Sadie Brandt
Contributing Reporter
Romantic comedies are my favorite movie genre, filled with happy couples, 2000s soundtracks and horrific retro fashion choices. In 2022, I watched 15 rom-coms in a week after my boyfriend and I broke up. Whether that was a healthy coping strategy or not is up for debate, but it gave me excessive amounts of time to ruminate on the endings of those movies.
While I love a seamless happy ending as much as the next hopelessly romantic teenage girl, I appreciate endings that are grounded. I am a child of divorce, after all. There’s something comforting in the melancholic realization that not every love is meant to last forever and breaking up doesn’t make a relationship meaningless.
“La La Land” (2016) is arguably the most well known example of this. Do I sob uncontrollably whenever I’m reminded of the ending and the soundtrack? Oh, absolutely. If there’s one thing Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling will always have, its on-screen chemistry. As a college student, watching two people decide to put themselves and their dreams before someone else hits close to home. Both Stone and Gosling’s characters got their happy endings, they just weren’t with each other, and they couldn’t have been.
“My Best Friend’s Wedding” (1997) is a movie I have ingrained in my memory from a young age. I don’t know why, but my mother possesses a love for that movie that cannot be denied. I admittedly love watching Julia Roberts’ romantic exploits, but I spend the entire movie rooting against her as she actively tries to ruin her best friend’s wedding because she didn’t realize she was in love with him. In fact, Roberts’ character, Jules, kisses her best friend after his wedding. If they ended up together, which they don’t, I would’ve sued Sony Pictures.
These movies are still romantic, regardless of if the leads end up together. They’re still comedic if there are sad moments. The endgame of a movie doesn’t determine its genre, and the ending of a relationship doesn’t determine its worth. Sometimes in movies, and in life, putting yourself before a partner is necessary.
Besides, isn’t self love the most romantic after all?
Megan Wallitsch
Staff Reporter
“Valentine’s Day” (2010), “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011), “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999), “Love, Rosie” (2014) and, of course, “The Notebook”(2004) – each of these films demonstrate the beauty of love with the couples ultimately ending up together.
While they might not be for everyone, there is something special about rom-coms and the hope they give people looking for love in their lives. Rom-coms have the ability to take people out of a world filled with breakups and heartbreak, and transport them into a world where, despite all odds, true love wins out.
One crucial element of a rom-com is that both of the leads are lovable. In movies such as “La La Land” where the leads are lovable but can’t make it work, it brings the viewer back into the realities of our world. Even in romantic comedies where the characters are not necessarily the most lovable, such as “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” (2003), it is still nice for viewers to see an unconventional couple make it work. When the couples end up together, it helps viewers see that true love might be out there waiting for them.
Another essential aspect of rom-coms is the trouble the couples face along the way that leaves the viewer questioning whether they will make it work. In the film “Corpse Bride” (2005), viewers are left wondering if Victor will end up with Emily or Victoria. However, despite his brush with death, Victor is not only able to help Emily, but also marry Victoria.
While this example is considerably more fictional than the others mentioned, the message remains the same. Life and relationships have their obstacles, but you can still find love and ways to make relationships work.
The final rom-com element, which can only happen when the couple ends up together, is when one person in the couple realizes that they are meant to be together. In the film “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012), this is seen when Patt realizes all that Tiffany has done for him and how he’s meant to be with her, not his other love interest. Rom-coms should ultimately end with the couple getting together, and presumably continuing their lives together.
While they may not be entirely realistic, there is a magical element to rom-coms. When the couples end up together at the end of the movie, viewers are left with the feeling that it is possible to overcome obstacles and find love along the way.