It's a truth universally acknowledged that a meet-cute in a romantic comedy, whether on the page or screen, must have at least a hint of “it could happen to you” magic to make it work.
The new film “The Idea of You,” adapted from Robinne Lee's 2017 novel, stars Anne Hathaway as Solène, a 40-year-old divorced mother. She has the opportunity to meet twenty-something boy band singer Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) in a bathroom at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, planting the seeds of her romance. (Yes, a bathroom).
Since the real-life Coachella just wrapped up its twin weekends in Indio (with advance tickets going on sale for the 2025 edition on Friday, May 3), let's take a look at how realistic a nice meeting of celebrities at the festival.
The film begins with aerial shots of Silver Lake, including the Sunset Junction sign, before Solène drops her teenage daughter and two friends off at her ex-husband's house. She's gotten them all-access passes to Coachella and a VIP meet-and-greet for the fictional boy band August Moon, who appear to be one of the festival's headliners. But then she has to drop out, and it's up to Solène to skip her first solo camping trip (which she's not prepared for judging by the “Camping for Dummies” book she packed) to save the day and take the teens to Indio.
In case you don't know where they're going, a montage of images with the word “Coachella” superimposed on top shows the festival stage. And some shots, like the one at the camp, look like the real festival, with the palm trees and mountains surrounding the Empire Polo Club in Indio.
A scene from the movie “The Idea of You.”
(Alisha Wetherill/Prime Video)
Other glimpses of the field will feel a little foreign to the eagle-eyed Coachella visitor. The Ferris wheel isn't in the right place, and while you might see some of the colorful, large-scale art pieces that have been at Coachella in the past, others, including a group of giant red-headed mushrooms, aren't quite there. festival atmosphere.
Closer are the generic food stalls in the back advertising burgers, meatballs, lemonade, etc., as the group arrives at the festival. Then there's a nod to a very real Coachella item from the past.
“Is the VIP entry through 'Lodestar'?” Solène asks as she looks at a map. “Lodestar” was a true work of art at the 2018 festival created by artist Randy Polumbo and made from the fuselage of an airplane.
The teens leave Solène, ostensibly to go see St. Vincent, because they just got the stage schedule upon arrival, and she tells them to check their text messages, which, if you've been to Coachella, you know is not a reliable way to communicate once the field fills up.
Left alone, Solène enters an enclosed area with air conditioning, couches, and a bar where an enthusiastic August Moon fan directs her to the VIP bathrooms outside the space.
Solène does not follow the instructions and finds herself surrounded by a bunch of identical, unmarked trailers. She chooses one and goes inside to use the facilities, currently occupied by our Harry Styles-inspired pop star.
Fans see Bizarrap perform at Coachella in April.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
He is surprised to see her and she is confused because he is only there to go to the bathroom and at first she does not recognize him, despite his fame. After she leaves the bathroom, Hayes explains that it is her trailer.
“I'm in the band,” he says. “We are performing on the main stage.”
Finally, our heroine's light bulb goes on and she realizes that she is on the August Moon. After some banter, they are reunited when his daughter and her friends come to meet and greet them.
And later, when performing on stage, Hayes sees Solène in the crowd and decides on the fly to change the song during August Moon's set.
So could any of this happen?
First, if August Moon was real, could they even headline Coachella? The festival has seen its share of pop stars in recent years, including headliners Beyoncé (2018), Ariana Grande (2019), Harry Styles (2022) and Blackpink (2023). August Moon is made to sound like the peak of her popularity has passed, as her teenage daughter liked them when she was in seventh grade. Unless it was a big reunion concert like Guns N' Roses in 2016, it's doubtful August Moon would headline Coachella.
And if August Moon was booked for that coveted spot, Coachella doesn't typically host big meet-and-greets like those found at stadium shows where one artist headlines.
But let's say all this happens, one of the most unlikely things is for a headliner to change the set list in the middle of the performance.
Disbelief about all those practical questions aside, would Solène even have the chance to meet Hayes at the festival as the film portrays?
If you have a regular VIP pass for Coachella, which is available for purchase, not at all. A VIP pass does not take you backstage or near the artists. The only way to get that access is if you have an artist or guest pass. Neither are for sale in the typical ticket purchasing process.
However, there is a way for normal people to get them. When he begs Solène to take her place, the ex-husband tells her that he spent money on all-access passes and that “everything is paid for: the hotels, the meals.”
While not a hotel, the luxurious Safari Camp at the real Coachella features coveted backstage access and daily breakfast. By 2024, the cost of camping at Safari started at $9,000 for two people. In theory, the ex-husband could have spent $18,000 to get accommodations for four people, which would include those all-access guest passes.
“Resort at Coachella” ultra-luxury yurts include artist passes and access to festival catering. In 2023, a luxury yurt for two people would cost more than $30,000 for the weekend.
But even if you had those passes at the real Coachella, it's highly unlikely to get into an artist's trailer. First, you'll need to scan your wristband to access the artist complex, where the trailers are set up. Once you're there, it's clear that the trailers belong to specific artists because they have signs posted on the doors. Trailers for top artists tend to be further apart.
And unlike the movie, the real Coachella has a lot more security posted around the performer area so people don't take photos or, you know, wander into a trailer to relieve themselves.
The moral of the story? Don't expect to find true love in a Coachella bathroom, at least not backstage.
