As everyone in the world searches for love through dating apps and friends the film genre of Romantic comedy was born. Awkward situations and love bring joy which has allowed the genre to maintain its popularity throughout the years.
Rom-com or romantic comedy is when a film revolves around a romantic relationship which provides comedic moments. They have been a hit for teens and young adults for decades, being a comforting watch for many. Directors like Rob Reiner and Judd Apatow being two directors popular for the genre.The popularity of these movies are among girls 13-18 which is why they are commonly referred to as chickfliks. Netflix dominates making these as they all share a common storyline and are quickly produced.
Movies popular in the teen realm normally create a false reality, leading young girls to wonder when they are going to meet their prince charming. As much as this genre is well-loved it is overused. The story line to every movie is predictable and is down to a formula at this point.
They normally begin with a “meet cute” (the first encounter of the characters that later leads to a romantic relationship). The two main leads which mostly consist of a man who could win anyone over with a smile and a quirky girl. The meeting is normally impromptu and leaves them both with unsure feelings. Fate then seemining pulls them together and puts them in a situation they must solve together. This makes their feelings for eachother grow and they both realize that maybe this was right for them after all. This would mean a happy ending is any other movie but not when it comes to rom-coms. A conflict separates the two and during their time apart it only makes them realize how great everything once was. In the end of every movie they make up and they then do indeed have their happy ending everyone wanted.
Productions based in the rom-com atmosphere rely on certain techniques to convey their message. The age range in rom-coms spans from late teen years (15-18) to early/mid twenties (20-26). Many do take place in high schools though meaning that the setting of a school plays a vital role. They of course venture outside to small diners where they always get a strawberry milkshake or a park they go to every friday. Mise-en-scene is very prominent when it comes to the characters' homes and more specifically their rooms. Messages are hidden in every corner symbolizing something you wouldn’t out right know about the character. When the older age range appear in this genre the setting normally revolves around malls or restaurants where someone needs a wedding date to impress their relatives. Wardrobe in both these instances is very important as the jock in high school normally wears his varsity football jacket and jeans while the girl prances around in skirts and high-tops. This emulates high school, while in the older age range the man will wear a suit while the girl is wearing yoga pants and a hoodie because she's a mess and doesn’t know where to go in life.
Movies like these need to draw the attention of their audience which also seems to be formulated perfectly. Trailers draw people to go watch movies and they are important in every genre. In rom-coms they have to intrigue without giving the whole story away. They usually consist of montages and snips of important moments to draw the attention of the viewer. The end goal of this is to make people want to watch the movie and find out the whole story. People are nosy in real life and movies so watching it to find out both sides of the story and what was the cause for every clip they saw is often done.
To all the boys I’ve loved before is a perfect example of the rom-com formula. Lara Jean Covey is an awkward girl who feels intense love for multiple boys throughout her life, but instead of telling them she writes them letters and leaves them in a box in her room. Her younger sister Kitty thinks that sending them out would do her older sister a favor and does just that. Lara has no clue and is then confronted the next day by her former crush Peter Kavinksy; A jock (shocker i know). This causes her to faint and as she wakes up she sees another recipient which leaves her no choice but to kiss Peter. Then to “solve” problems that this would create they begin fake dating but convince everyone it’s real. When Peter finds out his ex is jealous he becomes unsure of what he is doing but confesses his feelings to Lara anyway. At the end of their school's ski trip Lara learns that Peter spent the night with his ex which infuriates her and causes her to break up with him. In the end, their issues are of course resolved and they admit their love for eachother with the closing scene of the movie being them walking away holding hands.
Holidate is another great example though this one embodies the older side of rom-coms. Sloane Benson is tired of her family bothering her about being single on the holidays and Jackson is tired of horrible dates. They meet during a chance encounter while returning gifts and they strike up a deal to be eachothers dates, but only on holidays. Through the holidays they grow closer and Jackson begins to fear he is not good enough for her and tries to set her up with someone better. This leaves them with bitter feelings. Later, on Halloween she gets sick after taking laxatives. He takes care of her all night and she shoves him out the next morning. Their conflict occurs at thanksgiving when he opens up about his feelings and they break off contact after that. In the days leading up to Christmas she wants to talk to him but hesitates. Then just like they met they bump into each other at the mall and confess their love for eachother. The end credits of the movie show them happily together going to Australia for the holidays.
The well loved genre has no shortage as it’s an easy to replicate story line. Rom-coms seem to be timeless being loved decades on. Some of the most well known rom coms are My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Big Sick, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Notting Hill, and last but certainly not least 10 Things I Hate About You. They may be cringey and over done, but a classic is a classic.
The Love we see in movies gives humanity a little hope so give it a try.
