It's a Love Story

“I just want to be taken seriously for once, and preferably in the world I was raised in. I can’t bear the thought of being part of the next round of layoffs, sent home with a cardboard box and a pity smile. I want Hollywood to give me a hug or a gold star, or at least a better table at the Ivy.”

Jane’s determination to produce True Story is a symptom of her longing to be seen, accepted, and loved. She feels insecure about her lack of artistic success because she’s developed a habit of comparing herself to her colleagues in the industry. This passage conveys her fears while establishing the stakes of Jane’s vocational journey: to do work that establishes her name in the industry and validates her identity. The references to “a hug” and “a gold star” conjure notions of childhood approval. Jane didn’t receive this affirmation in her youth and is still searching for it as an adult.

“The first time I ever saw my mother walk into a store, run her hand over a sweater, and then buy it, I felt actual joy. I do not exaggerate when I say that watching my mother purchase things that she didn’t need was the great joy of my childhood. It was hope fulfilled.”

This scene of flashback provides insight into Jane’s familial and vocational spheres. As a child actor, she was able to financially support her mother, offering access to nice things they otherwise couldn’t afford. While this gave Jane joy, she was also weighed down with this unbalanced responsibility to care for her mom. Jane still struggles to reconcile these competing desires and duties as an adult. She wants to do work that’s meaningful to her but also wants her work to satisfy others’ needs and expectations.

“There’s something particularly cutting about the shame of that day with Jack because I’m just mad at myself. I was the one. I said the thing. I want to rip off my skin and get out of my body so I don’t have to sit with it. It’s the tiny little nugget inside me that reminds me I used to be a person who wanted love too much.”

Jane’s reflections on her and Jack Quinlan’s childhood dynamic trigger her social anxiety and self-doubt. Her use of figurative language enacts the internal unrest she experiences just thinking about Jack. Words and phrases like “cutting,” “rip off my skin,” and “get out of my body” conjure notions of entrapment and physical discomfort, illustrating how Jack made Jane feel decades prior. He still has this emotional and psychological power over her in the present, which establishes him as the novel’s antagonist.

“I don’t think it needs to be. I feel like this movie could be made really cheaply. It’s so personal, it doesn’t need to be big and sweeping. Like it could be one camera.”

Dan Finnegan’s thoughts on the True Story script and production draw Jane and Dan together. When Jane first learns that Dan is working on True Story, too, she’s overcome by dread. In this moment, however, she discovers that Dan has a vision for the project that largely aligns with her own. Dan’s ability to express these desires and collaborate with Jane foreshadows how their connection will develop.

“The thought of this makes my stomach churn: running into Jack, who has taken his humiliation skills up ten notches by not remembering who I am, then refreshing his memory and waiting for the laughter. Something about this thought makes me angry.”

Jane’s internal monologue reiterates Jack’s negative impact on her psyche. Whenever she thinks about Jack, she has a physiological reaction—in this moment, her stomach churns. She also experiences anger and humiliation, emotions that originate from her childhood. Jane must face Jack to overcome these insecurities and transcend her youthful shame, part of her journey of Reconciling Past and Present Identities.

“It was in that second that I realized we were in the middle of an actual meet-cute. A wonky, distracted meet-cute with a near hit-and-run. I’d just made him laugh twice, which is two more than the recommended number of times you should make a guy laugh if you want him to ask you out. But Dan was (and is) absolutely not my type, not partner material.”

Jane and Dan’s original meeting employs the tropes of contemporary romance and romantic comedy genres. The circumstances of their meeting are silly and unexpected, a convention known as a “meet-cute.” Dan almost gets hit by a car while photographing a hawk, and this surprising and amusing event connects the romantic counterparts and piques Jane’s interest in Dan. At the same time, this passage underscores Jane’s fear of letting go, exploring her sexuality, and believing in love. She asserts that Dan isn’t “partner material” even before getting to know him. She acknowledges that they’re in “an actual meet-cute,” but resists embracing this fantastical, romantic experience for fear of losing control.

“I run this pretty little house through my brain, trying to reconcile how a person as pretentious as Dan could come from a home as unpretentious as this. There’s a low wooden table by the front door with a serrated knife and a bucket of recently cut roses. We are inland from the ocean, but when I get out of the car, I can still smell a bit of the salty air.”

The Oak Shore, Long Island setting positively impacts Jane’s psyche and ushers her toward change, reflected by the sensory imagery used here. Far away from her urban life in Los Angeles, Jane is immediately moved by the Finnegans’ “little house,” “wooden table,” and “front door,” and the ocean view and “salty air.” These atmospheric details affect a peaceful mood that foreshadows the rest and renewal Jane will derive from this natural environment and domestic arena.

“It’s no wonder Hailey’s still on top; she grew up believing that’s where she belonged. I used to spend a lot of time imagining what that would feel like, walking around in her skin and feeling the power of that adoration. I used to read her lines into the mirror at home, trying to channel my inner Hailey.”

Jane compares herself to her former co-star Hailey Soul because she feels insecure in herself, and this passage contributes to the theme of reconciling past and present selves. Decades have passed since Jane was on Pop Rocks, but she still remembers the feeling of pretending to be Hailey. The image of her reading Sophie’s lines “into the mirror at home” conveys Jane’s attempt to bury her true self and to become someone she thinks others would like better.

“He’s written ‘Dad’ and his phone number. Maybe it’s because I’ve just woken up and I’m still tangentially close to that dreamlike state where anything is possible, maybe it’s because I am on the hell path of memory lane and I’ve been transformed back into Janey Jakes, but looking at that word makes my throat burn with prickly tears.”

The longer Jane is in Oak Shore with the Finnegans, the more she understands The Transformative Power of Friendship and Family. Cormack Finnegan makes the simple decision to save his number in Jane’s phone as “Dad,” but this gesture isn’t innocuous to Jane. Rather, it tugs at her heart. She has never had a father and is thus instantly overcome by childhood longing. At the same time, the moment foreshadows the positive effect Cormack and the Finnegans will have on Jane throughout the subsequent chapters.

“It’s strange that we’re not talking. Who ever heard of two people going to the beach together in complete silence? I try to think of something for us to argue about. […] I wonder if I’m starved for touch; I think this is a thing that happens to primates.”

The image of Jane and Dan lying on the beach in silence affects a peaceful, intimate mood. Jane isn’t accustomed to sitting “in complete silence” with another person. Once she settles into the quiet, however, she discovers how powerful it can be to simply share space with Dan. The moment also helps Jane identify one of her desires: to experience authentic physical intimacy with someone she trusts.

“‘Don’t bother,’ I say. ‘It’s a thing. If you want to be the leading lady, you need to be capable, thoughtful, a little vulnerable. The funny one is the sidekick. She goes stag to the dance.’”

Jane’s assessment of her own character reveals the emotional difficulties she faces in reconciling past and present identities. She has always seen herself as “the sidekick” instead of “the leading lady,” and as a result, she believes she’s disposable. She uses the conventions of the romantic comedy as a metaphor for her real-life situation because her sense of self originates from her work in the film industry.

“Through all of it, I clock the nearness of Dan. When I laugh, he leans in, not away. When he leans back in his chair, he places a hand on the back of mine. I try on the feeling, just for a second, of what it would be like to belong to him.”

Jane’s descriptions of her and Dan’s body language and physical proximity illustrate their deepening connection. The romantic counterparts aren’t simply attending the same event; rather, they’re moving in sync with each other. Their bodies’ attunement imagistically conveys their emotional connection. This passage marks a turning point in Jane’s character arc, too, in that she lets herself imagine what it “would be like to belong to [Dan].” Allowing this fantasy is one of the first steps toward freeing herself from fear.

“Well, when I focus on it, I am. It’s a whole thing. My dating protocol. I act the right amount interested and the right amount bored. I mentally track his word count so I’m not blabbering on more than he is. […] You have to remember I was an actress. So when I’m dating, I use that. I act like a woman you’d want to date.”

When Jane shares her dating experiences with Dan, she is both opening up to him and revealing her constant desperation for control. The allusion to her “dating protocol” underscores Jane’s fear of experimenting romantically. She not only searches for a list of set qualities in a date, but tracks “his word count” and performs a version of self that she believes her date will like. These habits are symptoms of her insecurity.

“Dan turns to me and rests his forearms on his knees. His hair is wild, swirls of black around his head in every direction. He looks like an ad for soap. Rugged soap that removes a day’s worth of sweat and leaves you smelling exactly like you.”

Jane’s detailed description of Dan’s appearance conveys her growing interest in him. Everything about Dan evokes notions of ease, freedom, and confidence. He has a relaxed posture that suggests he’s self-assured. He lets his hair run “wild,” which conveys his free-spirited nature. He also has a clean but real scent, suggesting that while he’s approachable, he’s also down to earth. These are all traits that endear him to Jane and make her feel comfortable.

“I want to make this movie and keep my job as much as I don’t want to ever see Jack Quinlan again. I hate mixed feelings, and I hate when they all release at once. I look up at Dan with tears in my eyes, and he pulls me into his arms. Right there in the alley by the dumpster. His chest is as solid as it looks but also warm as he wraps himself around me.”

The image of Jane crying into Dan’s chest in the alley conveys The Importance of Vulnerability in Intimate Relationships. Because Dan is accepting, solid, and safe, Jane stops guarding herself in his presence. She is letting Dan comfort her and is showing him her vulnerability. The scene marks a turning point in her character evolution—instead of feigning poise and confidence, Jane expresses her fear, insecurity, and upset.

“It reminds me of the scene of the first kiss in True Story, the one I’d been dying for through the first thirty-six pages of the script the first time I read it. It’s at a party at the beach where their eyes find each other over and over again. I feel that newly familiar shift in my heart just thinking about it.”

Jane compares her and Dan’s first kiss to a similar moment in the True Story kiss. This cinematic allusion conveys Jane’s secret longing to experience a love like the one represented in the fictional story. As soon as Jane starts regarding her and Dan’s relationship through the lens of True Story, she’s able to acknowledge its quiet power. She feels a “familiar shift in her heart”—a sensation that evokes notions of love’s transformative power.

“I grew up feeling like everyone was trying to fix me. I didn’t understand why, because I didn’t feel broken. I knew I had to leave. I was afraid that the thing that made me different—the thing my dad thinks is a little off—I was afraid I was going to lose it.”

Dan’s ability to open up to Jane teaches her the importance of vulnerability in intimate relationships. Jane isn’t accustomed to men like Dan, who share their experiences and struggles without shame. Hearing Dan discuss his fear in turn inspires Jane to do the same. Dan uses blunt language to offer Jane a raw depiction of his heart.

“This true and beautiful man is looking at what recently could have been described as a drowned rat as if she is precious. As if she is love. I want to say thank you, but instead I kiss him again, slowly, as if transmitting those words through my lips.”

Jane and Dan’s kiss in the car during the rainstorm affects a romantic, idyllic mood. Jane is overcome by emotion in this scene because she’s marveling at her and Dan’s connection. She appreciates the environmental circumstances for the kiss, but more than that, she values how Dan looks at her as if she matters. Although she’s in a physically vulnerable state—soaking wet and appearing like a “drowned rat”—Dan regards her like she’s something valuable.

“I am not at all embarrassed. It surprises me so much that I scan my body for the normal feelings—tight in the chest, hot in the face. Nothing. I sometimes laugh in my sleep, and I love that.”

Jane’s lack of embarrassment around the Finnegan family reiterates the transformative power of friendship and family. When they tease her about laughing in her sleep, Jane expects to have a physiological reaction, including a tight chest and a hot face. However, she feels none of these sensations, which proves that she’s changing. Now more comfortable in herself, she’s able to join in the laughter—a prime element of the Finnegan family culture.

“He is sea air and sunscreen, and there’s nothing in the world more natural than us together like this in front of all of Oak Shore. I feel the warmth of his mouth all over my body and I try to memorize the feeling. This thing with Dan is something I don’t believe in, but it’s growing inside my heart anyway.”

Jane and Dan’s kiss while dancing underscores the depth of their connection. Jane’s use of figurative language affects a heartfelt, romantic mood. She compares Dan to “sea air and sunscreen”—a metaphor that suggests summertime ease and joy. Use of diction like “natural,” “warmth,” and “growing” underscores the safety and comfort she derives from Dan’s mere proximity.

“I want to make this movie so my mom can see it. I want her to watch that love story and give up her tireless pursuit of the Hollywood kind. Love isn’t a helicopter ride to Catalina; it’s everyday care and treating the other person like they’re your house keys. I want this movie to say the thing I can’t say.”

Jane’s internal monologue during the Finnegans’ anniversary party conveys her deep longing for a healthy, loving family life. Her mind wanders to True Story because the script articulates ineffable emotions she hasn’t otherwise been able to share with her mom. The script also offers her a bridge between the love she’s discovered on Long Island and the love she wants to foster with her mother.

“I can see myself just under the surface, this whole version of Jane who can be strong and funny at the same time. This version who can be completely herself and still be called lovable. I remember what Dan said about his budding sense of self being like a lit match on the beach; mine feels precarious too, and I want to protect it.”

The image of Jane studying her naked figure in the bathroom mirror conveys her newfound sense of confidence and strength. She is stripped down and physically bare; her naked body mirrors the rawness of her emotions and uninhibited identity. Instead of cowering in shame when she sees herself, she claims her identity with verve and confidence. Her allusion to Dan and the simile of the “lit match on the beach” also underscore his positive impact on her character.

“I think I never gave up on love because I wanted you to see it. Not even for me, but for you, Jane. I wanted you to see a Hollywood happy ending and know you could have that too. And I know it was hard for you to see me fall apart every time it didn’t work. I know it was a lot of times.”

Jane and her mother’s dialogue about the past leads the women to healing and reminds them of the transformative power of friendship and family. Jane’s mother is opening up about her regard for love and relationships, particularly why she distorted her and her late husband’s story for Jane’s benefit. This moment of honesty and openness helps the mother and daughter make amends and establish a more authentic connection.