Theres a horrendous truism in Hollywood, especially in romantic comedies, that its fine to treat people like crap in the pursuit of love friends, families, partners, you name it. If the films magical prophecy of narrative fulfillment has Leading Lady X copping off with Leading Man Y at the end of act three, then any and all characters and situations between their introduction and said copping off fall under the heading of surmountable obstacles. That includes their respective partners. After all, the deal is that X+Y happens, because its written in the starlight and every line on their palms, blah blah blah. If X is engaged and Y is married? Well, thems the breaks. Those partners are just in the way of loves young dream, and when it comes to trampling redundant boyfriends, fiancées, wives and husbands, Loves Young Dream is the ironic name painted down the side of a giant monster truck. There are too many examples of this trope to mention here, but Annie Reed, played by Meg Ryan in Sleepless In Seattle (1993), has to be the worst. Shes engaged to Walter, the nicest man in the world, played by Bill Pullman (for whom the word hapless may have been invented), and hasnt ever even met Tom Hanks character Sam. Despite this, Annie makes some cockeyed arrangement with Sams young son to meet them both at the Empire State Building because she heard their sad life story on the radio and it made her feel smooshy inside. Annie vacillates about going for a little while, stringing poor Walter along as much as possible, because shes under the impression Sam is actually attached now and therefore unavailable. Despite this, she finally decides to go to this tenuous maybe-meeting with the complete stranger who she believes has a girlfriend, and so without further ado breaks up with her fiancé, literally looking at the Empire State Building over his shoulder as she does so. Naturally, Walter lets her go with no recriminations or guilt, because hes a sweet guy, and because the movie doesnt want you to dwell on how awful Annie is. But she is awful. Awful, awful, awful. By the way, to make it up to him, a couple of years later Bill Pullman was cast as Leading Man Y opposite Sandra Bullocks Leading Lady X in the similarly titled While You Were Sleeping (1995), in which Sandy B lies to a whole family about being engaged to dear Bills comatose older brother only to cop off with Bill at the end of act three. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
