While catching up on my well-missed dose of sugar, I stumbled upon a list of the 10 Most Overly Used Rom-Com Gimiks. Ah, the perfect post for someone who not only wishes to shallowfy her posts (they're too serious!), but also is a sucker for romantic comedies (jeez, I'm such a girl!). My own comments are in italics...
1. Ending Up With A Guy That Kinda Ruins Things
You know what's not romantic to me? When a guy puts me out of business rendering me unemployed (You've Got Mail). Or when a guy interrupts my cab ride on the way to a promising job interview and insists I stay with him How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days). (Why can't he go with her?). Or when a guy steals my idea for an ad campaign and gets me fired with his secret mind-reading abilities (What Women Want). Time for a leading man who's not all "take, take, take".
Of course it works because we all love conflict. Besides, pulling through eventually (as long as the conflict's not too serious or disturbing) is something that's pretty darn awww-inspiring. Haha. Especially if the jerk looks like Matthew Mcconaughey. :P
Hey look, I was charmed by the prostitute who gets the handsome, wealthy man in Pretty Woman like the rest of the world but the grown-up Cinderella story gets old pretty fast. The hotel maid/prostitute/stripper/poor girl getting rescued by rich guy story is played. Next!
I do agree that this is wee-bit soap operatic. Besides, there is nothing more pathetic than a girl wanting to be rescued by her "Prince Charming." We know better right? :D But then, the polar opposite (successful rich girl rescues gigolo/house boy/poor guy) won't sell either. It will also shatter the oh-so-delicate male ego. :P
I love What Not to Wear and those makeover episodes of Oprah. But when the woman's (99.9% of the time, it's the woman's) makeover is central to a rom-com plot line I start to
lose interest. Not only is it terribly retro for a guy to only see the beauty in a girl after she takes her glasses off and puts on lip gloss, but it's completely unoriginal and predictable at this point.
How about a guy who actually falls for an unattractive girl and then falls out of love after she undergoes a major revamp? How crazy-cool is that?
4. The Entire Plot Based on A Lie
Oh man, the big elaborate lie kills me because you can already map out how the whole story will unfold, and where's the fun in that? In Never Been Kissed it's just a countdown until Michael Vartan's character finds out Drew Barrymore's character's secret. Then it's just a matter of time before he loves her anyway. There have got to be better, more creative ways to drum up some romantic conflict than this...right?
5. The Hatred That's Actually "Love"
Have you ever fallen in love with someone you've really, truly hated? I mean, really hated? We don't need the main characters to do horribly nasty things to each other so that it'll be a pleasant surprise* when they realize they're in love.
*It's never a surprise.
Hey, I happened to enjoy What Happens in Vegas! It was fun and funny! But I totally agree that while people actually sometimes opt to deliberately annoy the people they like (think kindergarten days) or how someone you like/love can easily tick you off (it's disappointment masked as anger), it really is hard to believe you can be secretly in love with someone whose guts you absolutely, sincerely hate. Newsflash: The line between love and hate ain't that thin.
6. The Race to the Airplane
Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Faith rushes to board Peter's flight to Boston which is on the verge of taking off. As Faith boards the plane, Peter turns to see her. They kiss and the passengers and crew erupt into applause for the two lovers. The last shot of the film is of the plane flying out into the sunset."
Yeah. Thought so.
7. Falling in Love With a Man-Child
Guys who refuse to grow up are...sexy? Sure, some men have that childlike vibrancy, a youthful joie de vivre. But some actually behave like children — and still get the girl in these movies. Why would these highly successful, smart women in films like Fever Pitch be attracted to someone who lives at home and/or sits on the couch with his stoner friends all day? Are women just supposed to settle? Food for thought.
No we are not! We deserve men, not boys. And besides, how realistic is it for a man-child to actually grow up in such a short period of time? Growing up is a process and no, love is not enough. Besides what that man-child feels for you ain't love, missy.
8. It's All Based on a (Totally Implausible) Bet
It's funny that movies continue to include plots revolving completely around ill-advised, unrealistic bets which, once won or called off, somehow result in love.
This is the tackiest of all the rom-com gimiks in my opinion. Because really, it just is. 'Nuf said.
9. Letters From Dead People
This isn't necessarily a trend yet but the notes-from-a-dead-lover tactic used in P.S. I Love You felt gimmicky. It seems like it would only mentally mess up a grieving widow, rather than help her. Hollywood should nip this one in the bud.
I actually wanted to read the book because of the letters (I love letters!). Except to say letters such as these are better left to books, I don't think I have a right to comment on this one.
10. The "Sassy" Best Friend
This is probably most tiresome of all. The BFF to the main character is usually quirkier, funnier, less conventionally attractive and way more interesting to watch than the main lady. Yet she's sidelined and often saddled with the schlubbiest guy in the room in the end. Like all of these, it's just gotten so old.
While this is the most common element in rom-coms, all I can say is that the colorful sidekick has actually saved one too many movies from being doomed to hell as a giant waste of time. But then again, they're supporting actresses for a reason, and shouldn't be the highlight of a movie.
With these said, while I won't ditch rom-coms for being too susceptible to cliches, I'm all for originality and unconventional, wonderfully twisted plot lines.
For the actual Buzz Sugar slideshow (complete with pictures), click here.
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