Meg Ryan speaks to Sally Morgan about her directorial debut, What Happens Later, learning to write a script, and doing night shoots at the airport
'I like being the leader': Meg Ryan on turning director for 'What Happens Later'
Tell us, in brief, the story of What Happens Later.
It is about two people who dated in the Nineties, and who suddenly get thrown back together because of a snow storm. It’s been a long time since they were a couple, but it turns out they still have some unresolved issues. This is their chance to, maybe, work things out.
This feels like a rom-com comeback for you. You not only star in this one, but have also directed and co-written it. How did it all come about?
It started during the pandemic. Like many others, I found myself with a lot of time and decided to use it to learn writing a script. The idea of being unexpectedly stuck with someone from your past seemed interesting. It slowly developed from there. To explore whether the encounter would actually resolve anything or just make things worse was intriguing.
Most of the movie takes place at an airport. Where were those scenes shot?
We were lucky to be able to shoot at a real airport in Arkansas. So, we had real passengers in the background. We also used a museum building for some of the scenes. The whole film takes place over a single night, which meant we had a lot of night shoots in a row. I think it was 18 nights in a row of a 21-day shoot. That was tough.
You have the experience of starring in numerous romantic comedies through your career, but was there anything else you turned to for inspiration as the director of What Happens Later?
There is a movie Jacques Tati did in the 1950s called Playtime, which has this different kind of a monochromatic look. That inspired the visuals of this film with its kind of snow-globe element. We did a lot of work in both pre- and post-production to cultivate a magical reality that is fun and different.
What was it like having David Duchovny as your ex in this?
Amazing. David is such a talented and generous actor. While casting him, we didn’t tell him that there would so many night shoots, and that we were going to be stuck at an airport for so long. We had tents and no trailers, but David never complained, as long as he had a quiet room to do his yoga (laughs).
What Happens Later is dedicated to the late Nora Ephron, who directed so many great rom-coms, including some of your own. Why did you feel it was important to do that?
Because so much of this movie is a thank you to her and for everything I learned from her. I remember when Sleepless In Seattle came out, and was such a hit, she told me to pay attention and experience it because it’s just so rare for a rom-com to be a hit like that.
Would you say the genre is more difficult than any other?
I wouldn’t say rom-coms are harder to make, but it is challenging to make a film just funny enough as well as dramatic. It’s walking that fine line between the two.
What have been your learnings as the director?
That I like being the leader, and behind the camera. I didn’t think I would, but I do. I like the involvement and collaboration with so many talented people. I learned how to talk about feelings, and to evoke them in a new way by working with different departments. It changed me for the better.
Any lasting memory from working on the film?
Just the magic of the shoots and how secret they felt because everything was closed. Working in the beautiful museum too was like that. I remember, one night we were filming and there was a chamber orchestra rehearsing in another part of the building. It really did feel magical.
—Asia Features