Romantic comedy, also known as “rom-com”, is a genre in where the development of a romance leads to comic situations. Since all it says on the tin is “love” and “laughs”, the genre provides large meadows for the screenwriters to frolic in. This genre brings with it a number of conventions, and thus many writers have pushed and blurred the lines of romantic comedy. Most romantic comedies tend to feature two more or less equal protagonists with one slightly more equal than the other. The story may start with one character being dumped/divorced/widowed as we saw in the weeks film Sleepless in Seattle(Nora Ephron, 1993). Another trope in this movie is when Tom Hank’s son urges him to find someone new after being widowed. Someone close to the protagonist doing this is very common in these easy to watch films. At some point in most romantic comedies, both protagonist will meet. Usually, the second character isn’t an obvious match for the first; but in the end a romantic comedy always finishes with love against the odds.

As a class, we discussed what makes rom-coms so entertaining when they are so predictable. The answer is that the fun is in the journey, not the finish. We loved to laugh and enjoy the ride without too much worry as lot’s of awkward things happen to the protagonists while still knowing they will eventually be together. I love these films because I know what I’m going to get and they are always positive. If ever in need of a pick-me-up, just grab a rom-com!!!!  One of my favourite movies has to be Love Actually(Richard Curtis, 2003). It examines the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. It is different in that it has 9 different characters with shared screen time, each with their own intricate and warm story. As usual, it takes place around a special time: Christmas. This works to its advantage in my eyes, as I believe it to be one of the best Christmas movies of all time!!!

All-in-all, rom-coms are a genre that I feel will be around for a long time as it relatable, optimistic and good for a laugh. You know what you’re going to get, and that makes you want to watch it even more.