Being one of the most popular genres, romantic comedies are dominating Hollywood at the moment. They make large profits for a small production budget, making them perfect for the film industry. This genre thrives off of heartwarming storylines and hot actors.
The primary reason this genre continues to have such a large following is because of the wide target audience’ range. These movies are geared towards females from ages 12 to 35 (and most often enjoyed by lots of others out of this category). The emotional connection viewers develop is a universal feeling throughout all.
One of the most popular romantic comedy films is “27 dresses.” Grossing over $160 million, Anne Fletcher directed this film appealing to this group of people. The specific factors used in this production are used to grab this audience without them even realizing it. The lead characters (typically a male and a female) are separated by forces out of their control and somehow find a way to be together in the end. In this particular film, you see Jane (Katherine Heigl) in love with her sister, Tess (Malin Akerman)’s fiance. She struggles with this conflict all while a handsome reporter named Kevin (James Marden) uncovers the true meaning of Jane’s story. The whole film is centered around the events that lead up to Jane and Kevin finally realizing they are meant to be. From ruining her sister's wedding to the dramatic moment he spills his love for her (at another wedding, obviously), all the pieces are put perfectly into place to achieve a perfect storyline for viewers to enjoy. This leads to high expectations of love given they dream about love like the one on the screen.
Although the content in each rom-com film varies form “stupid love” stories to “make you curl up into a ball” stories, a shared factor remains contant in each film. The storylines always leave the watchers with a sense of magic created by an unrealistic narrative about love. Regardless, if the characters break into song, male character proposes, and they only met two weeks prior, the audience will disregard the fact that this is absurdly inaccurate and say “Aw, how cute!”
Certain techniques are often used to achieve the goals of this genre. The score and soundtrack always reflect the light-heartedness and joy experienced from these films. They tie the overall purpose of the story to the dialogue and actions exhibited. The building tension between the two main characters is developed from beginning to end through these common aspects. The film “10 Things I Hate About You” is a perfect example of the average romantic comedy film that follows these necessary techniques. Kat’s (Julia Stiles) wardrobe is usually dark and with no makeup. This represents her rebellious attitude and that she is an outcast (a.k.a. main character.) When we first see her, the song 'I don't care about my reputation' is playing, again furthering the idea of importance and teenage angst which is one of the more frequent themes we see in rom-coms.
Despite these techniques and characteristics, this genre is heavily focus on how the movies are marketed. For the majority of the time, common type casted actors are chosen for the roles in the genre. These actors generate a following which will lead to consistent viewers for their movies. For example, Mathew McConaughey has starred in various romantic comedies. These include “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, “The Wedding Planner”, and “Fool’s Gold”. McConaughey has created a large fan base of females who look for a predictive love story. In addition, all of the trailers and posters focus around said actor.
Palm Springs (2020) is a romantic comedy based on the “Groundhog Day” idea. Nyles (Andy Samberg) is trapped in a reoccurring loophole where he experiences the same day over and over. One (of the) day, he meets Sarah (Cristin Milioti) and gets her stuck in the same loop. Obviously, in true romcom fashion, when Sarah finds the solution to end this loop, Nyles tries to avoid it on the basis that he is in love with her. Together, they realize that nothing really matters except for them being together. Andy Samberg is a very popular actor who is type casted for comedy. He attracts a large percentage of viewers. Despite the dark idea of the film, the bright colors and lively music add to the overall message that life is taken too seriously. The advertising for Palm Springs is also contradicting. While the storyline is terrifying for all those who watch the movie, the posters and trailers show the characters in a perfect world where they are having the time of their lives. To add to this, the name of the film “Palm Springs” suggests that they have a happy ending. People watch romcoms because they enjoy the predictability. No matter what obstacles or conflicts, the two characters will always end up together (at least for the most part).
Crazy Stupid Love (2011) is another classic romantic comedy film. Cal (Steve Carell) has the perfect life: a beautiful house, a loving wife named Emily (Julianne Moore), and amazing children. When he learns that Emily has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his life slowly unravels as he enters the world of dating. Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes Casl under his wing and helps him get back on his feet. Eventually, Jacob falls in love with Cal’s eldest daughter, Hannah (Emma Stone), only adding to Cal’s chaotic life. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have become a universal image of love, starring alongside each other in this movie as well as “Lala Land”. This film was loaded with popular actors, such as Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. This alone brought people to the theatres. The trailers showed Emily admitting that she wants a divorve. By showing the initiation of all of Cal’s problems, it shows the viewers that there is way more where this came from. In the film, there is a perfect representation of the typical romantic comedy. Each couple has fought and worked to be together and in a silly and hilarious way, they all have happy endings. There were a few plot twists in this film, but that only added to the craziness and disorganized perception of Cal’s life.
