Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi in the new film "Paper Heart."
Comedian and actress Charlyne Yi — 23 years old — wanted to understand why love blooms for others, and not for her.
Or at least that’s the question she asks in her new faux documentary, “Paper Heart,” in which the real Charlyne Yi plays a fictionalized Charlyne Yi.
She travels across the country, talking to couples, professors, even a romance novelist, to see what she can learn about love. And the more she learns, the more she wonders if she has what it takes — even as she falls for actor Michael Cera, who plays himself.
This hour, On Point: Charlyne Yi and the quest to understand love.
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
-Jane Clayson, guest host
Tom Ashbrook is on vacation.
Guests:
Charlyne Yi joins us from New York. A 23-year-old writer, stand-up comedian, actress, and musician, she’s co-executive producer, co-writer, and star of the new faux documentary “Paper Heart.” In the film she plays a fictionalized version of herself, alongside actor Michael Cera, who plays a fictionalized version of himself. “Paper Heart” won top honors for screenwriting at Sundance.
Also joining us from New York is Jake Johnson. In “Paper Heart” he plays director Nick Jasenovec, the real–life director of the film.
Here’s the film’s trailer:
I would like to ask Charlyne, I am currently dating someone who says she “cannot fall in love” and it sometimes makes me wonder why we are dating at all, what’s the point if she doesn’t think she will ever be “in love”…. do you think it’s fair to be in a romantic relationship with someone if they have no hope of being “fallen in love with” by the person they are dating?
Posted by Jamie, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:19 AMLike, um… you know… like, um…. you know, like and um like…
How tedious it is listening to guests like this.
Posted by Kash Haffa, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:28 AMWell, that’s the very loving ^
Posted by Mark Mitchell, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:32 AMI grew up having to move around alot because my fathers job, being gay this was a major problem, I learned that you have to recover from broken relationships or be misserable forever. I recently had a breakup that after 40 years stopped me in my tracks and I still have not rebounded. Love its still the greatest thing, there is nothing like it in the world….
Posted by bry boston, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:37 AMAt the beginning of the show, bikers were talking about love among friends. I like the idea of focusing about all kinds of love. One thing that I have been thinking about lately is love and time. There is something really special and profound about the love you feel for people you have known for a great many years, people who know all your good and bad sides and love you anyway. Short friendships (all too common in our culture) cannot be compared with long-term ones. Those people who have been with you for many years grow to be part of you. So when one of these people passes away and people say that a “part of them is gone,” I think that is literally true. I consider myself profoundly lucky to have a many such “loves.”
Posted by Joanna Drzewieniecki, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:38 AMI’d also like to say that there are “a 1000″ types of love and that is just fine. Comparing “loves” is probably not a very good idea.
I fell in love at nineteen. Love as a biochemical reaction- I should have been cured long ago- had hoped I would be.
Our paths have crossed several times and there’s perpetually an aspect of bad timing, to the extreme. Over twenty years we’ve parted more than we’ve come together- something gets healed, something else gets hurt and I’m never quite the same.
I’ll love him till the day I die- maybe then, in about fifty years or so, we’ll be able to spend a piece of time together.
Posted by maren alfred, on August 6th, 2009 at 11:41 AMI think the emphasis on “True Love” is misleading and counter-intuitive. The natural goal of monogamous relationships is successful propagation of the species. Natural attraction has to do with genetic compatibility and natural selection, the genes’ drive to duplicate themselves generation to generation.
Posted by CURT PETERSON, on August 6th, 2009 at 12:03 PMRomance, dating, marriage, etc., are all cultural trappings we have hung onto the basic genetic system, like ornaments on a tree. We have become hung up on the process, consider the real goal something not to be discussed in sensitive, polite company.
I am a lucky person in that I am still passionately in love with my wife after twenty-six years. I have five beautiful children. The genes will go on. The fact that “true love” is involved, however, is more a matter of luck than something we should have expected or sought as a primary target. Compatibility, things in common, similar life-plans, sustainability … these are the things that must accompany genetic attraction to make a marriage a long-term success, and the necessary elements of what we mistakenly call “true love”.
I absolutely love Jane Clayson weeks. Tom should take more time off. She is getting better by every show!
Posted by GeorgeM, on August 6th, 2009 at 2:05 PMI agree George, Jane is really doing very well and I enjoyed both of these shows.
Thanks Jane!
Posted by Richard, on August 6th, 2009 at 6:05 PMLike, um… you know… like, um…. you know, like and um like…
True, and um, um I like, um….
Still she’s pretty funny on screen.
Posted by Putney Swope, on August 7th, 2009 at 4:28 PM