The romantic comedy has been taking a beating on EW.com recently: You’ve got our gallery of 24 rom-coms that sucked, and critic Lisa Schwarzbaum’s essay on the genre’s growing pains, "Movie Guys: The new girls?". But having just enjoyed What Happens in Vegas, starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher (pictured), more than I thought I would, I think it’s time we all admit that some of those romantic comedy clichés work for us.
I’ll go first. In Vegas, Diaz begins to warm to Kutcher when she sees him coaching little league. To quote one of my favorite Margaret Cho bits… stick it in.
Your turn. What’s your weakness?
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I have to say…Girl catches guy less than dressed, sees him a new light, and sparks fly…ie, the bedroom gift exchange scene in “The Cutting Edge”…Ohhh Weee, I love it!!!
I love the asinine fighting when everyone but the two characters can tell that they actually love each other. It’s nothing like real life, but I’m a sucker for it nonetheless!
I’ll see any movie that has a scene where two people kiss under the falling rain.
Michal Paré (back when he was a star) kissed Diane Lane during a downpour in “Streets of Fire”. It’s a device used often almost enough to be cliché, but it’s HOT. Spider Man and I believe the Notebook did it. Actually, this is one old school movie cliche I’d like to see more of. A scene where two good looking people kiss in the rain (with the steam rising off of them for dramatic effect) is something EVERY romantic comedy should feature.
Oh, and EVERY romantic comedy seems to do this, but I do think the “they hate each other but somehow find a reason to fall in love” plot is still amusing enough to watch. I mean, it IS the plot of every Adam Sandler movie ever (she doesn’t like him at first. Then she starts to because he’s quirky. Then someone or something gets between them, he pulls some magic and wins her heart at the end)…
I almost automatically love any movie showing a shy-ish guy falling in love with a girl who’s ignorant of his feelings till the end. I am thinking of Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones, Michael Vartan in Never Been Kissed, and to reach farther back.. The Apartment with Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon! Love me some sweet, shy guys!
ALSO I am a sucker for ALL those comedies of remarriage in the 30s and 40s.. The Awful Truth, His Girl Friday, etc! Pretty much the same reworked plot, but fabulous all the same!
When a woman is hopelessly in love with one guy, but the “right” guy (that she ends up with in the end) that is right in front of her nose is WAY hotter than the guy she thinks she’s supposed to be with.
I like the ones that don’t have a happy ending, and the star-crossed pair co their seperate ways. It’s still a rarity but has happened enough that I guess it’s a cliche.
The coy hesitation before a first kiss OR they attack each other cause they’ve been holding back through the whole movie. Love that stuff.
I agree with “You can call me Al.” I think that’s why I liked 27 dresses so much, and possibly The Princess Diaries.
I also like when the cool guy falls for the nerd girl or vice versa a la She’s All That to name one.
I’m a sucker for those montages of the couple walking in the park, feeding each other ice cream, etc. that happen while a jaunty-sounding current hit plays.
You’ll always get me with a well-executed:
1) thrown together through some wacky circumstance opposites-attract plotline (if the chemistry is good)
2) interrupting someone who is rambling with a searingly hot first kiss
kku – who doesn’t love a montage??
I have to say that as long as the chemistry is good, anything goes (usually anyway).
I love it when a couple gets together despite all their family or friends insisting they’re wrong for each other for whatever reasons. Such as Pretty in Pink or Dirty Dancing.
i’m a huge fan of the best guy friend, unexpectedly hot first kiss. See Reality Bites and Little Women for examples.
I love when one of the characters is talking about their feelings, feelings that they have “never told anyone before.” The other character immediately gets that look in their eye like they see the other character differently now. It’s in almost every romantic comedy, but I’m a sucker for it.
I always root for the geeks and down-and-outers in love. Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, As Good as It Gets, Bridget Jones, Say Anything, When Harry met Sally, etc. The “normal” characters are always too serious and boring. Duckie was robbed!
I’m a sucker for forbidden love or realistic obstacles that keep the couple apart for much of the movie, and I agree with Snarf, extra kudos if they don’t end up together (which usually falls out of the rom com’s category and into dramas but whatever). Second favorite is the love triangle, especially if the 2 people the 1 person is choosing from is actually a hard choice.
I like Rom-Coms with sweet, devoted guys who will do big romantic gestures that almost no guys in real life would do – such as John Cusack holding up the boombox in “Say Anything…” and Michael Vartan kissing Drew Barrymore on the pitcher’s mound of the big school game in “Never Been Kissed”. Sigh. If only real life were like that…
As much as I criticize romcoms when I’m watching them, I always cry when I see them declare their love to each other. I don’t know why.
I love it when they use the “when harry met sally” idea that men and women can’t “just be friends”.
When Hugh Grant stutters…which I think, by now, can be considered a romantic comedy cliche. Or when Hugh Dancy kisses me…which by now, can be considered, only in my dreams….
Any of my straight girl friends will totally tell you I can stand in for just about sassy, spunky, & handsome gay BFF in any movie…but not like the totally color co-ordinated, designer that just won the last season of Project Runway type. “FIERCE!” is only used by me when I’ve just pulled off the ultimate coup of the day. I just wish the gay BBF’s shown in movies were a bit more “normal” like me and not so obvious like a hair dresser or some Broadway b!tc# like Jennifer Aniston’s brother in THE BREAK UP (which as any self-respecting movie fan was niether romantic or a real comedy). I guess I’ll hold out hope that they’ll create one “normal” gay role someday. Or I can just keep catching the latest slasher flick where the character is sure to be sliced n diced twenty minutes in!
Oh and I totaly enjoyed WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS as well, but if you’ve seen this movie, you have to admit the supporting cast provided alot of comedy! Rob Corddry totaly redeemed himself after that horrible role in HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FRM GUANTANAMO BAY. For the first time in a while, the ensemble, and not just the stars made this film funny. Discuss!?
I like the cliche of when Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler fall in love. Those two have great chemistry and I’d love to see another rom-com with that team. I also like the cliche of when the person who is suffering from unrequited love finally gives up on the object of their affection. Don’t care if they end up together or not because it works both ways. Its a really mature thing to do and its cool when a fictional character makes that choice because let’s face it- dreams don’t always come true.
WOW Some Major omissions on the list of Rom-Coms that sucked (Rhinestone, the Born Yesterday remake, for the Love of the Game) to name a few.
The Big Romantic Gesture. Like running through the airport to catch her before her plane takes off, the proposal (or declaration of love) in a very public place, risk of public humiliation for her (singing off key, dancing badly, etc.), the Very Special Day just planned for her (picnic in the park, closing the restaurant for just the two of them, etc.), and all that. Swoon…..
I’m totally with orville – especially with two people in a reuniting or first-time embrace in front of a crowd, a la Forest Gump at the Reflecting Pool.
I like when the gal has a witty gay man BFF dishing advice. Even better when the witty gay BFF has a boyfriend and they look so cute and in love and both cheer her up and give the girl advice or let her cry on their shoulder.
I’m into the “forbidden love” thing, but I like it to end in tragedy. You know, the whole Romeo and Juliet thing.
Love Actually – see all: the big romantic gesture (several actually), the unrequited love, the crush love, the crazy dancing and humiliating getting caught and pretending you didn’t just do that, the ’serious’ talks about the nature of love…
I’m all about the nerd love. Get at least one awkward character trying to get the guy/girl, and I’m in tears over it. Princess Diaries, Never Been Kissed, Bridget Jones Diary, Sixteen Candles, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc.