Stephen King’s authorial brand might be the farthest from romance writing, but the king of horror has written about romance to great effect. One of King’s most gutwrenching works, “Lisey’s Story,” is inspired by deeply personal circumstances. It revolves around the titular Lisey who mourns the death of her husband while revisiting their intense, complex relationship. This is a story about a dead writer who is only valued by the world for his literary contributions, with Lisey being the only person capable of piecing together the complete picture of the man he was. Although a romance, the book ventures into the dark, surreal recesses of the psyche, along with the real threat of parasocial relationships taken a step too far.
The romance element in King’s novels is not always this twisted or bittersweet in flavor. In fact, “11/22/63” — a quasi-historical time-travel fantasy that takes some wild swings — presents its central love story as the only silver lining in a hopelessly bleak world. That said, King has never strictly dabbled in romantic comedies, so the idea of him appearing for a cameo in such a genre film might seem odd at first glance. After all, a chunk of Stephen King cameos have been in adaptations of his own work, including his appearance as the minister in 1989’s Pet Semetary and the more recent drink-sipping shopkeep in “It: Chapter Two.” However, King has done some classic cameos just cause (Bachman in “Sons of Anarchy” and my favorite, Hoagie Man in George A. Romero’s “Knightriders.”) We also cannot rule out cameos where he is, well, himself, like in season 12 of “The Simpsons.”
In keeping with this sentiment, King cameo-ed as himself in the 2012 romantic comedy-drama “Stuck in Love,” where his voice can be heard during a phone call with a character. What exactly is this underrated flick about, and how is King connected to the plot? Let’s find out.
Stuck in Love is a romantic comedy about a family of novelists
Spoilers for “Stuck in Love” to follow.
In the film, novelist Bill Borgens (Greg Kinnear) is battling terrible writer’s block thanks to a hyper-fixation on his ex-wife, Erica (Jennifer Connelly), who has happily moved on with her new partner. The sting of unrequited love (which was once requited) wears Bill down, and the burnout he experiences as a writer adds to his discontent. In contrast, his daughter Samantha (Lily Collins) is embarking on her journey as a writer with her first novel slated for publication, while deliberately shunning romance to avoid getting hurt like her father. Although Samantha firmly keeps her sexual relationships casual, fellow writer Lou (Logan Lerman) gently nudges her to open up to the possibility of a long-term dynamic. As you might have guessed by now, “Stuck in Love” is an exploration of the kinds of love we experience in our lives — be it through the lens of a hopeless romantic (who refuses who move on) or that of a jaded cynic.
Meanwhile, Bill’s teen son, Rusty (Nat Wolff) is caught between emulating these extremes while having a crush on one of his classmates. These attitudes towards love spill over into the family’s dynamics; Rusty witnesses his father’s obsessive need for validation from his ex-wife, while his sister treats Erica with cold indifference. As a child navigating these intense emotions, Rusty struggles to formulate his own perspectives about relationships, which he intends to use to write fantasy novels.
After pursuing a messy relationship that opens up a world of intense pain for him, Rusty is finally able to write a story that feels authentic. When he is at his lowest, his favorite author, Stephen King, calls and congratulates him, as the story is getting published in a prestigious fantasy/sci-fi magazine. The context for this King cameo makes perfect sense, as Rusty is established as an avid fan pretty early on, and this is a rather sweet moment that grants him the courage to keep writing against all odds.Â