Morgan McGlynn

Film and Society

February 29, 2020

Genre Paper

Romantic Comedies: Aren’t They All Just The Same?

After watching three different types of classic movie genres I found myself most drawn

to romantic comedies. I enjoy that there are two main types of films produced under this genre.

You have the “meet-cute” and also the reuniting/separating plots. During class time the movie

Holiday was shown as the romantic comedy screening, but out of class I decided to sit down and

watch His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Holiday had more of a meet-

cute plot while His Girl Friday was about a recently divorced couple being brought back

together through their work. Both still classic rom-com movies from the mid 1930s to early 40s,

but two completely different storylines and endings.

Now I don’t have a preference as to which kind of plot line I enjoy better but out of the

two films I watched, I prefered the storyline of Holiday for a couple of reasons. The main cause

for my bias is that I enjoyed the ending of this film more than the other. A happy ending did arise

for Julia (Doris Nolan) and Johnny (Cary Grant) but it wasn’t traditional as to how the ending

wound up happy. From the audience’s point of view throughout the movie it appears that it

should be Johnny and Linda with the happy ending. However the true spark of love came off

between Johnny and Julia due to Julia loving Johnny more for who he was and not the work

choices he was making in his life. Julia stood by and watched her sister Linda mistreat Johnny

with her words and how she “supported” him. From the start Julia opened up to Johnny and was

honest with him during their conversations clearly making herself more appealing to what
Johnny is looking for in a woman. Her character resembles Tom Hanks’ ability to know in his

heart what is right and do it (Belton 92). But if Julia was anything like her sister, who is always

listening to their father and doing whatever she can to please him, Johnny and her wouldn’t have

fallen in love.

One of the biggest connections between these movies is that they both star Cary Grant

who is a renowned early romantic comedy movie star. He is often seen in lots of rom-coms

playing the significant other. This is one hundred percent expected in the film industry as “an

actor will consistently play a certain character type from film to film” (Belton 96). However

when it comes down to these two specific films he stars in, he actually plays slightly different

characters with different morals and beliefs, but still in the romantic comedy genre. While in

Holiday he plays a genuine and honest man who wants to do what makes him happy in life,

during His Girl Friday Walter (Cary) has more of a manipulative and rude energy that the

audience receives. Now although Walter can appear as a bad guy through the lies and bad actions

he puts out there, he does it because he wants his wife back. He is going to some extremes, such

as giving counterfeit money to delay the departure of Hildy (Rosalind Russell) and her new soon

to be husband Bruce (Ralph Bellamy), just to keep the woman he loves around.

His Girl Friday, to me at least, appears to be targeted more for people who are in their

30s and onwards as marriage is how the love in this film is triggered. Younger audiences have an

easier time connecting and relating to the “meet-cute” movies. With marriage rom-coms you

either have a couple that is separating or one that is separated and being brought back together

through circumstances. One of the only reasons that I am not the biggest fan of this specific rom-

com is due to the amount of negativity that this movie left me with. I felt as if the characters

were arguing a lot through their dialogue, especially when there were three people on screen
talking all at once. I realize that this can be the comedy factor that was displayed on the big

screens back in the 1940s but it wasn’t appealing to me. Now with a divorced couple in a

romantic comedy movie there should be some expected arguing, that is what makes the plot line.

But as someone who has parents who are now divorced, the movie just didn’t sit too well with

me after.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy genre of early 1930-40s films. The

range of audiences and plot lines that the genre can reach is one of the few, in my eyes, genres

that have the ability to intrigue a very diverse audience. Personally I would say I am the biggest

fan of the “meet-cute” films for a few reasons. One being the attraction to “love at first sight”

movie magic that the film industry has created. Also how the majority of these films end with a

happily ever after scene. To see two opposite people be drawn to each other and create this world

of happiness out of their connection can make anyone feel butterflies in their stomach or even

leave them with thoughts of finding “that girl” for themselves. Romantic comedies bring some

sense of a fairy tale mixed into a reality melting pot. These films are targeted to create a range of

emotions for the audience members. Directors want you to be right there in the film with the

characters and be able to feel their sadness, pain, joy, and delight. That’s the movie magic of

romantic comedies. Love is exaggerated here but films do such a fantastic job with drawing you

into the film that the exaggeration feels normal and very reasonable. If I were to watch classic

movies any time in my future, I can see myself going to the romantic comedy section and

selecting what catches my eye.

24
This is a great first paper. You did a very good job establishing the different narrative

conventions, incorporating the reading material, and juxtaposing your chosen film with one of

the screenings. In terms of the essay prompt, you only discussed two films here, so you were

short a film. And then, just for your own information, you got the sisters in Holiday mixed up.

Doris Nolan’s character, Julia, was the spoiled sister Johnny was with initially, while Katharine

Hepburn’s character, Linda, was the sister Johnny fell for when he realized what Julia was really

like and really wanted. Looking ahead to the next paper, I would make two suggestions. First, I

would suggest trying to get a bit more specific with your analyses. You are very observant and I

liked a lot of the general analytical points that you made here. However, I would have liked to

have you seen you pick out a couple of choice scenes and discuss how they were structured, their

relevance for the film, or for one of the stars, or in relation to the culture at the time, etc. Second,

you seemed to change your mind in the course of writing this paper. At the beginning, you said

that you did not have a preference between meet cute and remarriage romcoms, but then at the

end, you said that you preferred meet cute romcoms. On the whole, these are minor points, but if

you get a bit more specific and if you bring your arguments together more, your already strong

writing will improve even more. Great job on this paper. I will be looking forward to reading

your next one.