Wake up and smell the dinner reservations. It's almost Valentine's Day. And who really cares if you've got a date or not, because with Valentine's Day comes the regime of everybody's favorite film genre: the romantic comedy. And when movies like ""The Notebook"" and ""When Harry Met Sally..."" are in charge, everybody wins.
Let's face it. The romantic comedy is a ready source of make-shift, silver platter love, and if there's any language that sounds the same everywhere, it's just that. We pretty much got the picture in ""Love Actually,"" a film unrivaled in recent years for its adept originality. Then we were punched in the face by Charlie Kaufmann's romcom revolutionary ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,"" which taught us that love can be erased, but it can never be ignored.
When you really pay attention, almost every movie has some kind of love story, and whether it's front and center or a quiet bouquet in the background, it's often the integral bow which ties everything together. Winning the war and getting the girl is a lot different than winning the war and losing the girl. It's the language of love, and it's everywhere. Always.
So, what makes a really great romantic comedy? I don't actually know, because I like them all (barring ""Failure to Launch."" Yikes). But what I do know is that the romantic comedy is a genre with a whole slew of sub-genres, and that I've broken a few (note: a FEW) of them down for you in my own words below.
THE GETAWAY: The heroine often feels stifled in her present place and situation and decides (willingly or unwillingly) she needs a change of scenery. This change usually brings a love interest, often unsuccessful (but not always), which leads to the heroine's better understanding of herself. Sometimes the heroine can be a man (and therefore a hero). These are good ones if you just feel like crap and need a break. Examples:""The Holiday,"" ""Under the Tuscan Sun,"" ""Sideways,"" ""The Last Kiss.""
THE I'LL BE SEEING YOU: A man and a woman learn about one another under usually random circumstances. Fate plays an integral role in separating them. Then, as both go on leading their respective lives, fate either reunites them periodically or works through a vessel (like letters, regret, friends, family or chance) to eventually draw them back to one another. These movies are, in my opinion, always the most romantic. Examples: ""Sleepless in Seattle,"" ""Serendipity,"" ""You've Got Mail,"" ""When Harry Met Sally...""
THE CINDERELLA STORY: The heroine is single, lacking confidence, and often in an undesirable life situation. She meets a man, often rich, important or unattainable, who helps her understand her true potential. There is usually some sort of breakup and then a grand, romantic gesture made by the man. There is always a happy ending. More recent attempts (like the tweenie Lizzie Maguire disaster, ""A Cinderella Story"") tend to fail miserably. Examples: ""Pretty Woman,"" ""Maid in Manhattan,"" ""Pretty in Pink,"" ""The Prince and Me.""
THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDY: Lovers are plagued by circumstances which create a sense of doom for their relationship. Sometimes these circumstances are provisional, but they can also be quite complicated. While many end with the final union of the lovers, some romantic tragedies end with death to either one or both or the realization that it is simply not meant to be. These are usually the tearjerkers.Examples: ""The Notebook,"" ""Just Like Heaven,"" ""The Lakehouse,"" ""A Walk to Remember,"" ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.""
THE ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE: A man and a woman either meet and like each other or are already in an established relationship. One or both of them begin telling a series of lies to either mask who they really are or some other ulterior agenda. There is often some sort of breakup, but by the end, the lovers usually end up getting back together. These tend to suck, but there are a few worthy of our time. Examples: ""How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,"" ""Wedding Crashers,"" ""Little Black Book,"" ""Alfie.""
