When I first saw a trailer for this rom-com a couple of months ago, I was quite excited about the prospect of Meg Ryan being on screen again after an 8-year hiatus. She’s been in some of my fave romantic comedies, notably the ones by Nora Ephron, especially Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. I’m intrigued by David Duchovny’s casting, primarily because I absolutely adore Return To Me, which also happens to be directed by a woman.

The movie starts out with a Wintry scene with artificial snowflakes and whimsical, feel-good-y music, except there’s nothing quite joyous and happy about being in an airport during bad weather! Well, it’s not just a standard snowstorm that grounds the flights that evening, as the TV news broadcast throws around words like Bomb Cyclones (hurricanes that form in winter) and Thunder Snow.

It doesn’t take long before Willa and Bill see each other, and the movie plays up the fact that the former college sweethearts hesitate to meet each other again after they broke up 20+ years ago. The fact that they are such different people adds to the tension – Willa is a massage therapist while Bill is a businessman in high finance; she’s idealistic and spiritual (as in New Age practices), while he’s pragmatic and skeptical. Not only do they have differing worldviews, but they also have contrasting opinions as to the demise of their relationship. Pent-up emotions, secrets, and past regrets are revealed layer by layer as the movie progresses.

The idea of having two seasoned actors playing ex-lovers who reunite by chance sounds great on paper. I like the idea of a romance featuring mature actors and both Ryan and Duchovny are in their early 60s. They should’ve made the characters the same age as their own as it’s a stretch to think of them being 49, but I’ll let that slide. Talky movies set in a single location can be quite engaging when it’s well-written and directed, unfortunately, that’s not quite the case here.

Let’s start with the good – firstly, I’m glad to see Ryan cast herself in the role of Willa. She still has the youthful energy that reminds us why she was the top rom-com queen of her day. There’s an inner strength and fragility that draw you in. Ryan picked the right actor in this two-hander as she and Duchovny is pretty well-matched, which is key in any two-hander. There’s an inherently sarcastic vibe about him which is quite funny during their incessant banters. Duchovny plays a curmudgeon guy convincingly while he can also be quite tender and sweet when the time calls for it.

Now, the not-so-good – At 1 hour and 43 minutes, the movie is at least a half-hour too long. One character said their relationship just wasn’t sustainable, well, I can say the same about the script. It simply can’t sustain our engagement past the hour mark, my husband said as the end credits roll that this might work so much better as a short film. The story is actually based on a play by Steven Dietz, which Ryan adapted for the screen with Kirk Lynn. I’m convinced it’d work wonders on stage with the right actors, but as a cinematic piece, it drags quite a bit that it feels tedious at times.

It doesn’t help that Ryan’s Willa has that ‘manic pixie dream girl’ vibe whose quirky, slightly neurotic behavior quickly becomes tiresome. I can relate to Bill’s exasperation with Willa, and I’m surprised that I find Duchovny’s character much more likable overall. Now that I think about it, it isn’t the first time Ryan plays such a character in her rom-coms. Even in Ephron’s films, Ryan’s character isn’t inherently likable, but we still root for her thanks to Ephron’s emphatic script. Ryan dedicated this movie to Ephron, well, it makes me miss the late iconic filmmaker so much more than I already do.

The movie’s visuals leave much to be desired as well, featuring a repeated aerial shot of the same snowed-in airport. Filmed inside a fully functioning regional airport and a museum in Bentonville, Arkansas, I feel a bit boxed in at times as a viewer. It also stretches credulity that an airport would be completely empty, as cleaning crews, vendors, security people, etc. are likely around even after it’s closed. The unnecessary dance sequence is more cringy than charming, while the fantastical element of the airport announcer communicating directly with the characters is only amusing the first couple of times. Credited as ‘Hal Liggett’ which isn’t a real person, Ryan has said in interviews the voice belongs to a famous person, not sure I care that much to find out who it is.

I actually went to the cinema to see this and I wish I had just waited for it to arrive on VOD. Even the pair of talented actors and the power of nostalgia still can’t overcome a lackluster script. I’m glad to see Ryan on screen again but hopefully, she finds a better material next time. The premise has wings, but just like the planes grounded by the storm, this movie fails to take flight.

Have you seen WHAT HAPPENS LATER? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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