The Hollywood Romantic Comedy: Conventions, History, Controversies by Leger Grindon. Deleyto, Celestino (2009) The Secret Life of Romantic Comedy. Mernit, Billy (2000) Writing the Romantic Comedy. New York: HarperCollins. Neale, Steve (1992) “The Big Romance or Something Wild? Comedy Today. 'Writing the Romantic Comedy is so much fun to read it could pop a champagne cork.' -Alexa Junge, writer and producer of Friends Revised and expanded to celebrate a new generation of romantic comedies, Billy Mernit's insightful look into the mechanics of writing Hollywood's most enduring genre features case studies that reveal the screenwriting.

1. Romantic Comedy Movies List

And in (1955) trailer. Romantic comedy films (also known as the romedy or romcom) are with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is 'a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily'. Another definition states that its 'primary distinguishing feature is a love plot in which two sympathetic and well-matched lovers are united or reconciled'. Romantic comedy films are a certain genre of as well as of, and may also have elements of. However, a romantic comedy is classified as a film with two genres not a single new genre.

Some television series can also be classified as romantic comedies. In a typical romantic comedy the two lovers tend to be young, likeable, and apparently meant for each other, yet they are kept apart by some complicating circumstance (e.g., class differences, parental interference; a previous girlfriend or boyfriend) until, surmounting all obstacles, they are finally reunited. A fairy-tale-style happy ending is a typical feature. In Seven Sweethearts (1942), a musical romantic comedy film The basic plot of a is that two characters, part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately reunite. Sometimes the two leads meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or because of social pressures.

However, the screenwriters leave clues that suggest that the characters are, in fact, attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The protagonists often separate or seek time apart to sort out their feelings or deal with the external obstacles to their being together. While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they are ideal for each other, or that they are in love with each other.

Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort (sometimes called the grand gesture) to find the other person and declare their love, or through an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the. The couple does not, however, have to marry, or live together 'happily ever after'. The ending of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in its protagonists' lives, even if they physically separate in the end (e.g., ). There are many variations on this basic plotline. Sometimes, instead of the two lead characters ending up in each other's arms, another love match will be made between one of the principal characters and a secondary character (e.g., and ). Alternatively, the film may be a rumination on the impossibility of love, as in 's film.

The basic format of a romantic comedy film can be found in much earlier sources, such as plays like and. Some comedy films, such as, combine themes of romantic comedies and stoner comedies, creating a subgenre that appeals to both men and women. Often known as ', such films usually use sexual elements which bring the two characters together. Films in this genre include and even. The conventions to a romance book/film is there is two people, normally boy and girl, who fall in love and they stay together for a long time but then one of them have to leave for some reason. Then they come back because they find out that they were perfect for each other.

Then get married or engaged. Evolution and subgenres Romantic comedies have begun to spread out of their conventional and traditional structure into other territory. This territory explores more and more complex topics. These films still follow the typical plot of 'a light and humorous movie, play, etc., whose central plot is a happy love story' but with more complexity. These are a few ways romantic comedies are adding more subtlety and complexity into the genre.

Extreme circumstances Some romantic comedies have adopted extreme or strange circumstances for the main characters, as in where the protagonist is a zombie who falls in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend. Another strange set of circumstances is in where the two protagonists are building a relationship while trying to make a together. Both these films take the typical story-arch and then utilize circumstances to add. Flipping conventions Other romantic comedies flip the standard conventions of the romantic comedy genre. In films like, the two main interests do not end up together, leaving the protagonist somewhat distraught.

Other films like have the two main interests end up separated but still content and pursuing other goals and love interests. Reversing gender roles Some romantic comedies use reversal of gender roles to add comedic effect. These films contain characters who possess qualities that diverge from the gender role that society has imposed upon them, as seen in ' in which the male protagonist is especially in touch with his emotions and ' in which the female bridesmaids are shown in a negative and somewhat masculine light in order to advance the likability of the male lead. Serious elements Other remakes of romantic comedies involve similar elements, but explore more adult themes such as marriage, responsibility, or even disability. Two films by, and, deal with these issues.

This Is 40 chronicles the mid-life crisis of a couple entering their 40s, and Knocked Up addresses unintended pregnancy and the ensuing assuming of responsibility. Deals with and the courage to start a new relationship.

All of these go against the of what romantic comedy has become as a genre. Yet the genre of romantic comedy is simply a and all of these elements do not negate the fact that these films are still romantic comedies. Contrived romantic encounters: the 'meet cute' One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the entertainment factor in a contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as or the Associated Press' have called a 'meet-cute' situation. During a 'meet-cute', scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. Sometimes the term is used without a hyphen (a 'meet cute'), or as a verb ('to meet cute').

Roger Ebert describes the 'concept of a Meet Cute' as 'when boy meets girl in a cute way.' As an example, he cites 'The Meet Cute in which has and running their cars into each other in Switzerland. Once recovered, they Meet Cute again when they run into each other while on skis. They fall in love.' In many romantic comedies, the potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three ( ), who would not meet or talk under normal circumstances, and the meet cute's contrived situation provides the opportunity for these two people to meet.

Use of 'meet cute' situations Certain movies are entirely driven by the meet-cute situation, and contrived circumstances throw the couple together for much of the screenplay. However, movies in which the contrived situation is the main feature, such as, rather than the romance being the main feature, are not considered 'meet-cutes'. The use of the meet-cute is less marked in television series and novels, because these formats have more time to establish and develop romantic relationships. In situation comedies, relationships are static and meet-cute is not necessary, though flashbacks may recall one (, ) and lighter fare may require contrived romantic meetings.

The heyday of 'meet cute' in films was during the in the 1930s; films made a heavy use of contrived romantic 'meet cutes', perhaps because the more rigid and class divisions of this period made cross-social class romances into tantalizing fantasies. This article needs additional citations for. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

(June 2007) The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines romantic comedy as 'a general term for comedies that deal mainly with the follies and misunderstandings of young lovers, in a light‐hearted and happily concluded manner which usually avoids serious satire'. This reference states that the 'best‐known examples are Shakespeare's comedies of the late 1590s, and being the most purely romantic, while approaches the and is closer to.' Comedies since have often incorporated sexual or social elements. It was not until the creation of in the western European period, though, that 'romance' came to refer to 'romantic love' situations, rather than the heroic adventures of medieval. These adventures, however, often revolved about a knight's feats on behalf of a lady, and so the modern themes of love were quickly woven into them, as in 's. And remain influential. The creation of huge economic social strata in the , combined with the heightened openness about sex after the and the celebration of 's theories, and the birth of the film industry in the early twentieth century, gave birth to the.

As class consciousness declined and unified various social orders, the savage screwball comedies of the twenties and thirties, proceeding through –-style comedies, gave way to more innocuous comedies. This style faded in the 1960s, and the genre lay mostly dormant until the more sexually charged had a successful box office run in 1989, paving the way for a rebirth for the Hollywood romantic comedy in the mid-1990s. The went in a completely different direction, with less inhibitions about sex. , tired of stories that ended in ' at the beginning of a serious relationship, called by, with its portrayal of a difficult marriage, 'one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.' Effects On society today With the increase of romantic comedy movies, there has been an apparent change in the way society views romance. Researchers are asking whether the romance projected in romantic comedies are preventing true love in real life. The increase in use of technology has also led the society to spend a great amount of time engaging in mediated reality and less time with each other.

Even though researchers have only started to explore the impact of romantic comedy films on human romance, the few studies conducted have already shown correlation between romantic comedies and the love delusion. Romantic comedies are very popular. They depict relationships that some scholars think affect how people view relationships outside of this virtual world. These scholars believe romantic comedies can cause their audience to be discontent in their relationships because romantic comedies cause women to place men as the center of their universe. Depictions of stalking, men fighting for women no matter what, and placing women’s happiness solely on men are depicted in romantic comedies.They can teach women and men that guys should make the first move in a relationship.

Romantic Comedy Movies List

They sometimes depict that the guy should be masculine and smart while the girl should be feminine and passive. They can place men as the key to women’s happiness and this causes women and men in real life to put too much pressure on relationships. The illusion of love In the past, love has not always been the real reason for people coming together. In some cultures, arranged marriages were common to keep the caste systems or to join kingdoms.

Today, love is the root of all romance, and it is over-emphasized through these films. It tells viewers that love conquers all and will ultimately bring a never-ending happiness that is rarely affected by any conflict. When people do not experience the romance portrayed in these movies, they often wonder what they are doing wrong. Although people should be able to tell between an overly romanticized love and realistic love, they are often caught up in constantly trying to echo the stories they see on screen. While most know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some perceptions of love are heavily influenced by media portrayals. Conducted research A study was conducted at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh to understand this phenomenon. They studied 40 top box-office films released between 1995 and 2005 to establish common themes.

Then they asked hundreds of people to complete a questionnaire to describe their beliefs and expectations in romantic relationships. Researchers found that people who enjoyed movies such as You’ve Got Mail, The Wedding Planner, and While You Were Sleeping often failed to communicate with their partners effectively. They also believe that if someone is meant to be with you, then they should know your needs without you telling them.

Although this study is just one of a handful, it shows a correlation of how people's expectations are distorted through watching romantic comedies. See also. References. Bill Johnson. The Art of the Romantic Comedy Available online at:. Accessed June 20, 2011. ^.

Romantic comedy: boy meets girl meets genre. Tamar Jeffers McDonald. Wallflower Press, 2007. P.3. Mernit, Billy. Writing the Romantic Comedy (, 2000). The Big romance of Something Wild?: romantic comedy today.

Guys Are the New Girls. 'She has a Meet-Cute (three, actually) with Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy)' – Roger Ebert, reviewing 'Ella Enchanted'. Available at. Review: McGregor, Plummer delight in `Beginners'. Accessed June 20, 2011. Roger Ebert (28 June 1979).

Cited in Answers.com Accessed June 20, 2011. C.S Lewis, The Allegory of Love, p 19. ^ Harrell, Eben (2008-12-23).

Retrieved 2015-10-13. RELEVANT Magazine. Retrieved 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2015-10-13. External links. – from the 1940s to future releases, with box office performance The Numbers. – year-by-year analysis of box office performance of romantic comedies The Numbers.

– Top 290 (1978–present) by. by IMDB.

If creating a successful romantic comedy really was as easy as plugging a couple of stars into a standard boy- meets-girl, boy-loses- girl, boy-gets-girl structure, the market would be glutted with genuinely funny romantic comedies. But can you remember the last truly great 'rom-com' you've seen? Only one or two in the past few years topped the box office. And as a story analyst who sees-and rejects romantic comedy specs on a weekly basis, I can tell you that the ones that really work are all too rare. So in the interest of helping fellow writers (and good date movie-starved audience members everywhere), here's half a dozen key pieces of inside knowl edge I'd like to share. Follow these leads, and studios won't be so quick to 'pass' on your project. WRITE THE CHEMISTRY We go into a romantic comedy al ready knowing that our leads are going to meet, lose and, ultimately, get each other.

So creating two unique characters an audience will fall in love with and NEED to see united is the most important key to such a movie's success. All great characters have purpose and credibility, a re empathic and complex. But romantic comedy leads have additional requirements. They're emotionally incomplete people who get completed by their mate-to-be. One (if not both) of your protagonists should have an inner conflict that the story's romantic relationship confronts and ultimately resolves. The 'chemical equation' in 'Moonstruck' makes sense: Loretta, a woman lacking passion i n her life, combusts with R onnie, an operatic Mr. Creating such 3D leads with interlocking needs is how chemistry happens in a romantic comedy, and it's got to be on the page first, if you want to attract stars who can get a movie made.

What do you think Meg Ryan's looking for in a role, a Meg Ryan type? No, she's looking for a wonderfully written, never-seen-before part played opposite the kind of suitably significant leading man that'll catch a Hugh Grant's eye. So whether your couple be made up of opposites or two sides of one coin, write compelling characters - who believably belong together. EXPAND YOUR GENRE What most people think of when they hear 'romantic comedy' is a man and a woman trading witty barbs across a restaurant table. But this kind of typical talking-heads fare is far from all our genre can be.

In fact, some of the most successful romantic comedies are hybrids - movies that have expanded their audience by cross-breeding with other genres. Romantic comedies can be action-adventures ('Romancing the Stone'), gender-benders ('Tootsie'), sports comedies ('Tin Cup'), ghost stories ('Truly, Madly, Deeply'), political ('The American President'), satirical ('L.A. Story'), period pieces ('Shakespeare In Love'), crime stories ('The Mexican'), teen movies ('Clueless') and more.

This kind of cross-genre inter-breeding has kept our genre healthy for decades, and it's something to think about as you shape your romantic comedy with an eye towards the marketplace. You may already be edging into another genre's territory in your story. If so, maximize that e lement and plunder all it has to offer. Studios are more likely to be intrigued by a romantic comedy that also promises the kind of big screen action that a crime, adventure, sports, etc. Movie provides. AN ACTION'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS And while we're on the subject of holding the big screen, consider making your romantic comedy a MOVIE, as opposed to a stillie. G reat movies move - and romantic comedy duds talk themselves to death.

I know that many of us lovers of the form are drawn to it precisely because it's often about wonderfully pithy, sharp, deli cious repartee. But too much talk can be the difference between a pass (because what you've written is more like a play or a TV show) and a green light-because your romantic comedy can really pull people into a multiplex. How active is your script? How visually exciting?

While you may not have the mudslides, wild chases and fireworks 'Romancing the Stone' delivered, you may have a set, a setting, world or a physical comedy opportunity that will open up and enliven your movie. Even the verbal-witty 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' featured a Scottish reel in colorful kilts. 'Annie Hall' is packed with sight gags, from the cocaine sneeze to the errant lobsters. Make sure your script makes use of all the cinematic storytelling techniques a good movie- movie uses.