Or has it been miscategorized? Most likely, it's been miscategorized. I'm guilty of this too, calling films like Legally Blonde a rom-com--short for romantic comedy--and I even taught a class on structure and used Legally Blonde as the perfect structure for a rom-com. SORRY about that.
Photo How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
I knew better, but I trusted and followed those who came before me, IMDB, and places like that.
Let's back up and break it down.
Romantic comedies are a subgenre of COMEDY not romance but the central storyline still must revolve around a romance to make it a true romantic comedy.
Legally Blonde is a HIGH-CONCEPT COMEDY; you could even say FEMALE DRIVEN COMEDY that is about Elle Woods and her journey, and the B story is that of her and Emmett-the male love interest. It's a TRUE COMEDY first and a love story second, so it's NOT a rom-com.
Elle Woods gets dumped early in the film; that's her inciting incident, so this is why there is confusion. But, despite that, it's not a story about finding love, or even keeping love, or getting love back, that's just the vehicle for the coming of age story that is Elle's journey. She learns that she has her own set of superpowers that make her a great lawyer. She is smart and she grows up after getting to Harvard. Again, it's a COMEDY. The romance is barely there.
Miss Congeniality is another example of a HIGH-withCONCEPT COMEDY that has a B story that is a romance. If you break down the story, you will see what I mean.
You have a 35-year-old FBI agent who just happens to be pretty and a woman, and they need to put someone into a beauty pageant, something that Gracie hates with a passion at the beginning of the film. The reason is that she believes that women should not be judged on their looks and "talents" and should be more in life. She thrives on being the opposite of the pretty girl. In the film, she learns that it's about more than that and that these scholarship contests help women come together as well as support their careers, etc., etc. She opens herself up to her partner, who she assumes only likes one kind of woman. That's the B story. All these things mean that it's a comedy FIRST.
LET'S LOOK AT SOME ACTUAL ROM-COMS
How to Lose A Guy In Ten Days is a true romantic comedy. It's a comedy first with a fun premise of two opposing characters having to complete a specific task for their jobs, but here's the hitch, both of those tasks INVOLVE love, dating or relationships. The entire theme of the movie is about relationships, how they work, don't work, etc. The two main characters are thrust together in the beginning, and thus, the romance blooms.
While You Were Sleeping is also a great example of a true rom-com. You have Lucy, who is alone and daydreaming about a life with a guy who rides the subway. In the inciting incident, he falls on the L platform, and she jumps down to save him. Then, a nurse hears her say that she was going to marry him, and we are off. The entire movie is about love, her finding love, and what that means. She of course, ends up falling for the coma guy's brother because it is a comedy but it's a ROMANCE story about love, which is why it is a rom-com.
HALLMARK HOLIDAY ROMANCES are NOT rom-coms.
They are always classified as such but they aren't; not in the true sense. WHY?
You guessed it, little to no comedy. Remember above? Romantic comedies are a subgenre of comedy so that MUST be there in the forefront. I love these holiday movies but they aren't rom-coms.
Now, this will be controversial. Two movies that I LOVE LOVE LOVE that are ALWAYS called rom-coms that I could write a college-level dissertation on how they aren't are:
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE---why? Little to no comedy.
JERRY MAGUIRE---same reason.
You can't put two or three funny scenes in a romance and call it a rom-com.
So why does this keep happening?
It's almost as if there is an entire male population in Hollywood that doesn't know how to classify movies that have female leads, and or romance.** This is me being sarcastic. They used to be called "chick-flicks," but even then, they miscategorized ALL THE BLOODY TIME.
I've done it too. I teach classes in rom-coms and use movies that I shouldn't have because I followed others. But, now that I am writing comedy again, I am studying more and more to make my own writing stronger so I'm thinking about it more.
To know how to classify your script as a ROM-COM, ask yourself these things.
Is it a COMEDY first?
Is the CENTRAL story a ROMANCE? (around romance)
If YES, then yay, you are writing a rom-com.
If your movie is 90% romance and 10% comedy? It's a romance.
If your movie is all comedy and the romance is the B story? It's a COMEDY.
I hope this helps clarify things. I promise never to miscategorize these films again.
Here are some examples
ROMANTIC COMEDIES
The Proposal
Never Been Kissed
Bridget Jones's Diary
How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days
Ten Things I Hate About You
When Harry Met Sally
Serendipity
While You Were Sleeping
Anyone But You
My Best Friend's Wedding
COMEDIES
Legally Blonde
Miss Congeniality
Groundhog Day
The 40-Year Old Virgin
Yes Man
Liar Liar
ROMANCES
Sleepless in Seattle
Jerry Maguire
The Notebook
About Time
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Idea of You
Love Actually
The Holiday
Notting Hill
EVERY HALLMARK HOLIDAY MOVIE
Thanks for reading and following!
XO Steph
@stephobourbon on Insta, X, FB, Pinterest, and TikTok
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