Romantic Comedy / Photo Credit: Trinikid
A LOOK AT ROMANTIC COMEDY FILMS.
(In the Entertainment industry.)
A look at Romantic Comedy Films.
Romantic comedy
Romantic comedy is a genre with lighthearted, humorous
plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love 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 suggests 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 comedy films
as well as of romance films, and may also have elements of screwball comedies.
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 seemingly 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.
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two characters
meet, part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately realize
their love for one another and 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, only to later come back together.
While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of
them usually realizes that they love the other person. Then, one party makes
some extravagant effort (sometimes called a grand gesture) to find the other
person and declare their love. This is not always the case as sometimes there
is an astonishing coincidental encounter where the two meets again. Or one
plans a sweet romantic gesture to show that they still care. Then, perhaps with
some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and
the film ends on a happy note. Even though it is implied that they live a
happily ever after, it does not always state what that happy ending will be.
The couple does not necessarily get married, or even live together for it to be
a "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. Shakespeare in Love,
Roman Holiday). Most of the time the ending gives the audience a sense that if
it is true love, it will always prevail no matter what is thrown in the way.
There are many variations on this basic plot line.
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., My Best Friend's Wedding and My Super
Ex-Girlfriend). Alternatively, the film may be a rumination on the
impossibility of love, as in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall. The basic format of
a romantic comedy film can be found in much earlier sources, such as
Shakespeare plays like Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Some comedy films, such as Knocked Up, combine themes of
romantic comedies and stoner comedies, creating a new subgenre that can be more
appealing to men, as it already may be to women. Often known as
"bromance", such films usually use sexual elements which bring the
two characters together. Films in this genre include American Pie 2 and even
Wedding Crashers. Having sexual elements in the movie is starting to become
more popular in romantic comedy movies. In almost all of Nicholas Spark's
movies there is some type of sexual scene even though these movies are aimed
more towards women. They can be considered to be aimed more towards women
because of the hopeless romantic love scenes that are usually present in his
works.
The convention underlying a romance book or film is there
is two people, normally male and a female, who fall in love with each other.
They have a good situation going on for a while, but then the couple finds a
major obstacle in their way, which usually starts to pull them apart or makes
one of them leave. Before they can overcome this obstacle, one (or both)
realizes that they are perfect for each other and proclaims their love for the
other. The films usually end with the couple either getting married, engaged,
or giving some indication that they live "happily ever after".
The romantic comedy film subgenre typically involves the
development of a relationship between a man and a woman. The stereotyped plot
line follows the "boy-gets-girl", "boy-loses-girl",
"boy gets girl back again" sequence. Naturally, there are innumerable
variants to this plot, and much of the generally light-hearted comedy lies in
the social interactions and sexual tensions between the pair. Examples of this
style of film include It (1927), City Lights (1931), It's a Wonderful World
(1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), Sabrina (1954), Annie Hall (1977),
When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), Four Weddings and a
Funeral (1994), and There's Something About Mary (1998).
References
& Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked
In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, History Channel, Film Daily, New York
Film Academy, The Balance, Careers Hub, The Numbers, Film Maker, Film Site, TV
Guide Magazine, Blurb, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Chron, Investopedia,
Variety, No Film School, WGA, BBC, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample
Resume, How Stuff Works, Studio Binder, Career Trend, Producer's Code of
Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety,
Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, UCAS, Frankenbite,
Realty 101, Careers Hub, Screen Play Scripts, Elements of Cinema, Script
Doctor, ASCAP, Film Independent, Any Possibility, CTLsites, NYFA, Future Learn,
VOM Productions, Mad Studios, Rewire, DP School, Film Reference, DGA, IATSE, ASC,
MPAA, HFPA, MPSE, CDG, AFI, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Indie Film
Hustle, The Numbers, Netflix, Vimeo, Instagram, Pinterest, Metacritic, Hulu, Reddit,
NATO, Mental Floss, Slate, Locations Hub, Film Industry Statistics, Guinness World
Records, The Audiopedia, Imagination for People,
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Romantic Comedy / Photo Credit: Trinikid
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