Genre theory is what we use to categorize what type of film that you as the audience is about to watch.

Running head: GENRES AND GENRE FILMS 1

Genre – Romantic Comedy

Deeanne Rogers

ENG255 Introduction to Film

Instructor: Melissa Carr

June 11, 2018

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GENRES AND GENRE FILMS 2

Genre – Romantic Comedy

Introduction

Genre theory is what we use to categorize what type of film that you as the audience is

about to watch. All movies have at least one type of genre but for most, they have more than one

or some sub-genres. Goodykoontz and Jacobs (2014) wrote that movies tend to use familiar

things such as character types and iconography (which is visual imagery with symbolic

implications) that is recognizable and that is what gives the viewers an expectation of the movie.

Romantic Comedy is a genre that is “Light-hearted, humorous story, involving two people in

love” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs 2014) This paper will be about romantic comedies specifically

When Harry Met Sally which is about just that, two people that are humorous together and how

their love grew out of an unlikely friendship. The setting that this film takes place in is New York

which is frequently used in romantic movies and there are repeated uses of wedding scenes used

to find that quest for love. (Calvert, K.)

When Harry Met Sally came out in 1989 when rom com’s (As they are called) were still

popular. This film had the same goal as most romantic comedies, that two people fall in love and

there are many comedic parts along the way. As the storyline follows the same as the others in

rom com films boy and girl meet, have a connection but move on, meet up again and eventually

become friends which leads them to love, this film also deals with the battle of the sexes in a

unique way.

Harry and Sally meet after graduation from the University of Chicago through a friend of

Sally’s and Harry’s girlfriend. They begin their journey together with an 18-hour ride to New

York. During that drive they find themselves complete opposites to conclude they could not be

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1. we

Avoid using first-person

pronouns/perspective in

formal written communication.

[Melissa Carr]

2. When Harry Met Sally

Movie titles should be

italicized. [Melissa Carr]

3. films

There is a missing comma

after an introductory element.

The following example

demonstrates how to correct

this error: “During her lunch

break, she worked on

homework.” See this Writing

Center page for help with

comma usage:

http://writingcenter.ashford.ed

u/commas [Melissa Carr]

GENRES AND GENRE FILMS 3

friends. One of the great lines was during this ride when Harry told Sally that men and women

cannot be friends because sex always gets in the way.

Continuing in the story years later they meet again at an airport where they are both on

the same flight. She was currently in a relationship and he was going to be married so Harry

amended his first rule that men and women could not be friends unless both parties are

unavailable then they could be friends. They talk more over their flight however they still are yet

to get together which follows along with the typical romantic comedy. It is not until 6 years later

that they see each other in a bookstore to discover they are both alone again. They talk over time,

spend a great deal of time with each other and slowly become friends but leaves the viewers

hanging again on if they will come together. They set up their friends who find a connection and

find love themselves and go on dates with other people. It is not until they are both dating

steadily that you as the viewers see that certain look that you get from romantic movies that they

begin to feel something more.

It is when Sally calls Harry because Joe is getting married (her ex) that you see the other

typical move in rom com films where boy gets girl, girl feels more than boy, so boy loses girl

until the end of the movie when he realizes that he, in fact, loves her and wants to be with her.

Another great line in this movie that gives it the element of romance is when he looks at her and

says that “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody you want the

rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

The comedic genre of this movie lies in the conversations that these two have together

from the first-time meeting, “Men and women cannot be friends” to the deli scene where Sally

fakes an orgasm and the older Jewish woman (Rob Reiner’s mother) says “I’ll have what she’s

having”. This film was full of the one-liners that made this into the comedy it is.

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1

1. later

There is a missing comma

after an introductory element.

The following example

demonstrates how to correct

this error: “During her lunch

break, she worked on

homework.” See this Writing

Center page for help with

comma usage:

http://writingcenter.ashford.ed

u/commas [Melissa Carr]

GENRES AND GENRE FILMS 4

There are other genres that go into the sub-genres that are called screwball rom coms like

What’s Up Doc, Overboard and newer ones like Knocked up. These films show over the top

situations whereas regular romantic comedies are more grounded and realistic. When you are

talking about romantic comedies your first thought is younger protagonists but as I read in

Unlikely Heroines, that it is not too late for older women to be the protagonists like Diane

Keaton played in Something’s Gotta Give. (Jermyn, D. 2011) It is not always the young women

that find their role in the romantic comedy older women can find love also.

Conclusion

In conclusion, romantic comedies may seem limited within its genre because it is about

boy meets girl, boy gets the girl in the end as the audience expects, there are newer more

contemporary romantic comedies coming out. Not all rom com films are going to be made for

younger viewers due to the raunchiness that is there, however it does not mean that the old ones

can’t be watched and enjoyed still.

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References

Calvert, K. (2018). Media Studies Factsheet:110, The Romantic Comedy Film Genre Curriculum Press Retrieved from https://moodle.queenelizabeth.cumbria.sch.uk/pluginfile.php/238496/mod_resource/conte nt/0/110%20Rom%20coms.pdf

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014).Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Jermyn, D. (2011). Unlikely heroines? Cineaction, 26-33. Retrieved from https://search- proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/899272026?accountid=32521

When Harry Met Sally (1989). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/09yJz5hik

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