The Nancy Meyers Kitchen Power Rankings

Let's talk about some incredible production design.

While maybe not my first choice when I’m deciding what to watch, I have no qualms with a rom-com. I’m not a monster. I have a heart. I like when love conquers all with some hijinks and sexually suggestive misunderstandings in the interim. I especially love a big speech, particularly when it’s at an airport.

90’s and early 2000’s rom-coms are my favorite flavor of the genre and one of the unquestioned queens of the medium is Nancy Meyers. She may be THE unquestioned queen. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing a Nancy Meyers film, a couple of things:

1. What the hell is wrong with you, go watch FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991), you idiot.

2. The kitchens in a Nancy Meyers film are works of art inside works of art.

For this week’s edition of Working Title, we’re going to do a simple but difficult exercise. We’re going to rank the kitchens in the Nancy Meyer Extended Universe. There are seven films and therefore seven kitchens that warrant consideration in my opinion and they are:

BABY BOOM (1987)
FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991)
THE PARENT TRAP (1998)
SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE (2003)
THE HOLIDAY (2006)
IT’S COMPLICATED (2009)
THE INTERN (2015)

Let’s rank some kitchens baby.

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7. FATHER OF THE BRIDE

It pains me a little to do this. FATHER OF THE BRIDE might be my favorite Meyers movie. It’s a classic for good reason. Steve Martin really came into the “America’s dad” mantle here and it’s a movie with a lot of heart. That said, I think it’s the worst kitchen of the bunch. Granted, even the worst Meyers kitchen is one you wouldn’t hate to have as part of your home. The hanging tea cups are nice, but this is the most “lived-in” feeling kitchen in the Meyers repertoire. It’s hectic and crowded and I don’t like the dark fridge. [Shark Tank voice] and for that reason, I am out.

6. THE PARENT TRAP

Any sort of ranking is an exercise in both passion and logic and this was another one that I felt weird about putting lower on the list (again, all of these kitchens are good at worst and immaculate at best.) I loved THE PARENT TRAP as a kid. It gave me my love of dipping Oreos in peanut butter and my lifelong romantic feelings towards Lindsay Lohan (she’s coming back, I swear). This kitchen features not one, but TWO good kitchens in both a posh London townhome and a California vineyard estate. Of the two, I definitely lean more towards the California estate, with a huge shoutout to my guy Dennis Quaid. It’s a good kitchen, but ultimately I feel there are better ones on the list.

5. THE INTERN

To me, this is where we start really getting into the good stuff. THE INTERN is better than you remember, but also consider that I think Ann Hathaway is good, actually. It’s not the best Meyers movie, but hot damn is that a kitchen. Open shelving. What looks to be original crown molding. The biggest sink I’ve ever seen in my fucking life. A beautiful island in the center. All in a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn. This movie came out in 2015. Do you know what this place is worth now? Ann Hathaway is not only a good actress, she’s a shrewd observer of real estate trends. Go off, girlie!

4. BABY BOOM

This might be the one where personal taste sways me more than anything. I really waffled on where to put this vs the one in THE INTERN, but at the end of the day, I just really love a country kitchen. Also, I just love the house in Vermont that Diane Keaton moves to from New York City. It really does it for me and I think factoring that in really helps me appreciate this kitchen even more. Sure, it could use more counter space but this is the most charming of the Meyers kitchen and one that you can actually picture yourself in. It feels attainable. Don’t let the terrible quality of the above picture fool you. This one’s got the juice.

3. SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

If you know anything about Nancy Meyers films or kitchens or anything about good design and taste really, this placement of this kitchen at this point on the list probably seems blasphemous. I mean, this is one of the most replicated kitchens in the country. It’s the one people point to when they speak of the “Meyers kitchen.” It’s damn near perfect. Hardwood floors, subway tile backsplash, the shelving for books under the island, enough counter space to comfortably host a Great Gatsby level party, and an open design leading into a beautiful living room setup. I hear you. I see you. You are correct and I want this kitchen for you. But this is my newsletter and I gotta be me.

2. THE HOLIDAY

Oh yeah. That’s the stuff. Another film featuring two lovely kitchens, THE HOLIDAY finds itself in the second spot on the list. With all due respect to Cameron Diaz’s big ass mansion kitchen, Kate Winslet’s Rosehill Cottage kitchen blows it out of the water. Where Diaz’s mansion features the classic sleekness and design that comes with a house of that size, Winslet’s kitchen oozes a cozy charm (see above for my love of a country kitchen). The blue cabinets, charmingly small fridge and STAGGERLINGLY unsafe fireplace all add up to a place that’s almost impossible to beat. Almost.

1. IT’S COMPLICATED

This is the one. Maybe it’s a dark horse, but for me, there’s simply no topping the beautiful Santa Barbara home and kitchen that Meryl Streep holds dominion over in IT’S COMPLICATED. The Carrera marble. The casual bar seating. The beautiful archway into an equally gorgeous dining room. The window above the sink, peering out into a large backyard. The double ovens and open shelving. The practical but still subtle kitchen cart. It’s all there.

Considering that Streep’s character is a restaurateur and chef, the kitchen had to be up to par and to me, it comes out on top every time. This is peak Nancy Meyers Kitchen.™️ This is her masterpiece.

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As always, thank you for reading Working Title! I’ve gained quite a few new subscribers over the past week and I would just like to say welcome and I’m glad you’re here. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sharing it across your social channels, email, or mentioning it in passing to a loose acquaintance while getting drinks with your mutual friend. See you again soon!