Unlike others, I found myself on the couch this spring break, rather than the beach, needing a bit of R&R after weeks filled with essays, assignments, and exams. With early 2000s rom-coms serving as my entertainment for my week dedicated to simply chillaxing (if anyone even says that anymore), I started to question myself. Why were movies starring Sandra Bullock or Hugh Grant the only films I decided to watch that week? I wondered, did I only like these certain movies, or was there a reason why they seemed like the only ones worth choosing? So I set out to find out why modern rom-coms don’t feel the same way those of the past do, and I came to a daunting conclusion: the art of the rom-com is dead.
The artistry of a rom-com isn’t new as it’s seemingly been around since Shakespeare. Plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing have provided the foundations for basically every romantic comedy in existence. Shakespeare’s influence on the genre can be seen through the many retellings of his plays in films like 10 Things I Hate About You or the recent release of Anyone But You. The first romantic comedy films, Girl Shy and Sherlock Jr. (both silent films) were released during the 1920s. During the 1930s and 40s, we can truly see the beginning of the modern rom-com, where it’s established that the female is the protagonist of the film and often the source of the humor.
Rom-coms soon started to change with the times, and as a society becomes more liberal, especially sexually, we see sexual elements added to the rom-com. “Now, men and women could speak freely about sex and love without the innuendos and ploys often found in earlier films.” This time period, the 50s through 70s, is also where we see the plot line of women and men being pitted against each other. The two leads, often professional rivals, create tension between the pair, eventually leading to *sparks*. This trope is still heavily featured in rom-coms today.
The 1980s and 1990s is where a lot of people’s minds drift to when thinking about the quintessential rom-com. Some popular films include When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Women or teen rom-coms hailed from mind of John Hughes like Pretty in Pink or The Breakfast Club. Despite some elements of these films aging poorly they still, for the most part, hold up, particularly in the eyes for rom-com lovers like myself. The 90s are considered the birth of rom-coms being a commercial success, with Julia Roberts’, aka the queen of 90s rom-coms, film Pretty Women, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time, after its release. It’s clear that rom-coms were great for business and loved by all, so why did they just fizzle out? Well, sometimes too much of something isn’t always a good thing.
We’ve now hit the early 2000s, the period where most of my favorites like Miss Congeniality were created. After noticing the success of rom-coms in the 90s, studios decided to create more and more of them — often not truly caring about the integrity or substance of the films, only about potential financial success. Despite gems shining through, audiences grew tired of seeing the same movie over and over again. The actors, who built careers out of these types of films, grew tired of them as well, and decided to star in more “serious films.” Yes, I am talking about Matthew McConaughey.
The 2010s is where we see the decline in rom-coms in full effect. People stopped coming out to see them in theaters, and the box office numbers for rom-coms were taking hard hits. Studios couldn’t figure out what to do, and soon stopped making them, deciding to focus on films that would make money like superhero films or big blockbusters. If they did decide to make a rom-com, they often wouldn’t garner enough attention or money.
Streaming platforms like Netflix have attempted to revive the genre, and their films have sparked a small resurgence of the love rom-coms previously once had, but it’s nowhere on the same level. They have also seemingly added the movies we all once loved, sparking the question in many where did these movies go? Why aren’t there more like them?
Another element is that the few rom-coms that are being created lack the charisma and appeal of those of the past. Movies like Anyone But You that are attempting to curb our nostalgia through a classical retailing of Shakespeare simply aren’t doing the trick. This leaves us asking: Can the rom-com ever make a proper comeback or do filmmakers of this generation not know how to create a film of this nature?
It’s clear there are efforts made to revive this genre, and the success of films like Anyone But You proves this is again what viewers want. So now may be be the time when rom-coms are finally making their comeback and the genre can be revived.