I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies by Daniel A. Kimmel

Who can forget the famous lines from the Romantic comedies of the past? "I'll Have What She's Having!" from "When Harry Met Sally" and "Nobody's Perfect!" from "Some Like It Hot". But what made those films so good, so funny, and so right for the times? This book sets out to explore just those things, from the Lubitsch touch of German Filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch to the slightly cynical and zany Billy Wilder, to tne Neurotic of Woody Allen, all the way to Rob Reiner and Richard Curtis.

The films here run the gamut of Rom-Com, from more or less straight on, screwball comedy, zany comedy and what is called "Jewish Romantic Comedy" where what keeps the couple apart is not an external problem, but his, her or their neuroses. The book covers all the aspects of the film, from the director and screenwriter to the stars, showing how the story grew- sometimes because of and sometimes in spite of the feelings or lack thereof between the female and male lead(s).

Sometimes, the stories underwent major metamorphoses coming from the original story to what actually showed up on screen. For instance, Adam's Rib evolved from a true story about a couple divorcing who went to a couple friend of theirs, both attorneys. Both the original couple got divorced, and so did the attorneys, but in the end, both couples got back together. And in Pretty Woman, the original story has the prostitute returning to her original profession at the end, having made $3000 for a week of work, no romance, no nothing, and both characters were ugly in soul, horrible stunted people- not quite the stuff of a romantic comedy!

The book pulls out all the interesting funny stuff and lets us see the story behind the story and why the film worked and became one of the biggest romantic comedies in the history of film. In reading this book, you'll remember your own favorite moments from the film, from the lines to the scenes, and it will bring a smile to your face.

Anyone who enjoys reading about the history of film or who enjoys watching old films, or the "Best of" type films will get a lot of mileage out of this book. Personally, some of the things described in the book are just as funny as what we saw on the screen, like Rob Reiner acting out how over the top he wanted Sally Fields to go in the Diner scene in "When Harry Met Sally", including the slamming his fists on the table in orgasmic bliss... and then remembering his mother was at the next table! (She's the one who got the famous "I'll have what she's having" line in the film.

This is a book that will fascinate you with the stories of how those movies you loved were made, and can even make you want to look up the ones you haven't seen and see them as well. From the old-fashioned to the modern day, Romantic Comedies still haven't gone out of style, and here we can see why they work when they get it right. Recommended.