Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell starrer Anyone But You was released last year with great anticipation from audiences. The fresh pairing of the two and their sizzling chemistry in the film led it to become a big hit, with many rushing to theaters to celebrate the film. The success of Anyone But You proved that audiences are yearning to see romantic comedies on the big screen.
Despite the film’s success, some people have pointed out some overdone and cringy scenes in the film. Being a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, the film’s director Will Gluck addressed the criticisms and pointed out that all those ‘cringy’ tropes and scenes are directly lifted from Shakespeare’s writing.
Will Gluck Points Out Shakespearean Tropes in Anyone But You‘s Cringy Scenes
Will Gluck directed the 2023 romantic comedy Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. The film’s plot was loosely adapted from William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and the lead characters Bea and Ben are modern iterations of Beatrice and Benedick from the play itself.
Like the play where other characters concoct a match-making plan for Beatrice and Benedick, the same happens in Anyone But You with Sweeney and Powell’s characters. While audiences loved the situational comedy that was a result of that, some were critical of some tired tropes and scenes that were deemed cringy and unnecessary in the film.
Gluck addressed these criticisms in an interview with Letterboxd where he pointed out that all the romantic comedy tropes that audiences have loved over the years have been inspired by Shakespeare’s romantic comedies. He also stated that the film celebrates the goofiness and absurd nature of the circumstances the characters are in just like Much Ado About Nothing, where eccentricities are embraced. The director said,
“Well, this one was more Shakespeare. It’s funny because even my favorite of all the Letterboxd reviews say, “Oh, there’re so many cringe scenes.” I say, “Well, which ones are cringe?” “Oh, the goofy part when the dad and the brother over-act loudly.” And then I just have to say, “That is directly from William Shakespeare.” All the cringe scenes in this movie are taken directly from William Shakespeare. The tropes that all the romantic comedies have now, he started it back in sixteen-whatever. That’s where they began. So, yes, you’ve seen it millions of times, but this was honoring the goofiness of that.”
Whether audiences like the approach Gluck took in honoring the goofy nature of Much Ado About You is up to them, but the director wants them to at least know the film’s intentions. Art is subjective but the audience should give their views (good or bad) about a film after knowing its inspirations and what it is trying to achieve.
Sydney Sweeney Fulfilled Her Dreams of Being in a Classic Rom-Com With Anyone But You
After starring in some heavy projects like Euphoria, and The White Lotus, Sydney Sweeney was searching for a fun rom-com to star in. This soon shaped into 2023’s Anyone But You, where she was blown away by how writer Ilana Wolpert brought a modern twist to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with the film.
In an interview with The New York Times, Sweeney revealed that she felt like reading a 2000s rom-com while going through Anyone But You‘s script. She had an ecstatic feeling of going through all the emotions that one goes through after watching a classic rom-com with the script. Sweeney said,
“Ilana took such a cool, modern twist on Shakespeare, I felt like I was reading an early 2000s rom-com. I loved wanting to be kissed in the rain, wanting to fall in love once I finished reading the script, wanting to cry, laugh, feeling all the feels.”
Anyone But You became s big surprise hit at the box office, grossing $219 million against a $25 million production budget (via Box Office Mojo). Sweeney and Glen Powell’s chemistry was loved by fans, and their fun chemistry led to audiences wanting more of them together in future films.
Fans can watch Anyone But You on Netflix.
