It is the oldest of the stories in the books, boy meets girl, and they fall in love and live happily ever after. Yet, times have changed and with the progress of society so has our story. These days, romantic comedies have modified the meaning of love. Instead of the usual fairy tale story, they have introduced to us love that cannot only overcome everything but also help us find who we truly are.
A perfect example of a romantic comedy (or rom-coms) is The Holiday. A movie directed by Nancy Meyers (a director best known for her work in rom-coms), and released in 2006, that tells the story of two women from completely different backgrounds. Iris a writer from London, and Amanda a successful Hollywood movie trailer producer from Los Angeles,
…show more content…
Amanda and Iris, both beautiful and smart individuals realize that sometimes it is necessary to take a step back in order to find who they truly are and what they legitimately want in life. Once they determined to go past the mistakes that had caused them pain in the past, they became able to invite positive relationships into their lives. In his book The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky pointed a cold and honest truth about human behavior, “We accept the love we think we deserve” (Chbosky 24). One of the main reasons rom-coms should be looked at from a different headset, is that they shine a light on the fact that love should be kind, respectful, and dedicated. One of the most important scenes on The Holiday is when Jasper, Iris’ ex-boyfriend, goes to Los Angeles looking for Iris, planning to convince her to go back to London with him with the sole purpose to get her help with a book he is writing. This is one of the moments when we see Iris realize her self-worth to the fullest. When, in the past, she would have gone back with Jasper, this time she stood her ground and asked him to get out of her life, as she deserves to be with someone who truly loves her instead of someone who wants her only when he needs her for his own benefit. Ryan M. Niemiec (award winning psychologists as well as certified coach, and international workshop leader) and Danny Wedding (PhD, and Chair of the Behavioral Science & Neuroscience Department at the American University of Antigua), wrote a book together called Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to build Virtues and Character Strengths, in which they consider that movies can be psychologically positive if they have characters that reinforce the viewer to overcome obstacles and build strength (Bergsma par. 6). Even though Iris finds herself in a situation most women—and men— have experienced at some point in their lives, such as being
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play commonly viewed and known as a true love story; however, after analyzing several hints portrayed by the protagonists, it is evident that Shakespeare did not intend to make Romeo and Juliet seem like a true love story but a criticism of how superficial society’s view on love is.
To start, Amanda Wingfield displays different characteristics from Troy. Amanda lives with her son and daughter who are in their 20’s and are supposed to be starting their lives. Amanda wants Laura to succeed in life and be a remarkable wife to one of her future gentleman callers. When Amanda discovers Laura has stopped going to her typewriting class, Amanda realizes her dreams of Laura succeeding are flickering away, “My hopes and ambitions for you”(Williams 14). Through this quote Williams incorporates heartache into Amanda’s voice depicting her ambition for Laura to succeed. She also feels, “So weak I could barely keep on my feet!”(Williams 14). These two quotes illustrate that Laura’s own being is extremely important to Amanda and to an extent, acts as if Laura’s failure is her own failure. This sense of care that Amanda shows is essential to help Laura make something of herself and appears to the reader as a deep aspiration of Amanda’s conscious. While Troy only cares for Cory because , “It is my job...cause it’s my duty”(Wilson 38). Another way Amanda wants Laura to be blissful is through her efforts in trying to get Laura a gentleman c...
Young love , a thrilling time for many . A time in where blinded young-lings cross a field unknown . A field in which one must undergo challenges and temptations . Here we have a young girl that encounters a young man , a typical boy meets girl scenarios , So it would seem . The desire to be loved can drive a person to do the craziest of things ; we are all walking proof of that . As young children one learns to express emotion through every gesture and every facial expression , through that process one realizes ones self hatred with rejection . Living in a world in which we strive to be accepted and crave to be desired . In society each gender faces different experiences ; as a man one expects a provider , a leader , a hunter and as a women
..., the society begins to see love as a goal. Romantic love becomes a noble trait and just quest if one wishes to embark on it.
After a more detailed examination of the stories, however, it becomes evident that each individual is striving to find love. Though love is a universal goal, each person's criteria for a meaningful, fulfilling and loving relationship varies. This is clearly demonstrated by the different situations in which the characters find themselves. The conventional, stereotypical, and almost cliché demonstration of love can be seen in stories A & D, where the characters simply "fall in love and get married".
Love is a concept that has puzzled humanity for centuries. This attachment of one human being to another, not seen as intensely in other organisms, is something people just cannot wrap their heads around easily. So, in an effort to understand, people write their thoughts down. Stories of love, theories of love, memories of love; they all help us come closer to better knowing this emotional bond. One writer in particular, Sei Shōnagon, explains two types of lovers in her essay "A Lover’s Departure": the good and the bad.
The genre of romantic comedies sets up a framework of generic conventions for each film. Although they usually have the construction, each film is developed in their own unique way. The amusing, comical, and dramatic movies follow the basic structure of the unfulfilled desire of love in the lives of the main characters, a situation that they are put in that provides a chance for potential romance, and then though several obstacles, a realization that they are a perfect match and live “happily ever after”.
Love is not simple or easy. The kind of love that will last over time and overcome each obstacle it brings is actually a fair amount of work. In the film Valentine’s Day there are all different kinds of love and some of them thrive while others fail by the end of the day. All these different relationships present an opportunity to analyze how different aspects of communication help people find love and make it last.
How Being in Love can Change People. In the three marvelous works, Matchstick Men, Punch-Drunk Love, and “Mama Day”, people are all changed greatly, and for the better by romantic or father/child love. How everyone knows that there is no one on Earth who is perfect, yet when there is love, we come so close to it. Within these three works of art, one can analyze how there is actual change in people when there is love present.
The motion picture production code of 1930 introduced the world to the “happy ending.” This law forced Hollywood directors only to produce movies in which the female protagonist had a happy and romantic relationship with the male protagonist, while the antagonist was always defeated and received the justice the protagonist deemed worthy, and everyone lived happily ever after (Hayes 2009). The concept of a fairytale ending has existed since the establishment of motion pictures and has played an irrefutable role in shaping the “true” meaning of romance through out countless generations. Nowadays, acquiring appropriate romantic skills are vital to developmental functions of adolescence (Eggermont, 2004). However, its proceeding idolization has
Johnson R. Kimberly, and Holmes M. Bjarne. "Contradictory Messages: A Content Analysis of Hollywood-Produced Romantic Comedy Feature Films." Communication Quarterly 57 (2009): 1-22. Print.
A love story is a genre of popular fiction in which characters fall in love. Although, the basis of Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent are love stories, there are more important themes to these stories than the romance portrayed in these fairytales, which Disney touches on, but Robert Stromberg brings more emphasis to; evil from different perspectives, the act of rape, and the theory that love conquers all.
Love is a word that’s been both miss-used and over-used all at once. Romantic movies change our definition of and have a big impact on this definition greatly. There have been many movies and novels made over love, but never like this. “The Notebook” is a love story about unconditional love that two people have for each other. This emotionally, heart touching story will have your eyes blood-shot and burning from you not wanting to blink your eyes. This tremendously wonderful love story will have you not wanting to even miss a millisecond of this heart throbbing film. With many plot twists and many scenes that will have you falling off of your seat and you not having any nails by the end of the movie, this is the movie for you. This emotionally rich film is full of action, laughter, and romance, which is the perfect trio combination. This movie shows us how love can bind us together forever. This film went above and
Romance movies have this weird love that goes on in them. Some characteristics include; sex scenes, lovey dovey affection, hate (sometimes) that ends up in love, marriages, divorces, new found love, and really anything that can happen between a man and female, female and female, man and man, whichever someone prefers. Romance movies are often seen as “chick flicks” while some may agree, others disagree. The ONLY reason they are considered “chick flicks” is because it’s a romance and theirs sappy love. There is no real evidence of it being labeled as a “chicks only flick”, men actually prefer to watch some of those movies. It doesn’t make them weak, homosexual acting, a pansy, or anything else men might call other men. Romance movies and novels are highly bought in stores. Who knows? It may be bought by your future husband or wife. And, since this paper is describing the differences, parents might look at this and decide whether or not to show the kids these types of
Love has been expressed since the beginning of time; since Adam and Eve. Each culture expresses its love in its own special way. Though out history, though, it’s aspect has always been the same. Love has been a major characteristic of literature also. One of the most famous works in literary history is, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This story deals with the love of a man and a woman who’s families have been sworn enemies. There love surpassed the hatred in which the families endured for generations. In the end they both ended up killing their selves, for one could not live without the other. This story is a perfect example of true love.