The Proposition of Romance

Two weeks ago I posted about Blue Valentine, and in the meantime received some feedback that I thought deserved serious consideration. The comment was that Blue Valentine was not a romantic comedy.

I just googled "Ryan Gosling crying," this is so not on me

I had to admit that this was true. No matter how romantic or comic I personally think Blue Valentine is, it does not qualify as a romantic comedy--and yet I wrote about it on this blog, which is ostensibly about the rom com. So I decided to take a step back and consider what I have actually been trying to articulate, and what the true focus of this project really is.

What I came to realize is that what I love about romantic comedies is neither the romance nor the comedy. It's sadness. And I'm not talking about the romantic comedies that seem to have been made to be deliberately sad, like say While You Were Sleeping (1995), where the main plot regards Sandra Bullock and a guy in a coma.

Sidenote: why does every rom com from the '90s take place in Chicago? Why?

If someone can answer this question I promise to never move there.

I'm talking about dualities. In good movies lightness is tempered by darkness, each action having an equal but opposite reaction. Most importantly, there is a core of truth underpinning the story's dramatic structure.

This is precisely what is missing from most romantic comedies. They are meant to be the happiest movies in the world. There's a reason that Shakespeare's comedies end in weddings; these stories have a natural dramatic arc where the climax is literally a happy union. Unfortunately this means that many are predictable from the start. We know the main couple is going to end up together; they know they're going to end up together. 

But change--change is good. Change can make all the difference. Stories where this doesn't happen: now that's interesting. I'd argue that the best romantic comedies are ones that don't particularly care about being comedies, or don't particularly care about being romantic. Even a movie full of light needs some negative space.

I believe the movies I've covered so far--Pride and Prejudice, Heathers, SPEED, Thelma & Louise, and yes, Blue Valentine--all fit into this category. I mean, do you remember the scene in the rain from P&P? (The Wedding Date is the exception. Sorry, The Wedding Date.) Starting now, I want to highlight these exceptions more deliberately. The results should surprise and amuse you. 

Next up, a Shakespearian comedy.

Bet you can guess.