totally! I think the other thing about rom-coms is that you have to earn the romance at the end. The ones that stick with us are the ones where they have been on a journey and you're rooting for them, so when they get together you say, âYes, finally!â Where they go awry is when you don't have that depth and knowledge of who that character is to say, âThey really deserve to end up with this person.â People will say all the time, âRom-coms are dead!â or, âThey're back!'' I personally don't believe either. You have to find what's today's version of the story: whatâs a rom-com that feels relevant to how we're living our life?Â
One thing I still havenât seen really is the internet dating rom-com. Even in 2021, thereâs always a darkness associated with it: the dark part of the dating montage is about going on internet dates, or youâre catfished, or whatever happens. I know a lot of relationships where technology has facilitated that connection in a way that wouldn't have been possible 10-20 years ago. And personally speaking, I met my husband on Bumble so that worked out for me! So to me, itâs odd that there hasn't been much exploration of technology and how it has changed modern romance. The perspective on online dating has changed so much and yet somehow in this genre and in pop culture, they still haven't quite captured that change. I feel like we'll see it at some point probably sooner rather than later and I hope to be a part of it.
đ Naomi: There was some recent news about HBO Max winning the auction for the novel, I'll Be The One, which is focused on a bisexual Korean-American teen and her dreams of becoming a star. This is something that you don't normally see on screen. I'm curious, as you're working on that and as you look at other productions, what are some things that you've seen being made recently that you admire as bringing diversity to the screen?
đ Chloe: When we're pitching or trying to sell movies, you have to answer, âWhatâs the success model of the movie that you're selling?â For Iâll Be The One, weâve often used Pitch Perfect. The basic format is that itâs a performance competition since they're on a K-pop version of American Idol. But much like Pitch Perfect, there is a romantic aspect to it and the plot is between the lead and her dance partner.Â
In terms of rom-coms as a whole and how they're evolving, weâre broadening what can qualify as a rom-com. To me, Bridesmaids is a great romantic comedy between two friends. Even though it's not a sexually driven romantic comedy, it's follows most of the beats a romantic comedy but between two best friends instead of lovers. That's partly why I think people fell in love with it so much â the signposts were the same but it was a completely different iteration of the genre. Or to take another romantically-driven example: The Big Sick is literally Kumail and Emily's story. That was nuanced, sharp, and so well done because it was so personal to them. They were able to embrace that specificity and capture the ups and downs of new romance in the way Kumail starts dating this person, they've only gone so far, and all of a sudden sheâs in the hospital. Particularly when youâre dealing with romance and comedy, being able to ground those stories in the specificity and authenticity of the creatorsâ experiences goes a long way in elevating it, helping it resonate with the audience.Â
As a producer, when you're taking on a movie project, best case scenario, you're living with it for years. You're getting into the nitty gritty, reading the script 50 or 60 times, watching the scenes, micro-analyzing cuts, and so much more. Writers and directors â itâs even more than that. Theyâre living and breathing the movie every day for years. I have found that to stomach all of that, to stay focused, and to make the movie the best that it can be, it has to be something youâre really passionate about. And for me, comedy is that thing. Iâve worked in other genres as well and am very proud of those films. But when I need to be reading draft after draft, watching cut after cut, reviewing everything to make sure itâs the best version of the movie it can be â itâs just always more fun when Iâm laughing and watching people fall in love. On the 50 Shades movies, The Lovebirds or Bridget Jones Baby, I would happily sit all day in the cutting room and argue about each scene and what we were cutting to and from ⌠thatâs a great day in my book!
đ Naomi: A word that you've used a couple of times that stands out to me is âspecificity.â The specificity is what makes each story so memorable. My last question: You've worked on a few holiday movies. Why do you think the holidays are associated with rom-coms?
đ Chloe:Â The holidays are filled with this idea of making amends and working towards a hopeful view of a New Year. From a narrative perspective, there are a lot of tropes and things that you can lean into â like seeing the high school boyfriend â that a lot of people have lived and put the characters in more complicated or heightened situations that raises the stakes. It's also just super romantic: it's dark, there's twinkly lights, fires, and so on. I would say weddings are the same as the holidays. From a storytelling standpoint, it gives you a lot to dissect, but also, it's a heightened emotional time. It makes sense that they would blow up in some way or another comedically.
Hope you all enjoyed this conversation with Chloe as much as I did! And maybe even got you excited to dive into your first holiday rom-com. Might I recommend, Love Hard, on Netflix - it has the holidays, it has dating apps, and it has Darren Barnet. What more could you want?
Stay tuned for my next rom-com-versation.
xx,
Naomi