
Every Rom Com 15: Before Sunrise
Explicit content warning
05/22/21 • 126 min
1 Listener
This week on Every Rom Com we begin the “Before” trilogy with Richard Linklater’s 1995 cult classic, “Before Sunrise.” We talk about the movie’s place as a Gen-X movie, ponder whether the story would work in the smartphone era, and gush over some of the most romantic scenes ever put to film. We deal with death, time, the battle of the sexes, and at one point we’re pretty sure we’ve figured out the meaning of life. We uncover a pretty cool Easter egg involving an Auden poem. And since it’s the travel series, we also introduce you to some of the movie’s great Vienna filming locations and other recommended stops on a Vienna tour. Whether you’re a first time viewer or a lifelong aficionado, this episode will almost definitely uncover a new aspect of the film. And since we laughed and almost cried while recording it, we’re hoping it’ll make you feel as well as think.
0:00-8:20 Introduction, Guest Host Zöe Wroten-Heinzmann
Zoë is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Monadnock Underground, a small independent publisher and literary magazine in Southern New Hampshire. Their projects include the just-released This Is Not Ordinary Time, about spiritual searching and the desire for community during times of upheaval, anthologies of mostly-local speculative fiction and spiritual writing, and a sporadic podcast of their own, Underground Over the Air. She rounds out her days embarking on homeschool adventures with her kids, working as a Religious Educator, learning Tai Chi, and tending her fruit trees and chickens.
Learn more about Monadnock Underground: https://www.monadnockunderground.com/
8:20-17:44 Trailer, Basic Info, General Opinion of the Movie
17:44-25:13 Director Richard Linklater, Writers Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
Kim Krizan interview on Popcorn Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvOSiSIQ4XM
Info on Making of the Film, Cited throughout this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/movies/before-sunrise-ethan-hawke-julie-delpy.html
25:13-38:29 Before Sunrise as a Gen-X Film, Jesse’s Cable Access Idea/Reality TV
38:29-45:56 Set-Up of the Film, On the Train, Jesse’s Proposal
45:56-53:50 Disembarking, The Austrian Actors, What city would you want to wander around in overnight?
Before Sunrise movie locations, used throughout the episode - see this article for details on how to get to locations: http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Before-Sunrise.php
53:50-1:01:55 Would this movie be possible in the smartphone era? Getting to Know You Questions
Rick Steves on Vienna’s trams, Line 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPVdtqthQc
We cut this from the episode, but here are some alternative questions to get to know someone new: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html
1:01:55-1:12:16 The Listening Booth Scene, Cemetery Scene, The Ferris Wheel Scene
Record Store Location: Teuchtler Schallplattenhandlung, Windmühlgasse 10 (U: Kettenbrückengasse, Line U4)
A story about visiting the record store in Before Sunrise https://lithub.com/traveling-scene-to-scene-in-the-streets-of-vienna-before-sunrise/2/
To get to the cemetery, Friedhof der Namenlosen (Cemetery of the Nameless): “To reach the cemetery, take Line U3 to Enkplatz. From the U-Bahn station, turn right along Simmeringe Haupstrasse to Krausegasse, from where you can catch the 76A bus to Alberner Hafen (which is the end of the route). It’s about a 20 minute journey and buses are every hour. From here, follow the small signpost - you’ll still have a ten minute walk through an unlovely industrial estate before you reach the small flight of steps leading into a spot of green shade.” Source: http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Before-Sunrise.php
Vienna’s ferris wheel https://wienerriesenrad.com/en/home-2/
1:12:16 SPOILERS BEGIN
1:12:16-1:21:27 Palm Reader Scene, Poet Scene, The Meaning of Life
“I’d rather die knowing that I was really good at something, that I had excelled in some way” - Jesse
“You know I believe that if there was any kind of god, it wouldn’t be in any of us, not you or me, but just this little space in between. If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding som...
This week on Every Rom Com we begin the “Before” trilogy with Richard Linklater’s 1995 cult classic, “Before Sunrise.” We talk about the movie’s place as a Gen-X movie, ponder whether the story would work in the smartphone era, and gush over some of the most romantic scenes ever put to film. We deal with death, time, the battle of the sexes, and at one point we’re pretty sure we’ve figured out the meaning of life. We uncover a pretty cool Easter egg involving an Auden poem. And since it’s the travel series, we also introduce you to some of the movie’s great Vienna filming locations and other recommended stops on a Vienna tour. Whether you’re a first time viewer or a lifelong aficionado, this episode will almost definitely uncover a new aspect of the film. And since we laughed and almost cried while recording it, we’re hoping it’ll make you feel as well as think.
0:00-8:20 Introduction, Guest Host Zöe Wroten-Heinzmann
Zoë is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Monadnock Underground, a small independent publisher and literary magazine in Southern New Hampshire. Their projects include the just-released This Is Not Ordinary Time, about spiritual searching and the desire for community during times of upheaval, anthologies of mostly-local speculative fiction and spiritual writing, and a sporadic podcast of their own, Underground Over the Air. She rounds out her days embarking on homeschool adventures with her kids, working as a Religious Educator, learning Tai Chi, and tending her fruit trees and chickens.
Learn more about Monadnock Underground: https://www.monadnockunderground.com/
8:20-17:44 Trailer, Basic Info, General Opinion of the Movie
17:44-25:13 Director Richard Linklater, Writers Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
Kim Krizan interview on Popcorn Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvOSiSIQ4XM
Info on Making of the Film, Cited throughout this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/movies/before-sunrise-ethan-hawke-julie-delpy.html
25:13-38:29 Before Sunrise as a Gen-X Film, Jesse’s Cable Access Idea/Reality TV
38:29-45:56 Set-Up of the Film, On the Train, Jesse’s Proposal
45:56-53:50 Disembarking, The Austrian Actors, What city would you want to wander around in overnight?
Before Sunrise movie locations, used throughout the episode - see this article for details on how to get to locations: http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Before-Sunrise.php
53:50-1:01:55 Would this movie be possible in the smartphone era? Getting to Know You Questions
Rick Steves on Vienna’s trams, Line 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPVdtqthQc
We cut this from the episode, but here are some alternative questions to get to know someone new: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html
1:01:55-1:12:16 The Listening Booth Scene, Cemetery Scene, The Ferris Wheel Scene
Record Store Location: Teuchtler Schallplattenhandlung, Windmühlgasse 10 (U: Kettenbrückengasse, Line U4)
A story about visiting the record store in Before Sunrise https://lithub.com/traveling-scene-to-scene-in-the-streets-of-vienna-before-sunrise/2/
To get to the cemetery, Friedhof der Namenlosen (Cemetery of the Nameless): “To reach the cemetery, take Line U3 to Enkplatz. From the U-Bahn station, turn right along Simmeringe Haupstrasse to Krausegasse, from where you can catch the 76A bus to Alberner Hafen (which is the end of the route). It’s about a 20 minute journey and buses are every hour. From here, follow the small signpost - you’ll still have a ten minute walk through an unlovely industrial estate before you reach the small flight of steps leading into a spot of green shade.” Source: http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Before-Sunrise.php
Vienna’s ferris wheel https://wienerriesenrad.com/en/home-2/
1:12:16 SPOILERS BEGIN
1:12:16-1:21:27 Palm Reader Scene, Poet Scene, The Meaning of Life
“I’d rather die knowing that I was really good at something, that I had excelled in some way” - Jesse
“You know I believe that if there was any kind of god, it wouldn’t be in any of us, not you or me, but just this little space in between. If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding som...
Previous Episode

Every Rom Com Now Streaming: May 17-24, 2021
This week on Now Streaming Jen and Luna recommend gay coming-of-age romances, stories about black women following their dreams and their hearts, some of the best films of 1994, and more, as we highlight some of the best rom com and rom com adjacent films and TV currently on streaming platforms. We’ll also tell you where to find some of the 80’s favorites and other films we recommended as double features with “Romancing the Stone.”
Next Episode

Every Rom Com 16: Before Sunset
This week on Every Rom Com, we continue our discussion of the “Before” trilogy with 2004’s “Before Sunset.” We’ll talk about the making of the film and go in-depth on the careers of multi-talented creators Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. We’ll also explore some of the fundamental questions that Jesse and Celine discuss in the movie - what’s the nature of time, memory, and desire? Do people change or do we fundamentally stay the same? Is our life dominated by fate or free will, and how rare are soulmates? All this and we’ll also talk about the film’s romantic Parisian locations, as well as our own Paris travel recommendations! Join us for this deep dive into one of our most favorite films yet!
0:00-9:27 Introduction, Memorable Songs/Music
9:27-15:21 Trailer, Basic Info
15:21-33:21 In-Depth Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
33:21-37:31 General Impressions of the Movie
37:31-50:00 Opening Shots of the Movie, Shakespeare & Company Bookstore, Book Signing Scene, The Nature of Fiction, The Nature of Time
https://shakespeareandcompany.com/
https://www.circeinstitute.org/blog/reader-thomas-wolfe
50:00-1:01:39 Walking and Catching Up, The Big Question: Did Celine and Jesse Show Up 6 Months After “Sunrise”?, Jesse’s Novel, Is the World Doomed or Getting Better?
1:01:39-1:20:36 In the Cafe, Growing Intimacy, Celine’s Trip to Warsaw, Having a Quiet Mind in an Unquiet World, Our Social Media Experiences, The Nature of Desire, Location: Promenade Plantee
1:20:36 SPOILERS BEGIN
1:20:36-1:32:14 The Nature of Memory, Do People Change or Do We Stay the Same?
1:32:14-1:54:00 The Boat Ride, Different Types of Boat Rides on the Seine, The Lighting, Celine’s Speech: People are Irreplaceable, Fate vs. Free Will, Soulmates, Best Self vs. Honest Self, Marriage with Kids
https://www.canauxrama.com/en/
https://www.batobus.com/en/homepage
https://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/
1:54:00-1:59:48 The Car Ride
1:59:48-2:12:44 The Apartment, Nina Simone Monologue, Movie’s Portrayal of Sexual Tension
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/02/movies/film-review-reunited-still-talking-still-uneasy.html
2:12:44-2:18:58 Infidelity/Blowing up Your Life, Monogamy
https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a13787/ethan-hawke-on-his-love-and-career-interview/
2:18:58-2:22:58 Paris Travel Recommendations
Filming Locations: https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/Before-Sunset.php
Julie Delpy’s Paris Recommendations: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/actress-julie-delpy-shares-favorite-things-to-do-in-paris
St. Sulpice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNReGn16vXg
Accordion Cafe - https://www.le-vieux-belleville.com/en/
2:22:58-2:30:51 Double Feature Recommendations
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/every-rom-com-194022/every-rom-com-15-before-sunrise-18720537"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to every rom com 15: before sunrise on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy