Podcast | ‘Always Be My Maybe’ Episode Recap

Introducing the hosts of Imbibe Cinema: meet Jonathan C. Legat (actor and Operations Director at BWiFF), Tricia Legat (writer and Cinema Centennial Program Director at BWiFF), and Michael Noens (writer/director and Executive Director at BWiFF). In the inaugural podcast episode, the crew unanimously praise the independent romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe with Jonathan in particular giving it a "two thumbs up" recommendation. The film was lauded as a hilarious independent film that is beautifully nuanced, character-driven, and all-around delightful.

The defining characteristic of the film is its realistic dialogue and perfectly awkward moments. The hosts attribute the natural feel of the script to the fact that the two lead actors, Ali Wong and Randall Park, were also writers on the film. This authenticity allows the film to hit subtle and genuine beats that resonate with real-life experiences.

Key Awkward and Memorable Moments

• The Screenplay: The dialogue is so natural that quotes roll off the tongue easily. A favorite memorable quote was Marcus (Randall Park) describing his current girlfriend, Jenny (Vivian Bang), as a "sexy Asian Winnie the Pooh because she sleeps pantless."
• The Parmesan Cheese: The presence of Parmesan cheese in a glove compartment was another highly memorable and funny detail. The crew has questions about the safety of this cheese.
• The Reconnection: The subtle moment when childhood friends Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus reconnect in a car after years apart, falling back into a close intimacy, was highlighted as a well-executed realistic scene. And a ringing endorsement for Toyota.
• Non-Dialogue Beats: The film excels in moments of non-dialogue, such as the second awkward post-coital scene that is broken with a laugh, making everything right. Another moment singled out was the long, silent pause after Marcus asks Veronica (Michelle Buteau) if she lost her piercings.

The podcast hosts praise the amazing cast, noting that even the supporting characters were well-rounded and didn't fall into pigeonholes or act as mere caricatures.

• The Father-Son Dynamic: The relationship between Marcus and his father, Harry (James Saito), was particularly celebrated for its natural chemistry and being surprisingly lifelike, unlike typical comical parents in rom-coms. Harry provides a genuinely funny moment when he answers a question about staying young with, "I use shampoo on my face."
• Diversity and Tropes: The film was noted for its diversity in casting and relationships, including a same-sex couple (Veronica and her fiancée, Denise) and a polyamorous character (Jenny). The writers are also praised for subverting tropes: Sasha wears glasses the entire time, and Marcus, the "schlub of a guy," doesn't suddenly become wildly successful to get the girl. His character leap is simply realizing he's not as big a cultural footprint as Keanu Reeves, prompting his heartfelt "I wanna hold your purse" speech.
• The Keanu Reeves Cameo: Keanu Reeves plays a "complete jackass version of himself" in a wonderful role. A highlight is the $6,400 meal where he cries while listening to the sound of the venison he is eating and immediately returns to his dinner.

The film is structurally cohesive, described as having so much substance and aligning with the six Aristotelian elements of a play.

• Visual Storytelling: The opening sequence was praised for using only imagery to show the characters' history and timeline, immediately hooking the audience without a single line of dialogue.
• Symbolism: Food (Sasha the chef) and music (Marcus the musician) are crucial themes, acting almost as characters in themselves. Marcus's inability to move on from his past is symbolized by his old, broken-down Toyota that he has kept for many years.
• Closure: The film's ending was found to be kind of abrupt with not much denouement for the side characters, although the final scene that brings back his mom's soup recipes was considered a sweet moment.

In conclusion, the hosts recommended that even though the film is great for streaming on Netflix, they wished everyone could see it in a theater to share the explosive audience reaction to the comedic beats.