I just watched a trailer for an upcoming fall flick called Holiday starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. They play two single women(one in England,the other in America)who have just broken up with bad boyfriends and decide to swap homes with each other in order to get away from the extra emotional baggage,with Christmas being right around the corner. They wind up falling in love with men they meet during the switch,Jude Law and Jack Black. This looks like your typical high gloss chick flick and yet,my spider sense was tingling. Why,you ask?
The answer is: Swapping Lives by Jane Green. I read the UK edition(the US release date is June 13)and the plot lines are quite similar;two women(one single,the other married with children)from different countries(the US and England)decide to swap homes and lifestyles for a magazine article and to check out the greener grass on the other side. Some romantic hijinks ensue. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here but it looks like something's in the air themewise and this is only the beginning.
Granted,it's not the most original premise but it's a good one and England may be a rather safe choice of travel destination these days but it's just different enough to provide a taste of culture clash. Jane Green's books have a good following and are well written to boot so I have no doubts as to how well Swapping Lives will do and it sets the stage for this exchange program theme to blossom. The movie Holiday is a Nancy Meyers project-yep,the same lady who made What Women Want,Baby Boom and Something's Gotta Give. You know this is in the hands of someone who can expertly whip up romantic comedy catnip that'll attract female film goers from near and far,especially with Jude Law as one of the male leads.
Another thing to consider is why this theme and why now? I'm not a big romance reader but even if it's mixed into chick lit and the paranormal genre,I don't shy away from it,not completely and I suspect alot of other gals feel the same way. We may not dive into the latest Nora Roberts or Eloisa James but we do like to live vicariously thru others the same way our bolder sisters do who proudly proclaim their joy at finding a good love story that doesn't have a Too Stupid To Live heroine or hero. This little life switch theme might seem more stylish to some but it translates well to any reader,regardless of locale. I know Jane Green's version does it well and we'll have to see if Holiday is actually any good later on. For now, I'll just keep my eyes open and my ears to the ground to see if my hunch is right on or out to lunch,having a tuna sandwich.
2 comments:
I feel sorry for the woman who has to sleep with Jack Black.
That would be the lovely Ms. Winslet and hey,Jack Black has his charms,my friend! Of course he wouldn't stand a chance against Jude Law or Matt Damon but still....
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