In case you haven’t noticed, the rom-com is back.
Many thought the genre was dead or dying. Some even wrote obituaries, but the at-times-problematic genre is finally being taken off life support with a spread of new and diverse (!!!!) options.
Many of the millennial generation (and what is considered the beginning of Gen Z), if asked, could probably list their favorite rom-coms from the top of their head in an instant: When Harry Met Sally, The Notebook (or any Nicholas Sparks book-turned-movie), 10 Things I Hate About You, Love Actually, Dirty Dancing, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sleepless in Seattle, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones’s Diary, the list goes on and on. We grew up in the genre’s heyday and couldn’t turn to E! or any other movie channel without being inundated by sparkly, perfect romances played out in typical boy-meets-girl fashion.
Similar to the repetitive plotlines, were the actors who played the main roles – a.k.a Hugh Grant or a Hugh Grant look-alike. Burned into our young, feeble brains, was the idea that once this dream boy or man (often dubbed “the one”) comes along everything else will perfectly fall into place and you will live happily ever after.
By the end of what I am naming “The Era of the Rom-Com” (circa mid-‘90s to early ‘00s), writers and producers had run out of ideas. This resulted in terrible — to the point of laughable — films that were so cheesy and predictable it’s no wonder they were getting ready to be nailed into a coffin. In their place, true romance movies such as The Vow, Me Before You, The Fault in Our Stars and R-Rated comedies including Bridesmaids and Bad Moms stepped in and took over.
However, in the past few months, the rom-com has re-entered the spotlight — ready to take back its former glory. As The Vow’s director Michael Sucsy told The Hollywood Reporter, “Audiences aren’t tired of romance; they’re tiring of formulas. There is still a demand, and there always will be, for fresh and innovative stories that are smart and nuanced.”
Netflix’s Set It Up was a major hit this summer, revolving around two female protagonists with modern priorities. Two assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) plan to set up their overworked bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) to get them off their backs and make their own jobs easier. While the old standard for rom-coms might make Liu’s character whiny and desperate, the new formula puts emphasis on the benefits of having a successful career first.
Then, there is Crazy Rich Asians where Rachel (Constance Wu) finds out her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) is massively wealthy and could easily drop her career and still live a posh life. In a new take on the old “parents disapproval” troupe, Nick’s mother wants Rachel to give up her job so Nick can return home to run his family’s business. Rachel refuses to compromise who she is –even for love, but still ends up with a rock on her finger.
Finally, in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Netflix’s newest addition to their ever-growing lineup of originals, Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) gets her secret love letters mailed to her former crushes, spinning her life out of control and bringing Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) along for the ride. Easily the cheesiest one on the list, the film fits perfectly into the “teen romance” category it is aiming for.
Clearly, a better formula to a genre that everyone loves (or loves to hate) is emerging, and I am ready for it. Bring on all the empowered, opinion-having, strong woman protagonists, 2018- ‘19 rom-coms. I’ll be on my couch with popcorn –waiting.