Emma Hacker '27
Cinema has birthed many iconic scenes, none more notable than those of the romantic comedy (rom-com) genre. From an Empire State Building meet-up (Sleepless in Seattle) to kisses in the rain (The Notebook), the genre certainly does not lack romantic gestures. Rom-com movies have been around since the 1920s and the genre has evolved over the decades.
Whether it be rebellious teens in the 90s (10 Things I Hate About You), or complex adults in the late 2010s (Crazy Rich Asians), rom-coms focus on the difficulties that arise from interpersonal relationships. Employing effective use of familiar tropes with new situations, the genre is able to provide commentary on life and love, while providing all of those feel-good feelings.
Despite the critics, many adore the genre. Speaking from personal experience, nothing gives you that fuzzy feeling quite like watching Adam Sandler fall head over heels for a betrothed Drew Barrymore (The Wedding Singer). Science attributes this phenomenon to the release of oxytocin.
Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter, closely linked to serotonin and dopamine. WebMD reports that oxytocin “lowers stress and anxiety”. Serotonin and dopamine are also released when watching a rom-com, all of which are hormones that make the brain feel happy and relaxed.
Despite science telling us that rom-coms are beneficial, some people still criticize them for their predictable plots. Most of the movies play out with similar patterns, and people have not shied away from making jokes about their formulaic nature.
Hallmark movies, for example, are often made fun of for their predictability. They are movies produced by the Hallmark Channel, often centering on the holidays. The New York Times analyzed 424 Hallmark movies in an article, finding that 73% of the titles put out in the last seven years included the word “Christmas.” It also mentions the tropes, common plot lines, and use of the first name ‘Emma’.
Most rom-coms do implement easily recognizable tropes, and this instills a sense of comfort.
Megan Dillon, an author for Evie Magazine, said that “in a life full of things that we can’t control, it’s nice to know that these movies have a happy and romantic ending.”
Rom-coms allow us the freedom to enjoy a movie without the terror that accompanies horror movies, or the stress when we watch action movies. The cliches are well-known and familiar. With this familiarity comes relaxation, as we don’t need to worry about getting surprised by an evil plot twist designed to throw the viewer.
From the start of the movie, it doesn’t take long for the viewer to realize that the main characters get together at the end. It’s almost impossible to make a rom-com movie without it having a happy ending, and this is for good reason.
In a world where pessimism is normalized and there is a general lack of hope for the future, rom-coms provide hope that it will all work out in the end. The path to happiness is often not easy, it is full of twists and turns and mistakes. Despite that, everything works out eventually.
There is relief in knowing that hard times come and go, but problems will work themselves out if we are willing to take the time to communicate with each other.
Rom-coms are so much more than the cheesy, romantic movies they are typecast as. By melding a familiar scene progression with new ideas, characters, and themes, rom-coms allow for an effective way of interacting with the movie, whether it is through tears, smiles, or most importantly, laughter.