Conclusion

Throughout this semester I have unintentionally focused on the family aspect of each film in some way. A characters development is often affected by their relationships with those closest to them, or in another sense, their family. The steps in making a romantic comedy are often easy to identify. Boy meets girl, boy and girl disagree, one or both realize that they are falling in love, someone does something to ruin the relationship, they realize that neither can live without the other, and then they reunite followed with years of happiness and love. However something that I think people forget about but is still important is the main characters relationships with those who surround them.

As human beings we are affected by who we surround ourselves with. We are shaped by what we hear and see and our views of love or other relationships are skewed according to our surroundings. One example of this is in “You’ve Got Mail” where Joe has an aunt and half brother who are significantly younger than he is due to his father’s and grandfather’s multiple marriages. This has seems to prompt Joe to look for the right relationship instead of the easy one. He seems determined to do things the “right way” and is willing to give up a sexual relationship for an emotionally fulfilling one. Joe sees his father and grandfathers relationships as flawed and while he has a good relationship with both he aunt and half-brother the choices that his family has made has affected how he choses to live his life.

“It Happened One Night” is another strong example of how a characters family can play a part in their behavior. Ellie’s choices to go against her fathers wishes in the beginning of the film is her way to fight and gain freedom from a relationship that she sees as oppressive. Her choices cause her to grow as a person and to recognize that her father does love her and that he did have her best wishes at heart. This relationship between a father and daughter is not an new phenomena and can be seen in many romantic comedy films. A father holds a large amount of control over his daughter and how she choses to deal with it is a major decision. Ellie’s surroundings while she lived with her father contributed to her naivety and she was forced to grow up a good bit because she had yet to do so.

In both these films the character’s choices are made in part due to the choices that their family has made. Each film represents a different end of the romantic comedy timeline but both highlight the idea that while our families might not be making our decisions for us they are still always there in a sense and their choices have a lasting impression on us.

While not all of the films have such a direct tie to family they all do follow the same pattern. The main character has a group that they identify with or a significant non romantic relationship that has had an effect on them either directly or indirectly. “Pillow Talk” has a different sort of family aspect due to the lack of blood relatives but instead has family that the character has chosen. People who the character has surrounded themselves with are just as significant as a mother or overbearing brother. Jan and Brad have both isolated themselves and therefore their relationships with others have a different dynamic. This isolation from others makes it harder for characters to open up and relate. Both are hard set in their ways and change does not seem possible because there is no one to disagree with them.

Having non-personal relationships can have just as strong of an effect on a character as deep ties to someone. When someone is surrounded by others who disagree than they either reevaluate their opinion or revolt and later realize who was right while having no personal relationships hinders personal growth and eventually the person becomes so lonely that they seek out conflict and then come to understand the significance of what others think and that change might be necessary for them to be happy.



The importance of family and relationships with non-romantic characters was not something that I noticed at first but always seemed to linger in the back of my mind. However after looking through other responses and reflecting on the films along with discussions about the films I realized that it had been something that was prevalent in each film. In some films it was much more subtle and did not play as major of a role as in others but it was most certainly a part of each film. The family dynamic is one that does not go away even if someone’s genetic family is not around. Instead relationships push and aid characters in realizing what they want and who they want to be.

Bringing Romantic Comedies to Reality and "500 Days of Summer"

“500 Days of Summer” provides a new way to look at romantic comedies and highlights the differences between what people hope for and what actually happens. Tom and Summer’s different opinions regarding love make it easy for the viewer to recognize the different ends of the argument and the flaws in both characters views.

The film tells the story of two people who embark on a romantic adventure with one being much more invested than the other. As time goes on both characters try to deal with and understand where they stand with each other and whether or not their relationship has the chance of going any further. The characters different definitions of love, seems to have become a norm in romantic comedies, and is a major theme throughout ths film. The difference is that in most romantic comedies the skeptical character has a change of heart and then both main characters go on to live happily ever after while in “500 Days of Summer” this is not the case.

Summer and Tom serve as the two ends of the spectrum involving opinions of true love. Their ending is not what is expected in romantic comedies and their characteristics predict this. Society expects films of this genre to end with the two main characters resolving their differences and living a long happy life together. This is almost never the case in real life and the characters in “500 Days of Summer” are able to portray relationships in a somewhat more realistic way. Summer’s resistance towards falling in love and other traits conflict with Tom’s romantic hopes and feelings. Tom somehow overlooks all of these differences and seems to be more in love with the idea of a perfect romantic relationship than Summer as a person. This in no way means that Tom was using Summer, because he truly believed that he loved her and felt that they were meant to be together like the couples in the movies. Instead their numerous conflicts prove to the viewer that they are not meant to be and highlights the absurdity of the idea that love is as simple as the movies make it seem.

“500 Days of Summer” both follows and mocks the standard steps of a romantic comedy. In Tom’s mind the way that the relationship between Summer and himself develop follows the classic romantic comedy pattern and will end like movies do. However she does not see their relationship in the same way and sees the idea of love and a perfect ending as ridiculous. These conflicting views give the viewer both sides of the genre by stating what we hope for and what we know to be true.

The differences between the movies of the past and “500 Days of Summer”, which represents the films of today is evident. Changes take place constantly and after watching multiple films in the romantic comedy genre it is easy to identify the changes that occur over time. Films like “It Happened One Night” and “Pillow Talk” represent the relationship that Tom seemed to expect. Both films follow main characters who do not begin agreeing on the idea of love and realize as the movie goes on that they have fallen in love with it ending with them overcoming their differences and choosing to be together. “Woman of the Year” serves as a good example of the change in the woman’s role in romantic comedies. It represents a big step for woman in film and how they are portrayed. The idea that a woman could work and make her own conscious decisions is taken even further in “500 Days of Summer” with Summer choosing what she wants to do and breaking up with Tom even if it means being alone. She chooses to recognize what she needs in a relationship and sees that Tom is not that person even though they would “look good” together.

The film uses mise-en-scene to help the viewer understand where the characters are in their relationships with each other and their surroundings. It is clear when characters are in a public space or a private setting. The filmmakers make it clear which places and scenes are important to a character or to the plot. The cinematography is used to draw the viewers attention to certain aspects and to highlight what the filmmakers are trying to portray. A good example of these points is when Tom begins to sing and dance and there is a musical number including an animated bird. The way the scene is portrayed helps the viewer recognize that Tom’s feelings are in a sense unreal and that he sees love as a fairy tale.The way the film is edited allows for the viewer to witness a long period of time but still understand that a lot can happen in a short time. The jumping from date to date makes it like a friend is sharing a story about an experience instead of watching a fake story through a glass window.

Neither Tom or Summer were completely right about love. Both sides had positives and flaws. The film “500 Days of Summer” opens a new page in the Romantic comedy genre and prompts the viewer to reflect on their opinions regarding love and the genre itself, bringing it closer to reality than ever before.

Relationship Significance and "The Awful Truth"

“The Awful Truth” with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne was at times hard to watch because of the light way characters treated a situation that should be taken more seriously. Divorce and separation is a major step in someone life and changes things forever. Both Lucy and Jerry begin dating rather quickly and seem to look for a new relationship instead of taking care of the one that they already had. The film seems to promote divorce as an easy way to get out of a relationship and more lively way to live rather than putting the effort into fixing the problem. The film takes away the significance of relationships and seems to say that everything will end up fine eventually. This is not a realistic approach at all and seems to embrace the comedy aspect of the romantic comedy genre. Plot seems to come second to humor and many aspects that could have been explored were left unfinished and the viewers are left with questions. Double standards for women and men are evident, especially in the repercussions regarding Lucy and Jerry’s actions while they were married. If the filmmakers had chosen to focus on some of these aspects then the film would have been more enjoyable and less frustrating

Family Dynamics and "You've Got Mail"

“You’ve Got Mail” with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is probably one of my favorite movies that we have watched so far. There are so many differences from the other films that we have seen and it is interesting to see the changes in what society considers an acceptable life and behavior of an adult. The use of the young aunt and half brother is a smart way to show the absurdness of remarriage after a certain point. The numerous marriages of both Joe’s father and grandfather provides a way for Joe to know what he does not want in life. Joe has a good relationship with both children but the idea of their placement in the family order is unsettling to both him and viewers. Finding the ‘one’ is a major idea in the romantic comedy genre and it is implied that the characters will be happily together for the rest of their lives. While both Joe and Kathleen are living with someone else the filmmakers hint that a meaningful relationship is worth more than a simply sexual one. It promotes the need for an emotional connection over anything else and provides the fairytale that almost everyone wants in life.

Unlikable Characters in "Annie Hall"

Watching “Annie Hall” was more difficult than the other films we have watched so far. In all of the other movies that we have watched and most other romantic comedies the main characters are in some sort of romantic relationship at by the end of the film and future happiness is implied. The characters of Alvy and Annie were not easily lovable. Their behavior and characteristics were not what I would consider to be promising traits and likeable. These changes are very noticeable and the differences, between “Annie Hall” and films that were made in an earlier time, are clear. While this is not the first time that a character has been initially un-liked by viewers they normally have a quality that is seen as redeeming and by the end of the film the character is a favorite. This does not seem to be the case with “Annie Hall.” Likeing the characters was much harder than it had been in other films that we have watched. The director’s focus seemed to be more on making sure that the film was made to his desired standard and the characters being liked by viewers came second. This film was the hardest for me to sit through of all the movies that we have watched.

Changes in Time and "Pillow Talk"

“Pillow Talk” with Doris Day and Rock Hudson is a big jump from the films that we have watched so far. It seems like as time went on in the ten years between “Woman of the Year” and “Pillow Talk” more and more was acceptable. There have been small changes in what was considered acceptable from the first film that we watched to where we are now but the jump after “Woman of the Year” was the largest. The actions of the characters are more revealing of their personal lives than the other films and the characters seem to be more complex. The scene where Jan goes over to Brad’s apartment to discuss redecorating it is not something that would have been a part of some of the older films that we have seen. When she finds the light switches that lock the door and fold out the bed the viewer is able to see into Brad’s personal life more than they might have if the movie had been made ten years prior. Seeing the changes in what is allowed in films based on when they were produced is interesting because unless you watch them within a short time then you do not necessarily notice the changes. However watching all of these films back to back makes it easier to notice what changed with time and how the film industry progressed.

Power Swap in "Woman of the Year"

"Woman of the Year" with Katharine Hepburn is probably one of my favorite movies that we have watched so far. We have not had a female character who's focus is on her work instead of her relationship. Her choice of priorities seems to be her major flaw unlike all the other female leads in the movies we have watched up to this point for this class. There is a clear power swap between the two leads that we have not witnessed yet. This has been the first film that we have watched where the man has fought for the attention of the woman instead of the other way around. I wonder how the people of the time of the films release reacted as it was not normal for that period. Women of our time attach characters like Hepburn's because of her strong personality and her willingness to do what she truly wants. This does not seem to be the case for the past and it makes me wonder why she and the producers thought a character like this would be accepted by the people of the 1940s when she as the working woman had been criticized for similar motives years before.