There is nothing extraordinary about the meet-cute in “Before Sunrise.” There’s no bickering on a long drive (“When Harry Met Sally”). No one is lost on a bench (“Roman Holiday”) or stuck in a manhole cover (“The Wedding Planner”). It’s definitely not as glamorous as a movie star walking into a bookstore (“Notting Hill”). Jesse and Céline’s meet-cute happens after a German couple’s argument opens the door to a conversation. It's that simple; no grand sweeping romantic gesture. The actions of one obnoxious couple lights the match for Jesse and Céline’s love story.
Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” premiered 30 years ago at the Sundance Film Festival. Fresh off the success of “Dazed and Confused,” a pantheon hangout movie for teenagers, Linklater turned his attention toward romance, specifically the young love between twentysomethings Jesse and Céline, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
