At Genevieve's suggestion, we took a look at an article by David Denby out of the New Yorker. You can find it here. It focuses on a newer phenomenon he calls the "slacker-striver relationship." The trend of the past several years has involved romantic comedies with leading male and female characters that embody the stereotypical "slovenly hipster" and female "straight arrow." As I reflect upon this, I can only think that the creation and success of characters like these is a result of societal request. This is what we, as Americans, are drawn to and asking Hollywood to produce. Does this reflect the reality of dating/love/marriage as we know it?
As time continues to march on, gender roles are continually changing. Woman are seeking higher education and waiting longer to be married. They are developing careers before families. What then is happening to the traditional male role (both in real life and in film)? If women are waiting to be married, the heterosexual men out there then, by no choice of their own, are also waiting. If the characters of "Knocked Up" are any bit realistic, perhaps men aren't making the best use of their time while they patiently wait, unless slacking is a desirable extracurricular activity. It's really fascinating to look at how movie genres have shifted over time to represent either the utopian ideal or societal expectations or...
I've noticed that the last couple of years have lacked in really good, wholesome romantic comedies. Slap-stick, goofy stuff like "Blades of Glory" aren't hard to come by, nor are action/killer/suspense flicks, but what about if you're just looking for a mellow, feel-good Saturday night? I'm bummed that I missed "Once" when it was in the theaters. I am REALLY looking forward to catching it when it comes out on video. It may even be a buy-it-before-you-see-it kind of movie, as those that know me well say I'd love it.
Anyway, still keeping my eyes peeled for a good drama or romantic comedy...
Any suggestions?
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At the risk of sounding like a walking advertisement for Netflix, you've REALLY got to get an account. We've found so many good movies (and not the slapstick comedies or action/thrillers you mentioned) through browsing our friends' queues and taking note of which movies they gave high ratings to. Decent romantic comedies? Love Actually, High Fidelity, Knocked Up. There are a fair number of Independent films that are sweetly endearing-- I loved Raising Victor Vargas (which I'm going to go upstairs and get for you in just a minute), and I love The Adventured of Sebastian Cole (though it's more of a dramatic, dark comedy).
I'd comment further on your observations about the roles of women and men in romantic comedies, but I pretty much covered that in my blog...
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