Wilde at Heart

In the 2013 mumblecore romcom Drinking Buddies, Chris (Ron Livingston) gives his girlfriend, Kate (Olivia Wilde), a gift. It is a copy of John Updike’s 1960 Rabbit, Run. A Great Male Narcissist novel about an unfaithful husband who cannot find meaning in love or parenthood, Chris tells Kate, “You kind of remind me a little bit of the hero… You’re a kindred spirit. You’re a runner. You’re a rabbit.” It’s hard to name the bigger red flag: the gift or the girl.