By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
In the movie “Meet Cute in Manhattan,” Jason Lin is a writer and actor living in New York City who believes that, even in such a big city, coincidences and fate happen. Jason is played by Terence Chen, who is also the co-writer and executive producer, his first feature film. Chen told the Northwest Asian Weekly that, with “Meet Cute,” he wishes to transmit some optimism into the current climate and into people’s hearts. A little romance, if you will.
“The people I want to watch the movie are the people that are in need of a little bit of hope right now.” Chen would love it if, after watching “Meet Cute,” people walk away with a feeling that we can all do better. Bad things happen—yet good things are still happening, too.
“Meet Cute” is part of the name of the movie, and a phrase used lately for how a couple meets. “What was your meet cute?” someone might ask, instead of, “How did you meet?” Jason (and Chen) are big fans of romantic comedies (romcoms), which have gotten a bit of a bad rep in Hollywood and for audiences, in spite of some of the best known films in film history having been exactly that—think “When Harry Met Sally.” Some tend to write off romcoms, calling them “chick flicks,” which to those involved in “Meet Cute” is very “reductive.”
“It’s a comforting genre, knowing that things work out in the end, for the most part,” said Carolyn Kang, who plays Lily Lin, Jason’s sister. Kang has known Chen for years, and she and Amanda Shi, who plays Jason’s girlfriend, Chloe Wang, are friends. In a world where “cringe” is on the upswing of popularity, it’s nice to watch something “genuinely funny and romantic,” Shi said.
“I don’t think there’s anyone that doesn’t want to be in love,” Chen said. In his view, he grew up in what was the heyday of romantic comedies—the late 90s and early 2000s (think “You’ve Got Mail” or “Sleepless in Seattle”). Lately, it seems to Chen that movies of the genre have moved away from quality and making the audience feel good. Instead, even love stories are full of sarcasm, arguing, and toxicity. Chen wanted “Meet Cute” to be modern, sure, but at the same time, he wanted it to pay tribute to the romcoms of the past and to those things that “are beautiful, that we love, and that make us feel good.” Unusually, there is little to no darkness in “Meet Cute.” No one character becomes a “villain.” It is, as Chen intended, earnest and sweet, and according to the rules of romcoms, which they do poke fun of a bit, it has a happy ending.
Jason (Terence Chen) and Nora (Kendall Leary) pretend to be in love a little too well. Credit: “Meet Cute in Manhattan”
The movie begins with Jason’s struggle as an actor. The parts Jason gets are lacking in depth— and the contracts are lacking in length. He is often on the receiving end of racism from the casting execs. “Can you do kung fu?” “Do you have an accent?” “Where are your parents from?” Then comes an opportunity from a dating service called “Meet Cute.” While getting his morning coffee, Jason (literally) runs into Nora Dawson (Kendall Leary), and invites her to join him as his partner for the shoot (Jason’s girlfriend, Chloe, is unavailable; she’s an influencer with a busy schedule). Nora, in a somewhat rigid relationship with her boyfriend, Charles ‘Kip’ Lagat (Martin K. Lewis), agrees and destiny kicks in. The two have to make up a story as to how they met—their “meet cute” in a way that knowingly mimics the cute vignettes of long-time couples in “When Harry Met Sally.” The ads take off, leading to more, and Nora and Jason have to figure out not only their own new relationship but also what they each want to do with their lives.
You might think that this is where the unpleasantness kicks in. Yes, Chloe and Kip have some questions. Who is this person you are with in these posters and why do you look so adorable together? Yet, no one totally loses their cool. In an attempt to defuse the situation, the couples even agree to meet and have a tense but mostly cordial chat in one of Chloe’s favorite locations. “I love the world Chloe’s in,” said Shi. “It’s so vibrant and beautiful.” In addition, representing an influencer as a job in a movie is still very new. “I loved playing someone who isn’t in a traditional field,” Shi added. Kang, too, plays a woman in a job rarely seen on screen—that of a standup comedian. Yes, we have seen female comics—but not playing comics. On top of this, Jason and Lily actually have a fairly amiable relationship with little to no sibling rivalry, a refreshing change from how brothers and sisters are often shown in movies and TV.
“Meet Cute in Manhattan” is set up as a story within a story. Shortly after witnessing a few of Jason’s failed auditions, we see him pitching the story to a couple of studio executives who, hilariously, keep interrupting him to ask questions based on romcom stereotypes.
“Aren’t they supposed to hate each other first,” the man (Dan Jessup) wants to know about Nora and Jason. “They don’t have to hate each other,” answers the woman (Georgia Kate Haege). “Yes, they do!” the man insists. There are parallels between Jason and Terence, mainly in the treatment regarding race that Jason receives from the industry. Like many Asian Americans, Chen insists that being Asian is a part of who he is, certainly, yet it’s not all of who he is, and it’s the same for Jason.
A nice quality about romcoms, Shi and Kang pointed out, is their ability to include a serious message as a kind of Trojan horse into what audiences think is just going to be bubblegum cute and funny. “Meet Cute” is cute and funny—it is also earnestly asking viewers to stay hopeful. For Shi, the movie is about bravery in love and in life. Both Jason and Nora are stuck in a routine when the movie begins, and they have to ask themselves the question, “Am I happy?” For Kang, “Meet Cute” is about the surprises that can happen to us if we stay open in our hearts.
“Meet Cute in Manhattan” will be available via streaming, including Prime Video, on March 28.
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.