Summer Romance – Adult Angst

Last week we started talking about great romantic films, focusing on Titanic, THE iconic teenage angst romantic movie.

Why are we doing this? Because it’s summer and that’s a good season for writing a summer romance film—and anytime you write you should know the lay of the land, you should know the genre that you’re going to add to with your own film.

So when we talk about romantic films that deal with adult angst, what are we talking about? I’m narrowing this genre down to unmarried people, so we’re talking about adults who are looking for love but feel they’ll never find it. Is that you? Is that someone you know? Most of us have certainly had that feeling sometime in our lives. And movies are full of these kinds of films.

One of the classics, and one that’s NOT a drama [which most big romantic films are], is the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally [1989] by Nora Ephron.

Like any romantic comedy, there are two leads, two people involved in the romance. But as with all romantic comedies, the thrust of the action is driven by one of the people in that couple, and in this case, it’s Sally. Sally begins the film with a boyfriend and definite ideas about relationships—she shares some of them with Harry as they travel cross country to New York. Along the way, we see the spark between them and as the years pass we see them finally come together… then break apart… then end with a happy future before them, as they’ve both learned something and we know they’re going to live happily ever after.

Wait a minute!! That sounds like a fairy tale for Pete’s sake. And it sounds like a fairy tale because it is a fairy tale. But that’s what romantic comedies are—modern-day fairy tales. But why? Why is that genre so appealing?

Perhaps it’s conditioned—we’re fed fairy tales as children so we’re easy marks as adults. Or maybe it’s just that we love happy endings. And it’s hard to find a romantic comedy that doesn’t have a happy ending.

So when you think about this genre, it’s good to remember four things that most romantic comedies have in common:

1. The leads are far apart in some fundamental way—often they’re actually enemies.
2. They come together at some point, usually with disastrous results, and it seems impossible that they could get back together.
3. Each of the main characters has a best friend that they confide in throughout the film.

4. They get back together and we have a hopeful—if not happy—ending.

When Harry Met Sally hits all of those points, as do most romantic comedies. And all of those romantic stories spring from the same construct: everyone’s looking for love. And if we’re talking romantic comedies, we’re usually talking about younger adults and we get to live through their trials and tribulations on the love front. And if WE are looking for love, as audience members, we get to feel that if it can happen to them, it can happen to us!

Next week, we’ll look at marriage angst…and the romantic movies that involve married people.

Copyright © Diane Lake

15Jul18

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com