My one complaint about romantic comedies is they often times step into overly fictionalized world and ceases to resemble the world at all. It becomes cliche' and predictable and dull. The story no longer becomes interesting.
But, I want to distinguish a certain romantic comedy from the rest of the pack. You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan I believe quite possibly is the best in this genre. I assume most people are familiar with the story so I will not give a full summary but suffice to say that it is a fairly modern, technological love story.
The reason why I believe this movie stands apart from the rest is the writing. It is wonderfully written and encompasses the audience. Nora Ephron, the screenwriter, pays attention to detail in dialogue. She spends time on the nuances of emotions that are connected with relationships. This is what stands out from this film. For Example;
Joe Fox: Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.
Kathleen Kelly: What will NY152 say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you.
This movie, I would consider among some of the great love stories, Pride Prejudice, The Taming of the Shrew, etc. These stories for me, are exceptional in how they communicate romantic love. But, more importantly they tell a story. Real people interacting with real people.
This movie and the few stories I mentioned earlier communicate truths that I believe we want to be true. That "Love" will conquer all. Personally, this idea makes me want to throw up. But, part of this is also appealing. The idea that there is something larger that I can participate in. Someone else to participate in life with. This movie, in my mind, accurately captures this. Not in a overly cheesy manner but, accurately, with some drama thrown in for the fun of it.
Yes, this movie has a typical Hollywood ending, but, let's be honest, who doesn't want the Hollywood ending with the person you are convinced is your other half?
I will agree that there is something about the Romantic Comedy genre that is alluring. And it is a guilty pleasure! It's not a masculine genre, but then why does it appeal to me?
ReplyDeleteI think part of the reason is that deep-down we want a mate. It's just a part of human nature. Likewise, the pursuit of a mate is oftentimes comical! We like to be safe, behind the screen, watching another guy blunder; even so, when the guy plays his cards right, we like to feel the thrill and the rush vicariously through the character. We almost do feel Romance, not necessarily directed toward the character, but toward a swathe of feelings that would have been there had the character existed in real life.
The Romantic Comedy covers nearly all the stages, playing up and down the familiar scale; in the beginning, the two characters either hate or don't know about each other, or have false impressions about the other.
In the middle, someone does something they shouldn't, and it's somehow found out (Fox's identity is blown, a lie is uncovered, or there's some wrinkle, or plight in which both the characters are plunged, however deep that happens to be). This part of the movie isn't usually pleasurable. To wit: Hanks' son's desperation as he tries to get his dad to fly across the country to see a woman, and the only thing he knows about her is a letter she sent appreciating what he said about his late wife on a random radio show. Or: Ryan's bookshop is forced to close down because Fox's bookstore now has the monopoly. With Sleepless in Seattle, the friction is between the main character and the son; but the tension is there. With You've God Mail, the strain is on the characters themselves, not necessarily because of what they did to the other, but because of what they are, and how all of that throws a wrench in the idea of them getting together.
In the 3rd act, something starts to iron out the wrinkle, or relieve the strain, or ease the anxiety caused in the previous act. They either know or they don't. E.g.: We know - when Hanks doesn't - that his mission to find his son in New York will end up culminating with his contact with Ryan. Or, when Hanks knows - but Ryan does not - that he is the one she is in love with on the Internet, and he starts making the moves on her.
Finally, we have the payoff: Hanks walking off with Ryan on the Empire State Building (Sleepless in Seattle), Ryan seeing Hanks at their rendezvous (You've God Mail), Billy Crystal telling Ryan all the little things about her that makes him love her (When Harry Met Sally), and so on. You really have genuine catharsis here! Is that why A Walk to Remember is inferior? The release was frustrated. I don't know.
I do agree the writing is great in You've Got Mail, but I think the best thing going for it is the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan. It's wonderful! It works. I bet nearly every woman can relate to Ryan, and every guy with Hanks.
I think when the movie - as you say - steps over into the fantastical, that this is almost unavoidable. With something as erratic as Romance, the fixed formula (of the genre) probably can't be artistically carried out in the real world - we need a fantastic one where the fairy tale can unravel. But I think I like this. It may be that our guilty pleasure in Romantic Comedies is a remnant of a deep-seated pleasure for fairy tales generally.
I would have to agree with Matt. Except, from the female view we have the same view as males who enjoy romantic comedies. Some of us find them repulsive but most women love them. We love them because we feel that one day we might find someone. We might find someone online (in the case of you got mail) and that allures people into doing online dating sites. However, we love the hollywood ending that the couple gets together. We know it will never happen to us but we can only hope we have a decent life with a person who cares for us.
ReplyDeleteAs far as you got mail I would have to agree it's mostly the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan that make the film the way it is. Meg Ryan is an amazing actress when it comes to romances.
The writing itself is good and effective. The storyline is unusual whereas the plot line is of course exactly like many other romantic comedies.
The reasons why movies are so hollywood-ish is because the main reasons of movies is to have a subliminal message while meanwhile helping us to escape from our current situations.
-Alysha