Become a Member and support film journalism. Where does Home Again belong in the rom-com pantheon? Hogan's 1997 romcom, My Best Friend's Wedding, broke one of the cardinal rules of the genre. In Life As We Know It, Eric decides to leave and Holly takes things into her own hands; she sells the house and decides to hold off on her dreams of being a caterer/cafe owner. 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But Shea, I have great news: Sometimes they do still make romantic comedies, and in fact, they released one just last weekend. Mayor’ Takes Ingredients From ‘30 Rock’ and ‘Parks and Recreation’, Not only does the new NBC sitcom see Tina Fey and Co. decamp from New York to Los Angeles, but it also sees their comedy at its most hopeful, Bryan and David break down the news of Trump supporters rioting and storming the U.S. Capitol, How Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” Run Changed the Seahawks Forever. She visits him one day and asks for forgiveness but he ultimately refuses to take part in her life again, leaving them both miserable and alone. The First Rule of Writing Funny: Just because you can say funny things doesn't mean you can write … There are so many. Shea: Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30 off potential alone. Sometimes messy is better. In When Harry Met Sally, the film ends with the two being interviewed as a happy couple. Were it possible, I would very much watch a movie that was two hours straight of just back-to-back-to-back-to-back meet-cutes. One of the sweeter story lines in the movie, if you’re a sucker like me, is how the young guys who move in with Alice get invested in her kids. Can a rom-com be R-rated? We’ve got the heart-attack-recovery thing with Harry and Erica in Something’s Gotta Give. Sometimes, a movie will completely embrace … And then after that we’ll get into what’s good (and not good) about Home Again. Amanda: I’m good with two out of three of those, and I don’t want to be the one litigating whether boner jokes count as rom-com quotables, so I accept your additions. 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In When Harry Met Sally, they admit sleeping together was a mistake, they go back to being friends. There is no one else on the planet who could say that string of words in a non-hokey way (as countless television shows and AIM away messages have proved in the years since). The two ultimately face hardship without each other. The film then follows with a montage of Anna and William on dates, partaking in different activities. Paperback $ 12.99. Bad language is fine; the occasional crass joke is OK too, as long as it doesn’t turn into the Bridesmaids diarrhea scene on an extended loop. Amanda: Shea, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz. Will being one of the league’s worst volume shooters from long range keep him out of the MVP discussion and the Mavs out of the title race? Her name? This is when an rich person would find love with a non-wealthy person. He tries to get his life back on track. Everything you could ever think to do or want is there, and so all of everything is available as a romantic resource should you need it. (The Bump Into is an elite meet-cute subcategory.) And more than just that: It’s a clever, modernized version of a rom-com, what with the main character seeking love in the form of self-actualization rather than in the form of a person to lie down with or kiss in the rain. (He agrees to this because Isabel has anxiety, because this is a 2017 movie set in L.A.) The other thing to know here is that George is not the guy who gets to sleep with Alice, but he does have some unrequited feelings for Alice. An early form of romantic comedies was called "comedies of manners." Rather than do a straight up review of it—I think both you and I agree that it’s a fun, good movie—let’s run it through the tentpoles of the conversation we’ve just had. What is the best kind of montage in a rom-com? 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Amanda: Rachel Weisz in Definitely, Maybe. In When Harry Met Sally, the two try to go back to being “just friends” but it is evident that is not the case. Instant Reactions to Francisco Lindor Being Traded to the Mets, Tim Duncan on Kevin Garnett’s Trash Talk, His Relationship With Gregg Popovich, and Much More, The Los Angeles Lakers Are Even Better Than Last Year, How American Race Law Influenced Nazi Germany, ‘The Challenge’ Recap: Fessy Turns Heel. And there has to be a scene where one of the people involved in the relationship makes some big gesture (hopefully in front of as many people as possible, in as embarrassing a situation as possible). He catches her as she’s leaving and he professes his love for her. In Notting Hill, William takes Anna to his sister’s birthday and the two have a grand time. It’s a half-second and it’s a delight. In Life As We Know It, the two sleep together, something the social worker helping them highly discourages. A montage of the two spending time with Sophie while balancing their lives indicates this “happy together” phase. Votes: 88,001 Sweet Home Alabama makes Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) secure a divorce from her hated first husband (Josh Lucas) so that she can marry her second (Patrick Dempsey)—except of course she realizes she’d rather stay married to her first husband, which is a neat inversion of the setup. Parallel editing shows that they are miserable. What’s the best rom-com moment in Home Again? FISH S1E1: Not Fun. Seeing as the two are putting their personal lives in the way of raising Sophie, things may get ugly. So in honor of Home Again, I thought that you and I should spend an obsessive amount of time talking about the film, its various romantic-comedy aspects, and where it lives in the romantic-comedy pantheon. Be the first video Your name here. Ever! Stars: Ali Atay, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Serkan Keskin, Osman Sonant. I want to be clear that The Devil Wears Prada, Father of the Bride, and The Intern are some of my favorite movies of the last 25 years; they are well made and enjoyable and deserving of more respect than they currently receive. Things quickly become awkward between Anna and William, and she leaves London almost immediately without seeing William again. There is a certain level of cringe factor you expect when you press play on a genre dedicated to love overcoming all obstacles. In honor of ‘Home Again,’ starring Queen Reese Witherspoon, two Ringer staffers meet-cute, get closer, disagree, and eventually come together as they debate the finer points of a beloved date-night movie genre. They’re the things I like to point out to people who are watching it for the first time when I’m watching it for the 30th time. After the choice is made, the characters face the consequences of their actions. In Notting Hill, they ultimately decide to call it quits, Anna leaves for the second time and William is once again left forlorn. 3. Reese Witherspoon is very much a delight. He claims he wants to move the family there, but Holly refuses, as she wants to keep her friends’ wishes of keeping Sophie at home. Ship This Item — Qualifies for Free Shipping Buy Online, Pick up in Store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for in-store purchase. I think you can figure out the rest. I say this as a self-proclaimed romantic comedy devotee: there are some romcoms with crazy plots out there. Sally finds out that her first love Joe is getting married and she is an emotional wreck. As William seems evidently confused as to why she is there, she acts cool and collected, greatly contrasting William’s awkward personality. The film then follows with a narration from William Thacker, describing his small-town life, running his travel bookshop. Amanda: I am probably too strict about this, but to me a rom-com is a film about two characters who are pitted against each other in some way and then fall in love. ***This is a standalone, full-length romantic comedy. Here’s why: Shea: It would seem that for a movie to be designated as a rom-com, it would have to contain just two things: moments that are romantic and moments that are funny. Ten years ago, Lynch’s epic run in a wild-card game against the Saints shook Seattle. Members save with free shipping everyday! Amanda: Let’s talk about it: It sucks. The emphasis of the diegetic sound of the horn strengthens Sally’s uptight character. Such plot points allow films to capture the audience’s emotions and play around with them despite being such a predictable genre. Sign up to get our cinematic goodness delivered to your inbox every weekend. Hero's goal is to win the love of another character This is the hero's main goal. In this narrative plot point, the original lives of the characters eventually catch up … The Cutting Edge, about a singles figure skater and a hockey player with limited visibility who team up—in doubles figure skating and in life—is a great example; Something’s Gotta Give, in which Harry (Jack Nicholson) has a heart attack and must recuperate in the unbelievably beautiful Hamptons home of his girlfriend’s mother (Diane Keaton), is another classic. Jump cuts characterize an intense mood as Anna confronts William, becoming angry with him for not understanding how difficult her fame is to deal with. Romantic Comedy Distinguishing feature is a love plot in which two sympathetic and well-matched lovers are united or reconciled. But there are some delightful rom-com B-plots, including her PG love triangle with an adorable 20-something houseguest and her ex-husband (played by Michael Sheen, who eats the three younger actors in this movie for lunch.) Technical elements consist of romantic music and montages. William is left dazed, as he is still in shock of meeting her. Good for George! ), Shea: Jerry Maguire’s right before Dorothy’s “You had me at hello.”. HOWEVER, as is often the case, my instinct was wrong. That’s always the first scene I think about when I think about the best rom-com scenes of all time. More often than not, it’s more crucial than the thing happening. It’s in there with movies like Steve Carell’s Crazy, Stupid, Love; Jennifer Aniston’s Picture Perfect (I’m disappointed we didn’t get the chance to give credit in this column to Jay Mohr, who was somehow a nearly perfect love interest in this movie); and Jennifer Garner’s 13 Going on 30. So why not, let’s give it the official Top Third Rom-Com designation. (Also, I will also claim Jennifer Lopez movies for the Mexican delegation during these sorts of arguments.) Amanda: Shea, what a wonderful idea. Amanda: Shea, every so often someone writes a very good article about the film industry, and that very good article usually includes some version of the sentence: “Unfortunately, Hollywood doesn’t make romantic comedies anymore.” Broadly, this is a sad and accurate statement: The romantic comedies that you and I love—the montage-filled, mid-budget, perfect date-night movies about two people, often but not always journalists, who hate each other until they don’t—are few and far between these days. And what about … what about basically everyone but white people? She’s the top. Their smiles, however, fade from their faces as the two realize their possible feelings for each other. They dabble in their regular activities in London, but William also gets a taste of the celebrity life as Anna takes him to a special premiere. Related video shorts (0) Upload your video. Amanda: “Let the River Run,” because Working Girl is a rom-com. With Booksmart, Long Shot, and Always Be My Maybe—2019 is a great year for romantic comedies. Technical elements usually involve parallel editing to build suspense. Here is an analysis of each plot point and the general structure, in three different romantic comedies:When Harry Met Sally (1989), Notting Hill (1999), and Life as we Know it (2010). Most of the great stories about people falling in love—but with high jinks!—are now on television. Pretty Woman was R-rated. It just feels right together. He picks out his friends in stock footage and the audience sees that while he is ultimately happy, he lacks romance and love in his life, as his wife had left him earlier. It must also, unless it is, Despite what ’90s rom-coms might teach you, there are many different types of workplaces! So, much like the way rom-coms themselves are, let’s make this perhaps a little more intricate and cutesy than it needs to be. There has to be a scene where, after the two have realized they’ve fallen for each other, something happens that forces them apart. Shea: There are some other exceptions too (in Sleepless in Seattle, for example, they don’t even meet until the very end of the movie), but mostly, yes, we are in agreement here. That sunroom! Shea: Absolutely, yes. Immediately, their romantic relationship is interrupted as the two must act as normal as possible, with William even pretending to be a hotel room service waiter. In the case of Life as We Know It, Eric and Holly learn to balance their daily lives while at the same time raising Sophie. By that point, we’ve seen Tom get stretched and twisted and pulled into a billion pieces by Summer, the woman he thought he was supposed to be with. For Holly and Eric in Life As We Know It, raising Sophie becomes harder than expected, and Eric is offered a new job in Arizona. 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