Romantic Comedy

Women love romantic comedies. That's why the writers, producers, directors, and actors make so many romantic comedy films. The romantic comedy is almost a sure money-making project. Romantic comedies are called "chick flicks." The term lumps romantic comedies together with films that explore emotions or relationships of all kinds that particularly appeal to those of the female persuasion.

"Chick flick" is not really a fair assessment of all romantic comedies. Many romantic comedies are filmed with a larger audience in mind.

However, "chick flick" is an absolutely fair description of the basic romantic comedy. In the basic story line of a romantic comedy, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, and boy and girl are reunited to live "happily ever after." That IS a chick flick!

There are lots of variations of the basic romantic comedy story line, of course. Sometimes the "girl" chooses a supporting actor rather than the leading man, but that scenario is always in the best interest of both "the boy" and "the girl." Many romantic comedy plots center on marriage, and the remarriage theme is becoming more often used today.

Hey, even Shakespeare saw the romantic comedy as a cash cow. Look at "Much Ado About Nothing" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" — see what I mean?

Romantic comedy has emigrated from the big screen to the small screen. Television programming now includes a great many romantic comedies. Some examples of television comedies based romantic comedy premises are: "Sex in the City," "Ally McBeal," "Private Practice," "Grey's Anatomy,"Cashmere Mafia," "Lipstick Jungle," and "Men in Trees."

Will Hollywood keep cranking out romantic comedies? You bet! And television will be including more and more of them in prime-time programming for one simple reason — they make money!