When I rattle off the titles of my favorite rom-coms, such as Sleepless In Seattle, 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, 27 Dresses, or 500 Days of Summer, I find one stark similarity. Besides most of them containing Meg Ryan, they all date from the 2010s and earlier. Sure there have been a few movies in more recent years that could qualify as classic feel-good movies, but overall, modern day rom-coms lack the luster the genre once held.
At the turn of the 21st century, society was introduced to a lot of new ideas, and experienced a lot of change. Increased internet access, cellphones, online shopping, overall a more mass produced world. As a romantic comedy connoisseur, I can confidently say this movie genre was largely changed in the process, and not for the better.
We could place the magic of old rom-coms in the fuzzy camera quality that elicits a cozy, nostalgic feel, or find it in the warm coloring of the 90s and the somber music of the older decades. Whatever was responsible for the magic, one thing is clear; it has vanished from modern rom coms. Movies in all other genres are only getting more inventive and intriguing, why is the same not happening for romantic comedies?
Like most things these days, Hollywood is driven by money, and unfortunately rom coms don’t reel in the same amounts as huge action franchises. Personally, I can’t help but rebuttal the fact that rom coms once ran Hollywood; what happened? The easiest answer is sexism.
Actresses who were known for starring in what Hollywood condescendingly coined as “chick-flicks” were often bound to the genre, not being taken seriously. Sandra Bullock told The New York Times that romantic comedies “were bastardized and so undervalued.”
The failure of Hollywood being able to produce a good ole’ rom com makes me wonder one thing; is romance simply dead? If writers and producers can execute multi-million dollar movies showcasing dystopian or post-apocalyptic worlds, things that only live in our imaginations, then why can we not get a single good rom com?
Recent movies of the genre have grown to reflect the current dating realm. Highlighting cringy plots about online dating, problematic friends with benefits, or embarrassing adventures with a hometown hookup. And the overall production of them has just felt too cheap and expedited.
As the self-proclaimed voice of all rom-com lovers, I am begging for someone to release a non cheesy, truly romantic movie that makes you yearn to be a 20 something, who falls in love while living in New York.
Is that too much to ask for?