Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films (sometimes shortened to "rom-coms") are a sub-genre of
comedy films as well as of
romance films.
The basic plot of a
romantic comedy is that two people meet, banter with each other, but despite an attraction obvious to the audience do not become romantically involved because of some internal factor (on the surface, they do not like each other) or an external barrier (one is romantically involved with another person, for instance). At some point, after various comic scenes, they are parted for some reason. One partner or the other then realizes that they are perfect for each other, and (often after some spectacular effort, sometimes termed the
Grand Gesture, and/or incredible coincidence) they meet again, they declare undying love for each other, and
disappear off into the sunset together.
Of course, there are innumerable variations on this basic plotline. It is not necessary that the two lead characters end up in each other's arms (e.g.
My Best Friend's Wedding). The film may be a rumination on the impossibility of love, as in
Annie Hall, considered by many the apogee of the genre.
The basic format of a romantic comedy predates the cinema by centuries. For instance, many of
William Shakespeare's plays, such as
Much Ado About Nothing, and
A Midsummer Night's Dream fall squarely within the bounds of the romantic comedy.
Romantic comedy films are sometimes pejoratively described as "
chick flicks."
*
Bill Johnson, "The Art of the Romantic Comedy", Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing (1996)
