Who is Nancy Meyers?

Nancy Meyers was born in December 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has successfully become one of the most powerful female screenwriter, producer, and director. She has made movies such as Father of the Bride, What Women Wants, The Parent Trap, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, and most recently It’s Complicated.  Meyers grew up in a modest home while her father worked at a voting machine factory and her mother stayed at home. She first became interested in theater after she read “Act One”, a Moss Hart biography. At the young age of twelve, Meyers began to act in local plays and productions held by her school. Although she was fond of theater at an early age, she did not find her love for writing until she watched the well-known film, “The Graduate” with Dustin Hoffman. Her interest in writing found its way into her school life as well, as she graduated the American University with a major in journalism. She spent some time working in television in Philadelphia but her big break did not come until she moved to Hollywood. Meyers first started working on the show “The Price is Right” but realized she had to try and fulfill her dreams as a screenplay writer. Her first screenplay got produced in 1980 and was titled “Private Benjamin” featuring Goldie Hawn. The movie became an instant hit and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing. The movie was the launching pad that Meyers needed. Over the next few years Meyers wrote several other films that were moderate successes but it wasn’t until she remade “Father of the Bride” that earned Meyers a power position as a screenwriter and producer. The movie made up to 90 million dollars and had almost an equally successful sequel. Meyers continued making profitable movies such as the remake of “The Parent Trap” which she also directed. Meyers career boomed again in 2000 when she released “What Women Want”. “What Women Want” became her most successful movie to date. Following the film, Meyers has written, produced, and directed winning pieces such as “Something’s Gotta Give”, “The Holiday”, and “It’s Complicated”. She has become the frontier in Romantic Comedies. Her critics and peers seem to agree and famed actor Jack Nicholson coined her “an indomitable force”.  Although Meyers is already over the age of sixty, she is a force to be reckoned with and creative mind to look out for.

What Makes Nancy, Nancy

The majority of Nancy Meyers’ films fall in the category of Romantic Comedy. Although this genre is light and often overlooked, Meyers has turned it into a money making machine. As the major power player in this category, Nancy Meyers as come out with incredibly successful films such as “Father of the Bride” and “What Women Want”. While “Father of the Bride” earned around 90 million dollars, “What Women Want” grossed 370 million worldwide despite mixed reviews. Her more recent movies have made note-worthy earning as well, making each around 100 million dollars. Meyers’ ability to create both fun and meaningful films that appeal to the masses has caught the critic’s eyes. On Rotten Tomatoes, a critic’s website, “Something’s Gotta Give” gained appraisal saying the movie was a “smartly funny romantic comedy” while “The Holiday” was termed “rotten” because it was “sweet and touching, but lacked any surprise”. The fans disagree as both movies did well at the box office. While many of her films have received moderate appraisal, the films seem to end up becoming best sellers. According to one journalist for the New York Times, the achievement of her projects can be attributed to Meyer’s uniqueness. Merkin writes, “part and parcel of that uniqueness is Meyers’s focus making films that both feature and speak to middle-aged women, a demographic that studios traditionally ignore for fear of not bringing in the all-important opening-weekend numbers by which a movie’s position is assessed and its future success seemingly foretold”. While many Meyers' devotees find this attractive, some critics are not as impressed. Critic Molly Haskell describes Meyers' films as “Go, go, go for the geezer set”. However, unlike most movies that are geared towards a younger crowd, Meyers’ films have longevity and are appealing to crowds that are often not tapped into. Her movies have empowered women and display them as leading characters, often outshining the men. Her projects have also attracted well-known actors such as Jack Nicholson, Mel Gibson, Meryl Streep, and Cameron Diaz. Meyers lasting appeal may also be due to that fact that “she is one of the few who has consistently understood the box-office power of her gender”. Although many of Meyers’ films are targeted towards women, men have found many of them comical and delightful as well, showing that Meyers’ can draw in a range of viewers.

What The Viewers Want

Although, Nancy Meyers has multiple accomplished films, one of her most important works was “What Women Want” released in 2000. The movie featured several famous stars, Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, and Marisa Tomei. The plot revolves around Nick (played by Gibson), a somewhat older man that is handsome, charming, and successful. He is an advertising executive that is slightly sexist, a womanizer, and completely enamored with himself. He thinks he has it all until her finds a few bumps in the road. The promotion he desired was given to his competitor, a woman by the name of Darcy McGuire (played by Helen Hunt). However that is not the only twist, after a freak unexplainable accident. Nick is able to hear the minds of women. At first Nick believes his ability to know what women want is a curse but then he realizes he can use it to his advantage. As he tries to use his gift in his favor, his plan is turned upside down when he actually falls in love with Darcy. The theme of “What Women Want” is similar to ones in Meyers’ other movies. The characters are middle-aged as they find love despite the twists and turns presented to them. The film is a sweet and hysterical comedy and came to be Meyers most commercially successful film. The critic’s reviews however, were scattered ranging from good to terrible. While the Baltimore Sun coined it a “frequently hilarious exercise in one sex desperately trying to figure out the other” while TNT Rough Cut critic Susannah Breslin said, “Shallow characters the audience cares little about, an unbelievable situation rather than a potent plot, and, for those who don’t find men-in-pantyhose or poodle-poop jokes hilarious, not many funny lines”. Although the reviews were mixed, there is no denying the film was a major hit as it grossed over 300 million dollars in international sales. I have seen the film, and although I am not an older woman, I found it charming and amusing. The characters are relatable and the viewer grows to love them despite their faults. Although one might skeptical of this “chick flick”, the film is not one to miss.

It's Not so Complicated for Nancy Meyers

Another, more recent, appraised movie for Nancy Meyer’s was “It’s Complicated”. The film showcased costars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. This Romantic Comedy was consistent with her other films in featuring an older woman searching for happiness and love. The movie, released in 2009, was pleasant and warm-hearted appealing to all ages. The story is about a divorced mother, Jane, who is busy with her life and not looking for love. She has accepted her broken marriage and has become accustomed to the fact that her ex-husband cheated on her and then married a much younger woman. With not much going on in her life, Jane decided to remodel her house, not knowing one of her contractors, Adam played by Steve Martin, has somewhat of a crush on her. Despite the attraction, Jane must leave to go to her son’s graduation from NYU. While in New York, Jane and her ex-husband Jake reconnect and begin an affair. This becomes a problem for Jane both because Jake is married and because she has developed feelings for Adam. Jane is caught in a love triangle and the viewer experiences what she is going through. The context of the film is comical as Jane experiences with Marijuana and finds herself in awkward situations. Jane’s world is turned upside down but in film ends with a happy not that satisfies it’s audience. I loved the film as it was gratifying and had all the elements that one searches for in a Romantic Comedy. I even purchased the film! Meyers’ stayed true to what she knows as a screenwriter and showed how romance can be witty and exciting. Despite going up against big films such as “Sherlock Holmes’ during its opening weekend, Meyers’ proved once again that her films are strong and captivating as “It’s Complicated”, forked up to 100 million dollars in revenue sales. Although once again, the movie was a hit, the critics seemed to have felt the film was enjoyable but not Meyers’ best work.  One critic says of the film, “It's Complicated is, in fact, not very complicated at all, but -- thanks mostly to the witty chemistry between Streep and Baldwin -- it pleasantly shows that you're never too old to make good (or screw up) in matters of the heart”. Many viewers however felt different. One viewer for example said the “It’s Complicated” was “One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. If you were a teenager in the 70's, you'll die laughing at this. Great movie and great acting”! The success of not just one, but also several blockbuster films just goes to show that Meyers’ talent for writing is enticing and ever lasting.