ANYONE BUT YOU – A Shakespearean Contemporary Rom-Com

Introduction

The hit romantic comedy, earning over $200 million worldwide, Anyone But You, is the highest-grossing live-action Shakespeare adaptation of all time. It gives a nostalgic call back to the light-hearted comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

Using Shakespeare’s infamous quotes throughout and the adaptation of the age-old storyline and motifs, Anyone But You frames itself through Shakespeare’s classic. The quote displayed on the wall outside the main character’s apartment at the beginning of the film: ‘Here’s much to do with hate, but more to do with love’, foreshadows the use of The Bard’s quotes throughout and the love-hate relationship presented in the movie, as seen originally in Shakespeare’s classic.

Synopsis

In the aftermath of a tragic ending date, fueled by miscommunication and spite, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) conclude their hatred for each other. To their despair, the pair are later forced to rekindle and make peace through the marriage of Beas’s sister, Halle (Hadley Robinson), and Ben’s friend Claudia, (Alexandra Shipp). In an attempt to keep the peace, please those around them and spite their exes, the pair embark on a fake relationship, ultimately leading to the revival of their original romance.

Analysis

Following the typical trope of lovers to enemies to lovers, Anyone But You is predictable in the best way. It’s the ultimate feel-good, light-hearted rom-com. However, in this respect, the impression that the theming and characterization are the only real nod to the original is evident through the lack of real depth and over-representation of the classic complicated romance stemming from miscommunication.

Despite this, the undeniably beautiful cinematography aided by the Australian backdrop and the use of unrealistic, beautifully tanned, and toned Hollywood stars, gives the film the glamor and aesthetic it needs. This, in many ways, makes up for its outdated plot line. While this charm and charisma may be surface level and unrepresentative of the character’s personalities, it effectively fashions the lackluster romance and embodies the beauty of a seasonal, millennial-style rom-com; featuring characters whose wealth and beauty are unrealistic and absurd, yet ultimately awe-inspiring and undeniably eye-catching.

Much Ado About The 21st Century

The Shakespearean inspiration from Much Ado About Nothing sees Shakespeare’s characters Beatrice and Benedick, adapted to Bea and Ben, and Claudio and Hero, adapted to Claudia and Halle. Similarly, to the play, after their original courtship ends in betrayal, the influence of the meddling and plotting of the other characters eventually brings them back together, portraying a hopelessly, fated, written-in-the-stars style romance.

This is done conveniently in the forefront of a romantic, queer wedding, which only aids the representations of love and romance and the different ways it is developed and experienced. This is coherent with Shakespeare’s original text in which Claudio and Hero get married. The altering of these characters in Anyone But You to a queer couple, Claudia and Halle, is both significant and essential in the face of our society and representations of queer people that are necessary in mainstream media.

It’s worth noting that they remain another queer couple in the background. Would it have been so difficult to make the main characters the queer couple? On the other hand, any representation is progressive and worth noting. Furthermore, using a Shakespeare play, in which historically, there were no female actors and often contained much, as we now read it “queer coding,” Anyone But You helps to shine a new light on the classic and uses the queer coding Shakespeare to undergo a positive and explored advantage.

Additionally, the ethnically diverse cast, through an analysis of Shakespeare and the context of his writing, also advances Shakespearean recreation through its use of representation and diversity. While this is mainstream and rightfully widely accepted now, it would not have been in 1599 when the play was originally written and performed, as non-white actors were not permitted.

Further Discussion

While Anyone But You has received a plethora of extremely mixed reviews, it’s clear why some may love or adversely, hate it. At its core, the film bases itself on a play by (arguably) the most influential playwright in history. Using historical humor and postmodern ‘cringe’, co-writer and director Will Gluck has adapted it to a relevant, representative rom-com. The use of ‘cringe’ millennial humor stages its typical rom-com nature and the displays of sex and sexualization give the film a comfortable balance of maturity and immaturity.

While it is in many ways predictable and has been done before, the predictability gives it the sense of comfort we crave from a romantic comedy. The ease in watching, the ability to zone in and out while remaining in the swing, (which I personally, was the victim of), and the entertaining, humorous nature that keeps us hooked.

In addition, the use of the iconic 2000s pop song ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield, becomes a key motif in the film and arguably for some, the most memorable aspect of the film. Whether Anyone But You leaves a lasting effect, or the association of the film with the hit song is an argument one could make. However, it doesn’t take away from the feel-good element and overall vibe the film leaves the audience with.

Conclusion

Whether you loved it or hated it, between the beautiful cast, the even more beautiful landscapes, and the modern twist on one of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies, the influence that Anyone But You has had on modern rom-com is massive and will remain so. Ultimately reinforcing that no matter how many times its done, the predictability of the boy meets girls, enemies to lover’s trope, upholds its immortality in the world of film.

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