Romantic Comedies

[methodwriter85]

I remember when "Maid of Honor" came out and people were joking that it was the gender-swapped "My Best Friend's Wedding."

It wasn't that bad, but I really couldn't with the movie trying to set Patrick's character as having been college-aged in the year 1998.

It's kind of funny when you think about it that Patrick Dempsey managed to be a romantic comedy actor in 80's and then again in the 2000's, possibly finishing it out with his turn in Bridget Jone's Baby in 2016.

Edited March 27, 2020 by methodwriter85

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/26/2020 at 9:38 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I remember when "Maid of Honor" came out and people were joking that it was the gender-swapped "My Best Friend's Wedding."

It wasn't that bad, but I really couldn't with the movie trying to set Patrick's character as having been college-aged in the year 1998.

It's kind of funny when you think about it that Patrick Dempsey managed to be a romantic comedy actor in 80's and then again in the 2000's, possibly finishing it out with his turn in Bridget Jone's Baby in 2016.

At the time, actually I thought "Maid of Honor" was truly horrible.  

[aradia22]

It's the end of the month and all the movies are expiring from streaming services. I went with Some Kind of Wonderful because it was late and I've seen it before so it wouldn't demand too much focus. I haven't seen it in years though.

The opening is so weird. Why did they keep cutting between characters like that? Also, the actors were so mumbly I gave up within the first 10 minutes and turned on the closed captioning. The movie is strikingly artificial with actors who look far too old to be playing teenagers. Duncan is doing a terrible DeNiro impression. And the degree to which Keith is always watching Amanda is creepy.

But one thing this movie definitely has going for it is that Watts has a spark of something that sets her apart from the rest of the mediocrity. It's subtle. She's not overplaying it. But Mary Stuart Masterson perfectly channels the behavior of a teenage girl with a crush. From the very beginning, you could tell that Watts is a little in love with Keith. That kernel of authenticity kept me going. Though I remember Watts as being cooler. But she doesn't really deliver witty banter or intimate the popular kids or the bullies. She looks the part but no one buys her act. 

The other pitch perfect character is Hardy. Prime 80's rich bully right there. 

He gives a pretty flat performance as Keith but young Eric Stoltz is beautiful. The way they light him at times, with his bone structure, he looks like a painting. His acting livened up a little for Keith's fight with his dad. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the few black (and only non-white) actors we see never getsany lines.

It was a pretty weak John Hughes script but there were a couple of good lines. "Look, if you were more of a person, you might be enough for two girls, but you're not." 

Spoiler

I did enjoy Amanda taking advantage of the backup to slap Hardy... twice.

Spoiler

Did I follow that correctly? Keith spent all the money he had saved up for college renting a car, buying a suit, going to a fancy restaurant, buying the diamond earrings... And the plan was for Watts to win it back playing dice? Or was that scene unrelated to the rest of the plot?

If you never watch the movie, at least watch this clip...

...and maybe the ending, too.

 

[methodwriter85]

On 3/28/2020 at 4:11 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

At the time, actually I thought "Maid of Honor" was truly horrible.  

It wasn't the best of the era but I didn't hate it. I think my most-hated romantic comedy from that decade was The Broken Hearts Club. Ugh. I kind of had a thing for Andrew Keegan at the time so I watched it, but my god, it was crap.

[Scarlett45]

On 3/6/2020 at 2:54 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Plus One was solid. Thanks for the recommendation, guys. I adore indie romantic movies about hopelessly romantic singles living in urban centers. Two Night Stand is my gold standard for that.

I didn’t hear about Two Night Stand when it came out, but I saw it a few months ago- I loved it!

 

Last night I saw Sleeping with Other People, it made me laugh and was very relaxing after a day of work from home. 

[twoods]

I don’t know if the Princess Diaries is considered a romcom but both of them are still so much fun to watch. Even my girls loves them. I adored Anne’s chemistry with Chris Pine in the second movie and it made up for the fact that the story was not as strong as the first movie. Plus, any movie with Julie Andrews is a win in my book.

[aradia22]

I think the Princess Diaries movies are definitely rom-coms. Especially with that Garry Marshall influence. Yeah, they're coming of age stories. But both movies are also about having two love interests and needing to pick the right one. And they feature a bunch of contemporary rom-com tropes. Makeover montage, bantering/antagonistic relationship with your love interest, public declaration of love, etc.

[aradia22]

I had to scramble to watch Isn't It Romantic before it went back behind the HBO pay wall. I've been waiting for it to be on streaming for ages. It was even better than I was hoping it would be. It's clearly written by people who have watched a lot of rom-coms. There are fair criticisms of movies in this genre but it also indulges you in everything you could want. It was perfect. I'm not an easy laugh and I laughed pretty consistently. 

It hit all the familiar beats at first...

Spoiler

our female protagonist was discouraged from dreaming about love as a child. As an adult she makes fun of rom-coms. She isn't respected at work and she lives kind of a sad sack existence. There's a supportive male best friend that she doesn't see as a romantic prospect. Also, she's an architect and there's a lot of New York establishing shots for flavor.

I was immediately confused about why they hired Betty Gilpin and gave her bad hair to play a small part but then 

Spoiler

when one of the things on Natalie's list was how women in the workplace aren't friends in rom-coms I got it. I knew she was going to get glammed up and become her rival at work. Because that makes more sense as a part she would play than the mousy assistant who loves rom-coms. I was a little disappointed we didn't get more of her hamming it up in the fantasy world.

Favorite lines...

Spoiler

"They'll never make a movie about girls like us. Because it would be so sad they'd have to sprinkle Prozac on the popcorn or people would kill themselves."

"Can you maybe stop watching full-length feature films in the office and just like... do your job and assist me?"

I laughed so hard at him writing his phone number on the petals of a rose and then plucking them off and dropping them into her hat. So many permutations... "Wait, just to be clear, I CANNOT call you!"

"Jesus!" "No, but I'd love to turn water into a Pinot Grig..."

I appreciated this movie as a way to critique the tropes but still indulge in them. We still get

Spoiler

hunky love interests, a silly fantasy premise, huge apartments, beautiful decor, giant walk in closets, a sassy gay neighbor, meet cutes, glamorous costumes, romantic dates, the fantasy movie version of NYC, a perfect kiss in the rain, romantic underscoring, karaoke turning into an over the top musical number, breaking up a wedding, the twist where the handsome love interest turns out to be a bit of a jerk, a sentimental pep talk, ultimately sweet life lessons, a happy ending to resolve all the conflicts, a big closing musical number, etc.

Other random thoughts...

I loved that she held her own with the guy trying to steal her purse. 

Baffling to make Tom Ellis a fantasy handsome doctor and not just let him use his real accent. And that Liam Hemsworth only became Australian after she entered her fantasy rom-com.

Brandon Scott Jones was SO good in this. I completely missed that he also played John on The Good Place until I looked up his name.

Rebel Wilson looked great in that red gown. And that purple dress at the party. Honestly, one of the best things about the fantasy sequence was seeing a stylist dressing a plus size body properly.

When she's in her fantasy world, Liam Hemsworth is as charming as humanly possible. I could enjoy his performance on two levels... as a romantic lead and as a comedic send up of romantic leads.

Priyanka Chopra was also both

Spoiler

super charming as a perfect love interest for Josh and a pitch perfect as a romantic rival for Natalie. I could have done with her being more deliciously evil but I did appreciate that this movie probably wanted to avoid too much unnecessary rivalry between the female characters.

This is definitely getting added to my list of favorite rom-coms. Such a delight.

[twoods]

I’m also watching Isn’t It Romantic and am loving it. I love romcoms so appreciate how this movie made fun of all the tropes that I adore. Every time I heard A Thousand Miles I couldn’t stop laughing.

Edited May 2, 2020 by twoods

[Scarlett45]

On 4/30/2020 at 11:11 PM, aradia22 said:

Rebel Wilson looked great in that red gown. And that purple dress at the party. Honestly, one of the best things about the fantasy sequence was seeing a stylist dressing a plus size body properly.

Yes when I saw this movie in theaters, one of the things I loved most was how well they styled Rebel Wilson. 

[Scarlett45]

I’m finally getting around to watching The Thing About Harry on FreeForm. I haven’t seen much chatter about it but it looked cute.  
 

Im half way though and I didn’t realize it takes place in Chicago (my home). It also seems pretty realistic in how people behave. So nice to see Peter Paige on screen again. 

 

Edited to add-

The young man playing Harry was a nice piece of eye candy- his hair was always so perfectly tossed. Sam could've been such a shrew sometimes, rather than just endearingly quirky. Stacia was a fun character, and while I could buy her and Harry's roommate getting together, getting married a year and a half later seemed a little contrived.

I finished the film and in true RomCom fashion the big declaration of love, and the ending was wrapped up super quickly. I would love to watch again.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm on a Brendan Fraser kick.  Blast from the Past was pretty cute, and I liked Bedazzled even more, but I don't know if the latter counts as a romcom.

I saw The Mirror has Two Faces.  I love the music and the way that it looks and was shot, but the premise is EXTREMELY weird.

 

[aradia22]

Quote

I saw The Mirror has Two Faces.  I love the music and the way that it looks and was shot, but the premise is EXTREMELY weird.

I watched it a while ago. Putting aside the problematic sexual politics and the nonsense of Jeff Bridges' character, I recently watched Michael Urie do Buyer and Cellar via livestream and I feel like The Mirror Has Two Faces makes so much more sense if you don't think of it as a normal rom-com but the expression of Barbra Streisand's insecurities about her looks put on screen.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yeah, I understand that, but I think it's more about how (a lot of straight men - I won't say all obviously) don't have a romantic or sexual use for women who aren't young and conventionally beautiful.  And sure , I agree with that premise.

It also put forward the premise that young, conventionally beautiful women aren't smart or good companions.  That I won't buy into.

To me it's not about Barbra's looks.  It's about how people react to them.  I think that she portrayed a really confident person who liked herself.  But it's tough when you deal with a character like Jeff's -- to have resolve for that to not to affect you takes extremely strong will.  And for that to be the only marriage option for her character - that's tough but I thought it was sadly very realistic.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Starleigh]

Has anyone watched Second Date Sex? It came up as recommended after I finished 1917, I guess because one of the leads is George Mackay, and since it's prime I figured I'd give it a try.

What a departure from 1917😆 

Not the usual type of movie I'd watch, I really can't handle secondhand embarrassment, and I did cringe every now and then and had to take a short break because OMG the awkwardness factor was insane!

That said, it's still funny, entertaining, and surprisingly sweet. I recommend it, but, word of advice, plan to watch it solo, I don't think I'd have made it through with another human watching along with me🤣

Edited May 7, 2020 by Starleigh

[aradia22]

Quote

Yeah, I understand that, but I think it's more about how (a lot of straight men - I won't say all obviously) don't have a romantic or sexual use for women who aren't young and conventionally beautiful. 

I would buy that if the play didn't remind me about the parts with her mom and sister (in the movie). There was a lot of ego bolstering in that movie. It wasn't just about the male love interests. Speaking of The Princess Diaries, the only time I'm used to that kind of thing is in a coming of age story where it makes sense for the younger character to have a fragile ego that needs to be supported (because they're still coming their identity). It's actually very weird to do that with a character of Barbra's age (in the movie). 

[Luckylyn]

12 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm on a Brendan Fraser kick.  Blast from the Past was pretty cute, and I liked Bedazzled even more, but I don't know if the latter counts as a romcom.

I saw The Mirror has Two Faces.  I love the music and the way that it looks and was shot, but the premise is EXTREMELY weird.

 

George of the Jungle is a lot of fun.  It knows exactly what it is and really embraces the cartoon vibe.  Plus the leads have so much chemistry.  It’s definitely a cute funny romance.

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, Luckylyn said:

George of the Jungle is a lot of fun.  It knows exactly what it is and really embraces the cartoon vibe.  Plus the leads have so much chemistry.  It’s definitely a cute funny romance.

What is it with chicks and horses?

I loved George of the Jungle.  It was a really pleasant surprise.  I didn't want to see it until a friend recommended it.  There have been several times recently that I've used a gif of the three tour guides saying "now is the time when we throw our heads back and laugh!"

[Ms Blue Jay]

6 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I would buy that if the play didn't remind me about the parts with her mom and sister (in the movie). There was a lot of ego bolstering in that movie. It wasn't just about the male love interests. Speaking of The Princess Diaries, the only time I'm used to that kind of thing is in a coming of age story where it makes sense for the younger character to have a fragile ego that needs to be supported (because they're still coming their identity). It's actually very weird to do that with a character of Barbra's age (in the movie). 

Her mom and sister were conventionally beautiful and were married, so I'm not sure how it doesn't fit with what I said.

I think it's easy for a woman to have a strong, confident ego when they're at the age as viewed most useful and beautiful and visible by society.  Much harder to have that 20-30 years later.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[aradia22]

Quote

Her mom and sister were conventionally beautiful and were married, so I'm not sure how it doesn't fit with what I said.

Everyone in the movie has to apologize to her and tell her she's beautiful and whatever else (it's been a while since I've seen it). It's not just about what her love interests think. Everyone in the movie has to boost her ego.

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

What is it with chicks and horses?

I loved George of the Jungle.  It was a really pleasant surprise.  I didn't want to see it until a friend recommended it.  There have been several times recently that I've used a gif of the three tour guides saying "now is the time when we throw our heads back and laugh!"

I was really surprised by that movie. I didn't watch it when it came out I didn't think I'd like. But one afternoon it was on after a movie I watched. I was surprised by how funny it was. It was fun and funny. 

[Browncoat]

10 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

George of the Jungle is a lot of fun.  It knows exactly what it is and really embraces the cartoon vibe.  Plus the leads have so much chemistry.  It’s definitely a cute funny romance.

I LOVE George of the Jungle!  Javajavajavajavajavajava

[Scarlett45]

On 5/6/2020 at 8:26 PM, aradia22 said:

I watched it a while ago. Putting aside the problematic sexual politics and the nonsense of Jeff Bridges' character, I recently watched Michael Urie do Buyer and Cellar via livestream and I feel like The Mirror Has Two Faces makes so much more sense if you don't think of it as a normal rom-com but the expression of Barbra Streisand's insecurities about her looks put on screen.

 

On 5/6/2020 at 8:52 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Yeah, I understand that, but I think it's more about how (a lot of straight men - I won't say all obviously) don't have a romantic or sexual use for women who aren't young and conventionally beautiful.  And sure , I agree with that premise.

It also put forward the premise that young, conventionally beautiful women aren't smart or good companions.  That I won't buy into.

To me it's not about Barbra's looks.  It's about how people react to them.  I think that she portrayed a really confident person who liked herself.  But it's tough when you deal with a character like Jeff's -- to have resolve for that to not to affect you takes extremely strong will.  And for that to be the only marriage option for her character - that's tough but I thought it was sadly very realistic.

What I NEVER understood about “A Mirror Has Two Faces” is if Jeff Bridges character wasn’t interested in sex or romance just be companions with another MAN!!!! Why have a woman companion at all?
 

If I wasn’t interested in partnered sex I wouldn’t be seeking out a male companion as a heterosexual woman so I really didn’t get it at all. 

On 5/7/2020 at 3:05 AM, aradia22 said:

I would buy that if the play didn't remind me about the parts with her mom and sister (in the movie). There was a lot of ego bolstering in that movie. It wasn't just about the male love interests. Speaking of The Princess Diaries, the only time I'm used to that kind of thing is in a coming of age story where it makes sense for the younger character to have a fragile ego that needs to be supported (because they're still coming their identity). It's actually very weird to do that with a character of Barbra's age (in the movie). 

Yeah I didn’t get why a woman Barbara’s age would put up with that. It’s not like she had to be married for economic survival (which 100years ago was a real thing). And she clearly wanted romance and a sex life. 
 

Again- if this man isn’t into you sexually or romantically why entertain this, be companions with another woman! Why get married for no sex or romance if you don’t need the money??

 

I didn’t see the point. And it seemed she was past child bearing age so it wasn’t to have a Co-parent. WHY did she want him???

 

Of course I’m fine with what people want to do, but the desire behind the arrangement I didn’t understand from either side. Even for Barbara’s character may have thought she wasn’t sexually desirable to men (which wasn’t true), why torture yourself emotionally for a little companionship? 
 

I can acknowledge that I am odd. 

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

 

What I NEVER understood about “A Mirror Has Two Faces” is if Jeff Bridges character wasn’t interested in sex or romance just be companions with another MAN!!!! Why have a woman companion at all?
 

If I wasn’t interested in partnered sex I wouldn’t be seeking out a male companion as a heterosexual woman so I really didn’t get it at all. 

Yeah I didn’t get why a woman Barbara’s age would put up with that. It’s not like she had to be married for economic survival (which 100years ago was a real thing). And she clearly wanted romance and a sex life. 
 

Again- if this man isn’t into you sexually or romantically why entertain this, be companions with another woman! Why get married for no sex or romance if you don’t need the money??

 

I didn’t see the point. And it seemed she was past child bearing age so it wasn’t to have a Co-parent. WHY did she want him???

 

Of course I’m fine with what people want to do, but the desire behind the arrangement I didn’t understand from either side. Even for Barbara’s character may have thought she wasn’t sexually desirable to men (which wasn’t true), why torture yourself emotionally for a little companionship? 
 

I can acknowledge that I am odd. 

That's exactly why I've always been confused by the movie. Why is Jeff Bridges looking for a woman companion when he's not really interested in sex, romance or marriage. So what's the point? Its not any era where women have to get married, she doesn't need money, insurance and she goes in knowing he's not interested in sex or romance. So why get married? What's the point? It just doesn't make any sense to me.

[Ms Blue Jay]

He's a selfish prick!  LOL.  He wants a wife to look after him, cook for him, maintain a house, make sure he doesn't die, but he doesn't want to give her romance or sex anything.  He's an ass.

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

He's a selfish prick!  LOL.  He wants a wife to look after him, cook for him, maintain a house, make sure he doesn't die, but he doesn't want to give her romance or sex anything.  He's an ass.

He should have just hired a housekeeper or a homecare person. 

[Scarlett45]

On 5/9/2020 at 2:15 AM, andromeda331 said:

He should have just hired a housekeeper or a homecare person. 

Yes. A housekeeper for domestic duties and just had male best friend to travel and hang out with etc etc- hadn’t he been doing that??

 

[methodwriter85]

I watched Love Wedding Repeat and damn, Sam Claflin looked ROUGH in the beginning of the movie. I'm also not really comfortable with the roofie aspect of it, although I did enjoy the movie overall. It felt like your typical European ensemble romcom.

 

[VCRTracking]

On 5/7/2020 at 7:23 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Her mom and sister were conventionally beautiful and were married, so I'm not sure how it doesn't fit with what I said.

I think it's easy for a woman to have a strong, confident ego when they're at the age as viewed most useful and beautiful and visible by society.  Much harder to have that 20-30 years later.

It makes me wonder what Streisand's character from WHATS UP DOC? would be like 30 years later.

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by VCRTracking

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

It makes me wonder what Streisand's character from WHATS UP DOC? would be like 30 years later.

 

What's up Doc and Funny Girl are on my list.  I'll watch them eventually.

[VCRTracking]

1 minute ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

What's up Doc and Funny Girl are on my list.  I'll watch them eventually.

Unlike the Mirror Has Two Faces those movies feature a far more brash and self-confident Barbra. It's that persona that made her a star.

[aradia22]

I watched Accidentally Engaged on Amazon Prime. I tried a bunch of other movies and shows first but everything looked too dreary and I wanted to be delighted by something. I tried Set It Up first but the beginning was a lot and also not well lit.

This movie has a weak script. I'm not too good for a Hallmark movie or a DCOM. This was worse than those movies. I don't mind a wholesome movie either. But it's shocking how much better The Princess Diaries 2 is compared to this. But the real problem is all the actors. Across the board, terrible. They do not act. They do not react. It is shockingly amateurish. The only one who is even decent is the one who was on Glee.

I could forgive the lead actress being bad if the character was better written. But the character bordered on unlikable and the actress' lack of charisma pushed it over the edge. Instead of a struggling ingenue who you root for, she seemed like more of an entitled, self-centered actress.

Spoiler

She wasn't that self-centered but she picked a pointless fight when the Chaz first came to the coffee shop where she works and she did initially gripe at her friend for being demoted to co-maid of honor even though she wasn't there for any of the preparations and another friend had done all the work. Mainly though, the movie awkwardly keeps making her the focus to the point that it feels Mary Sue-ish. Like even though her friend is getting married, everyone is focused on Clarissa. And her friend is saintly enough to not be upset about it. Clarissa's agent is unrealistically nice about bolstering her ego. Also, the poor writing means Clarissa is quick to rope Chaz into coming to the wedding. The script doesn't bother to find a way for her to be forced into lies and deception. Instead, she comes across as weirdly entitled/demanding and manipulative. They try to make her sassy so they can have banter but it just makes her seem rude to this guy she doesn't know and has no reason to resent or boss around or argue with. She gets mad at her friends for being critical but instead it comes across like she won't admit to weakness or insecurity. And she RUINS her friend's wedding day. And then her friend is like, nah it's cool you brought the paparazzi and then had a huge dramatic monologue at my reception. You're my best friend. Your happiness is the most important thing to me as I am hours away from going on my honeymoon.

The lead actor wasn't great on Pretty Little Liars but I don't remember him being THIS bad. Maybe it was the direction. At least he's pretty.

Joan Severance plays the mom. I didn't know who she was but she was strikingly pretty. Turns out she used to be a model.

This was such a strange movie. It's like someone had seen rom-coms and completely misunderstood how to replicate a good one. There was no real effort to develop the main relationship. They have no romantic chemistry.

Spoiler

Their first kiss comes out of nowhere and it seems like it only happens because we're an hour into the movie and running out of time to make them a couple. If anything, it seems like Chaz had a bad family life as a child star and envies her parents and her wholesome small town upbringing. He wants that way more than it seems like he ever wants Clarissa.

The other woman was a little fun but not a good enough actress to be deliciously evil.

Also, it was a bad move to make the only non-white actors in the entire movie the mean girls.

[VCRTracking]

 

 

[aradia22]

Quarantine is an insane time. Did other people know this was happening? I can't even...

https://www.megcabot.com/2020/03/corona-princess-diaries-day-1/

[methodwriter85]

Sarah Ramos (a working child actress who seems to have managed to keep working into adulthood) turned out to be a pretty funny person. Which is funny because the two roles I know her from (American Dreams Dream Parenthood) were such sticks in the mud. And Elle Fanning makes a perfect Kimmy!

 

[krankydoodle]

Palm Springs is the first movie I've been excited about in a long time. A time loop romcom with Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, and JK Simmons is just what I need right now.

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by krankydoodle

[Spartan Girl]

On 5/7/2020 at 9:14 AM, Shannon L. said:

What is it with chicks and horses?

I loved George of the Jungle.  It was a really pleasant surprise.  I didn't want to see it until a friend recommended it.  There have been several times recently that I've used a gif of the three tour guides saying "now is the time when we throw our heads back and laugh!"

LOL I love the "what is it with chicks and horses" scene because they made Brendan Fraser look full-on Harlequin romance character in that scene. I was only ten when I first saw that movie and even I thought he was so smoking hot. And to answer that question, men who are good with animals are quite the turn-on. 😉

So to cope with, well, everything, I rewatched my favorite underrated romcom Continental Divide. I will be forever bitter that audiences didn't give it a chance because they didn't think John Belushi could pull off a romantic lead. Anyway, this is surprisingly feminist for a 1981 movie, in the sense that things don't get physical between them until she is ready. And there's never any question of her giving up her work to go live in Chicago with him: he knows he can't ask her to do that. But the end is sort of a reverse La La Land where they decide to keep their relationship AND their careers. I mean, if you really love each other, it is possible...

[Annber03]

45 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

And to answer that question, men who are good with animals are quite the turn-on. 😉

 

Preach :). 

[aradia22]

Quote

LOL I love the "what is it with chicks and horses" scene because they made Brendan Fraser look full-on Harlequin romance character in that scene. I was only ten when I first saw that movie and even I thought he was so smoking hot. And to answer that question, men who are good with animals are quite the turn-on. 😉

As someone who reads actual romance novels, let's just say there's no shortage of jokes about riding. 👀

[Spartan Girl]

Another thing that I love about Continental Divide is that it isn't the "awesome woman falls for schlubby man child" trope. Belushi's character was as far from the Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan characters -- hell, even the character he played in Animal House -- as you can get. He was a grown up with a successful career as a reporter. How often does that happen in those movies? The only two examples I can thing of are Kevin James in Hitch and Jack Black in The Holiday. I mean, Kevin James was awkward and dorky in that movie but I wouldn't put him in the man child category.

And that makes me mad because what does that say about romcom tropes? That you either have to be hot as hell and/or a dopey manchild in order to land a beautiful woman? I don't think the "pretty lady, goofy man" movies had really broken out in 1981, but considering how Continental Divide flopped because people just didn't care to see Belushi play against typecasting, let alone a romantic lead. Blair Brown said some bitch reporter actually asked her, "Ew, how could you kiss him?!" Seriously! I hope he never found out about that, but given how hard he took it when the movie flopped after he gave it his all...

Seriously, guys, if you haven't seen it, rent it. It's a great movie to take your mind off this terrible year.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Spartan Girl

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 7/1/2020 at 6:23 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Another thing that I love about Continental Divide is that it isn't the "awesome woman falls for schlubby man child" trope. Belushi's character was as far from the Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan characters -- hell, even the character he played in Animal House -- as you can get. He was a grown up with a successful career as a reporter. How often does that happen in those movies? The only two examples I can thing of are Kevin James in Hitch and Jack Black in The Holiday. I mean, Kevin James was awkward and dorky in that movie but I wouldn't put him in the man child category.

And that makes me mad because what does that say about romcom tropes? That you either have to be hot as hell and/or a dopey manchild in order to land a beautiful woman? I don't think the "pretty lady, goofy man" movies had really broken out in 1981, but considering how Continental Divide flopped because people just didn't care to see Belushi play against typecasting, let alone a romantic lead. Blair Brown said some bitch reporter actually asked her, "Ew, how could you kiss him?!" Seriously! I hope he never found out about that, but given how hard he took it when the movie flopped after he gave it his all...

Seriously, guys, if you haven't seen it, rent it. It's a great movie to take your mind off this terrible year.

Thanks for the recommendation @Spartan Girl.  I love talking about rom-coms, and you bring up a lot of interesting points here.

I haven't seen the movie but it's added to my list.

These issues you bring up are so complex and nuanced.  On the one hand, of course I do find it EXTREMELY unfair that women are supposed to be :  younger, often whiter/lighter-skinned, thinner, and traditionally "better looking" in Hollywood romantic pairings than men.  It's extremely unbalanced.

On the other hand, I do find men like Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen (well more in the 40 year old virgin days), and Jack Black very attractive.  But I also think (and this might sound sexist) that straight women are notoriously a lot less shallow than straight men or at least that's what Hollywood producers would have us believe -- that every love interest must look like Jennifer Lawrence at age 23, and who gives a shit what the male interests look like.  

I hate when people say that Kate Winslet is way too good for Jack Black in The Holiday.  It just makes me roll my eyes.  The English rose is attractive!  The schlubby American guy is not!  Jack Black is charming and hilarious and I think that he is a great catch!

Another example of a "schlubby guy with a great job" example I thought of is Jack Nicholson in Something's Gotta Give.  He dates both Amanda Peet and Diane Keaton in the movie.  In his day I'm sure he was considered hot (????? I wouldn't know lol) but in that movie I mean.  Ugh, come on.  LOL.  Jack is 35 years older than Amanda.  And he starts out the movie being so unhealthy that he has a heart attack (or something like it.). But he's a very successful record executive in the movie.

I resisted the show "King of Queens" for ages, because I thought it gave an unbalanced portrayal that falls under this Hollywood stereotype.  I mean, Leah Remini is just one of the most beautiful women alive on that show (IMO).  But when you watch the show you see the good points and bad points in both characters.  Like I said on the one hand it's damaging to women to put these shallow, extreme, and impossible expectations on them.  Yet on the other hand it's gross to talk about men as if they have no value if they don't look like Brad Pitt.  They're both damaging.  

Kevin James dating Amber Valetta (in real life a MODEL, some would say a SUPERMODEL) in "Hitch" is ridiculous because there are so few counterparts of the opposing genders.  A good one I guess is Rebel Wilson dating Liam Hemsworth in "Isn't it Romantic".  But there needs to be way way way way more of the latter example for there to be some balance.  Like Melissa McCarthy didn't get to date Jude Law and Jason Statham in "Spy".  I love the movie, but the idea of her dating Jude's character was presented as a joke (and sure I loved him in the 90s, but Hollywood is wayyyyyyyyyy too in love with him these days versus what he's worth.  He wears a wig in "Spy" and now that I know he's a philanderer - just ugh).  That's why I also love movies where the woman is the older one in the romantic pairing, because it goes against these conventions (like Keanu Reeves and Diane Keaton also in "Something's Gotta Give"..... ROWWWWWWRRR. 😉. )

Edited July 4, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Spartan Girl]

@Ms Blue Jay I don't really consider Something's Gotta Give one of those movies because Jack's character is more of a womanizer than the "goofy man" trope. But to each their own.

And maybe I'm insane, but I thought John Belushi was good-looking, and it really shows in Continental Divide when he was free of the Bluto image. He had that funny face that was so expressive, and those big brown eyes. He had also gotten into good shape for that role, despite still being portly. And if you have enough confidence and charisma, it counts for a lot. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Oh sorry I thought you were looking for schlubby men with good careers :).  

[Spartan Girl]

7 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Oh sorry I thought you were looking for schlubby men with good careers :).  

Perhaps I should rephrase what I said: I meant the ones with careers and act like actual adults. Jack was in no way mature in that movie, even if he had a career.

[aradia22]

I finally watched Obvious Child on Netflix. It was sweet and different. I'm glad I saw it. It's more humorous drama than outright comedy but it's still a generally pleasant watch.

I don't think Jenny Slate is the greatest actress. Surprisingly, I think she handled the drama better than the comedy. I appreciated the way it handled

Spoiler

unplanned pregnancy and abortion.

I think Jake Lacy did a great job. This is not the kind of rom-com that is about two people. This is a movie about Donna's character with a romantic subplot. And a lot of actors are not good at playing that kind of supporting part. They try to steal focus. Lacy did not. Even when the camera is a close up on Max, he is usually listening to Donna or laughing at her jokes or reacting to what she is saying. 

I appreciate a movie that can come in around 90 minutes though I still think it meandered a bit. I did not need the David Cross bit at all. 

I do think Max had Perfect Boyfriend Syndrome, even allowing that he was written to be a very sweet guy from a small town in Vermont. He still kept pursuing her in a non-stalkerish way that felt unrealistic. But I don't watch rom-coms for realism.

The very end was very weird. 

Spoiler

They didn't want to watch rom-coms but did want to watch Gone with the Wind??? I guess it's a long movie but still... yikes.

 

[akiss]

Has anyone seen Can You Keep a Secret,  which is based on a Sophie Kinsella book? I saw some gifs on Tumblr and it seems cute. I remember quite liking the book although the details escape me. Was there an evil cousin? Is the movie any good?

Edited July 11, 2020 by akiss

[Irlandesa]

I just watched Palm Springs on Hulu and it was so good.  I wish it were on Netflix because I feel it'd get more buzz.

It's a time loop movie with Andy Samberg and Cristin Miloti (who is amazing and I think she has had chemistry with pretty much all of the leading men I've seen her with from How I Met Your Mother to Fargo and this.)

But it also has the likes of J.K. Simmons and Peter Gallagher.

 

[aradia22]

If you have Hulu and you're okay with watching a TV series instead of a movie (each season is only six episodes that are 20 or so minutes long), I recommend Gameface. 

It has a lot of Bridget Jones' Diary energy. The protagonist is plus-sized but there aren't a million jokes about her weight/size. She's a struggling actress doing life coaching (really similar to therapy). So the series is about her love life but it's also about her sorting out her life in general. The show ends with her 

Spoiler

finally finding professional success with a TV show that she writes and performs on. It all happens quickly in the last episode. Happily, even though there's an airport scene, her love interest doesn't chase her down to get her to stay with him and she doesn't turn around and go home instead of giving up on the opportunity. They are mature enough to let her fly from London to LA to see if she can make things work.

To use romance novel language, the love interest is more of a beta hero. He has soft features and he's on the shorter side. But he does have a lovely Irish accent and a charming smile. He's the kind of long-suffering love interest who is patiently supportive, if naturally frustrated, by the heroine's antics as she sorts out her messy life. But he sticks through it all, not because he's expecting to be rewarded with sex or a relationship but because he genuinely likes her and their chemistry is enough for him to be her friend until she can tell him how she feels. This is even clearer in season 2 when he knows that 

Spoiler

she passed her driving test (he's her instructor) but she lies and says she failed so she can continue taking lessons. That means that all of season 2, he finally knew that she liked him and was just waiting for her to sort out her life and make a move. 

Lots of rom-com beats and tropes. The last episode when he shows up on her doorstep and makes the declaration of love speech is totes adorbs.

[twoods]

Has anyone watched The Kissing Booth 2 yet? I was meh about the first one but will give this one a chance if it’s better.

Win A Date with Tad Hamilton is streaming on Prime, and I have no idea why I enjoy this movie so much. It’s cheesy but works for me I guess.

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, twoods said:

Has anyone watched The Kissing Booth 2 yet? I was meh about the first one but will give this one a chance if it’s better.

I haven't.  And I'll out myself as actually quite liking the first one in spite of all the fair critiques.  But I haven't watched the second one yet because I liked the way the first one ended with its

Spoiler

ambiguity.

It felt right for a teenage love story. 

So I'm iffy on a continuation, especially since I think they'll probably end up making three.