Romcoms, Resets & Retro Vibes

Old-school soundtracks, and why romcoms still hit hard (even if the endings don’t always)

Welcome to Coffee with Coops! 💛☕️ I’m Coops, an Award-winning Positive Psychology Wellbeing Expert & Thrivership Coach™, here to help you thrive. My love languages? Coffee, cake, movies, and classical music.

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It’s the last Saturday of the month, which means one thing: The Intermission🍿

Time to chat about self-care, soundtracks, and what I’ve been watching. If this isn’t your jam, no worries! Coffee with Coops returns to its usual rhythm next week. But I dare you to read on… it might just inspire your next movie night.

You may remember I was at the MobLand Global Premiere. It’s now on Paramount+. Have you seen it yet? I’m hooked. Well, I connected with a film director, Lucas Pelizaro, who asked me to join him on his Instagram feature. The feature involves guessing a person’s favourite movie in 20 questions - did you guess mine? If you fancy more everyday insights and behind-the-scenes life stuff, follow me on Instagram.

lucaspelizaro

A post shared by @lucaspelizaro

This month’s theme? Romcoms.

I thought this was one of my least-watched movie genres, but when I checked out some of the top lists online, I realised I had seen so many. Romcoms have been responsible for my expectations - and lots of other people’s too when it comes to love and romance. Sleepless in Seattle, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Never Been Kissed are just some of my favourites that spring to mind.

What I love about romcoms is the big hope and the suspension of disbelief. Sure, we know life doesn’t always end happily ever after, but these films remind us of love, laughter, big gestures, and the joy of connection. A fabulous soundtrack often accompanies them, so I have shared my fave track from each movie as usual.

If I’m honest, there wasn’t much of a strategy this month. I’d hoped to catch the new Bridget Jones film this month. However, I’ve not had a solo cinema date between work and moving house since February. It’s long overdue. And no, Amazon, I will not pay £15.99 to watch it on my sofa. Have you seen it yet? I would love to know your feedback on it.

I will be pre-booking a ticket for next weekend to watch the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts, which is out on the 1 May. I love Florence Pugh, and as you know, action/fantasy is right up my street. I must start lining up my watches for next month’s Intermission🍿 I already have a few ideas in mind.

The queen of romcoms, Meg Ryan featured heavily in my line-up. Since we’re on Substack, the home of writers and bookish types, I feel like I should have picked You’ve Got Mail - the 1998 classic which tells the story of two people in an online romance who are unaware they are also business rivals; Meg Ryan being the owner of The Shop Around the Corner and Tom Hanks is her rival whose family owns Fox Books, a bookshop chain. Totally worth a watch if only for the glorious AOL dial-up nostalgia.

But this month, I went a little off-script and watched…

French Kiss (1995)

Which you may not have come across. I love this movie set in Paris and the South of France. Kevin Kline is charming and in peak form, and Jean Reno pops up as a fabulous French inspector. It is one of those movies that makes you want to travel to Paris and immerse yourself in Provence. The last time I was there was with my ex, so I will not lie; it stirred some old memories. The movie has some classic romcom moments; I love the music and the outfits. When Meg Ryan filmed this, she had already begun to dominate this genre with When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. I highly recommend this one if you have never seen it.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

I couldn’t do a romcom month and not include this iconic movie with the famous diner scene. Interestingly, I had watched this once before, I think in my 20s or 30s and I remember I didn’t like it. This time it hit different. Maybe I appreciated the wit and the sharp interaction between Meg Ryan (Sally) and Billy Crystal (Harry) and some of the subtleties of the movie, in a way younger Coops probably wouldn’t have. At its time it reset the standard for the romcom genre. The soundtrack by Harry Connick, Jr. is an absolute delight. It makes me feel grown-up and like I want to be whisked away from a tree-lined New York City street outside my Brownstone.

I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Central Park - the perfect romcom meet-cute location. Photo by Andrea Belussi on Unsplash

No Hard Feelings (2023)

This one is probably way left-field for you, but Netflix asked me if I fancied it. I’m a huge Jennifer Lawrence fan - she would play me in a movie of my life, in case you were wondering. Admittedly a little more sex comedy than romance, but it is still there and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) does a beautiful job of playing and singing Maneater on the piano in the restaurant.

It leans more into drama than comedy, so it may not be what you are expecting. For me this movie showcases how both characters throughout a story grow and develop, finally owning their own story to move on - not your classic ‘happily ever after’ ending. Jennifer Lawrence said it was one of her most fun films to make. 100% there is a great chemistry between the two of them.

Pretty in Pink (1986)

I am sorry I seem to be stuck in the 80s and 90s this month, but I hope that brings back memories if you are a similar age or older. If you’re much younger, then I hope it inspires you to dig into the movie archives.

A teen romance comedy, about love and social cliques. The story of a cool independent working-class girl, meets rich wealthy boy at school. A huge cult classic starring Bratpackers Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy who perfectly capture what it is like to be 16 and in love. It encapsulates style, substance and rocks a brilliant soundtrack. If you want a movie that will not date, this is the one.

You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well, I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me.

This concludes the end of romcom month. The list to choose from was HUGE and it was hard to narrow them down. There are so many so I went with whatever seemed to flow at the time.

Next month?

I’ll be sharing movies with a mental health theme, since it is Mental Health Awareness Week/Month - let me know any of your favourites I should include in the round-up.

Upcoming events

A webinar on the 6th of May at 12:15 pm BST is all about community and Mental Wealth. It is a short session designed to get you thinking about your connection to energy and community. It is completely free.

A transformational breathwork class in collaboration with the gorgeous team at Hello Love in London with an experienced, safe, and let’s be honest, slightly funny practitioner.

Sunday 22nd June 1 pm BST in Holborn, London.

Pop your current watch list in the comments below🍿.

Would you enjoy a Coops Movie Night Playlist on Spotify to go with these newsletters? Let me know in the poll.

Thanks for having a brew with me. Until next week Thrivers, I’ll be back with some updates, news AND a boost for your Mental Wealth.

Love

Coops☕️💛

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