Meet Cute: Emily Kubincanek on Classic Rom-Coms, Cary Grant, and More

"You just need Cary Grant honestly."

meet cute is a segment where we talk to folks about their favorite rom-coms, their hearty hot takes, and more. this week, we talked with film writer and library extraordinaire EMILY KUBINCANEK about her faves: including, but not limited to, classic rom-coms, 13 Going on 30, Katharine Hepburn, and more…

Hi! I’m Emily Kubincanek, a Library & Archives graduate student, public librarian and film writer. [Rom-coms have] always been my favorite genre! Even before I really got into film, I knew 13 Going on 30 was going to change my life. 

Find Emily on Twitter @emilykub_, or read her amazing work at Film School Rejects.

FAVORITE ROM-COM HITS

Most importantly: best meet-cute?

When Don (Gene Kelly) falls into Kathy’s (Debbie Reynolds) car in Singin’ in the Rain. 

Who’s the #1 rom-com character that you identify with?

Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Relatedly, who’s the best rom-com journalist?

Naturally, Hildy Johnson. 

Who’s your fave rom-com director?

Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, His Girl Friday, etc.)

What’s the best rom-com speech?

Harry’s ending speech in When Harry Met Sally. 

What’s the best needle drop in a rom-com?

Dreams by the Cranberries in You’ve Got Mail. 

Who’s the leader of the rom-com world — actor, director, writer, etc.?

Nora Ephron, obviously. 

Best rom-com outfit? Any idea on where to find it?

Everything Katharine Hepburn wears in The Philadelphia Story! If I knew how to get those clothes my life would be much better.

ON ROM-COM THEORY

Toughie, but important: to you, what makes a rom-com a rom-com?

Rom-coms find the balance between humor and drama when it comes to love. Perfect rom-coms always find a way to bring two people who would never dream of being in love together by the end. If it’s too easy, it’s a romance. If it’s fated to not work out, it’s a romance. 

You’re an expert on classic film — can you give some insight into some of the tropes and distinctions in classic rom-coms?

My favorite thing about classic rom-coms is the innovative way they referred to sex without ever really being allowed to explicitly show it or talk about it. The subtext and innuendo that goes along with classic rom-com dialogue is unmatched in modern rom-coms. When there weren't sex scenes, there were dance sequences with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, which have as much palpable sensuality as most sex scenes. There are so many classic romance pairs I love: Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant. You just need Cary Grant honestly. 

Kind of going off of that, what are some threads you’ve seen in older romances that have prevailed in the genre over cinematic history?

Rom-coms honestly have been so vast in Hollywood’s early years. Screwball comedy romances feel like they laid the groundwork for typical female leads in rom-coms as we know them today. They're always smarter than everyone else, knock men down a few pegs, but get surprised by love in the end. There are several early actresses that I see hints of in today’s rom-com actresses. Meg Ryan has some serious Jean Arthur vibes and I could totally see Carole Lombard and Kate Hudson playing the same cool-girl characters.

You write a great deal (Again, read everything here!) about film, including rom-coms, romances, comedies, etcetera — what’s a piece of writing advice you’ve implemented/been taught when writing about these genres?

I think Karina Longworth said this in an interview I did with her years ago, but don’t quote me.  If you’re interested in it, there is probably someone else out there who is. Start with what fascinates you when you’re writing or researching. I’ve been following that since I started writing about film, because let’s be honest Pre-Code sex comedies don’t get that many clicks but there are plenty of fervent fans out there ready to read!

What’s the best genre to pair with a rom-com?

Period piece + rom-com = cinema perfection. Austen-era love stories just make rom-com stories even better.

AND NOW, FOR EMILY’S VERY OWN ROM-COM…

In The Books

“No card catalogue could help her find this kind of love story.”

It’s the thick of summer in New York City. Emily (Myrna Loy) has shuttled in for the summer to work as an archival hand on a huge project with the NYPL, but summer in the city is not as pleasant as she thought it might be. No, birds don’t chirp every morning as she read in the books — she’s awoken by car horns and streetfights. On top of that, she’s staying with her brother’s sweet (but annoyingly nosy and unforgivably foolish) college friend Ryan (Cary Grant). On the hottest day of the year, Emily sports her best dress on a subway trip across Manhattan to deliver an armful of important paperwork. But, oh no! She faints on the platform. Luckily, Frances (Joel McCrea) fetches her from the ground and rescues the paperwork — but can he be trusted? When she realizes a piece is missing, she’ll have to track down Frances. Dashing through subway stops and summery parks with her cheery sidekick Ryan, Emily will have to find the missing paperwork — and just maybe, find a guy along the way.