So what would a feminist Rom Com look like?

[Scarletohello]

So we've had Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones Diary, even Bridesmaids but I am struggling to envisage what a feminist rom com would be like.

Any ideas..??

It is an underappreciated gem imo.

Gosh that's a difficult one without either being rescued or a rampant sex beast.

Oh dear, I read Romancing the Stone as being about the kind of spinsterish, romance-loving, cat-keeping, chocolate-eating woman men have so much contempt for being rescued from frumpiness and delivered into hotness by the good-shag she has been needing for so long.

I still enjoyed it though. If we could only like feminist films we'd have nothing to watch because they hardly bloomin' exist.

Would Sliding Doors count as feminist? I think the female characters are generally shown as rounded human beings with a lot more going on in their lives than their romances, anyway. The men are somewhat more 2-dimensional.

How about music and lyrics? I like the relationship between Hugh Grant and
Because they challenge each other and work together to become more than the sum of their parts. I like that their partnership is based on a joint creative and professional venture, not just that they fancy each other. I also like the relationship between the sisters.

Feel free to challenge me though. I mostly watch Astaire and Rogers movies :)

The problem with a feminist rom com being marketed to a wide audience would I imagine be that a large part of the audience simply wouldn't understand the nuances of why the relationship works and can be both romantic and comedic without either part of the couple conforming to the recognised stereotypes.

Romance does not always equal flowers and chocolate...

I have to say, if I've ever had a crazy moment and thought about getting married, I've always hoped it would turn out like Nick and Nora from The Thin Man films, rather than something that comes from the brain of Richard Curtis.

What's up doc? comedy with Barbara Streisand?

Haven't seen it in years though.

I was just watching His Girl Friday at the weekend - I think I'm right in saying that the female role was originally a male role in the stage play (i.e. it was an editor trying to get his star journalist to stay, without the additional complication of the journalist being his ex-wife). Rosalind Russell felt she didn't have enough good lines, so she hired her own writer and then added her own lines into the script.

Having said that, I think it's one of the closest I've seen to a feminist rom-com:

Woman has job and colleagues
Woman gets disillusioned with job (as well she might)
Woman decides to marry nice but dull man and give up job
Woman realises that the job is worthwhile and that she enjoys it most of the time.
Woman does not marry nice but dull man.

Ah they don't make em like they used to do they? The Philadelphia Story - I'm with CKDexter - one of my fave films with two of my fave actors (and dog actor). Not really feminist but as many of the films in those days - great roles for women. Interesting theory re the Hays Code.
And The Thin Man - what an adorable couple. Wouldn't be allowed these days - all that drinking and all.
Still, feminist rom-coms these days? Not really possible IMHO - perhaps coms without the roms - Nine to Five?
No-one's mentioned the Bechdel Test yet bechdeltest.com/
Although passing the Bechdel test is no guarantee of a good film. I note that 'Barbie: The Pearl Princess' passes. Whatever that is.

bechel test is no guarantee of a feminist film either

*bechdel

Petula - obvs - I doubt the Barbie film is particularly feminist. Though I've not seen it so I could be wrong!

In the original script of Bend it Like Beckham, Jess and Jules were suppose to end up as a couple. Since they have a lot more screen time that Jess and Joe do in the final film, it may have pushed it into the RomCom category?

Flipping through ny dvds reminded me of 'Don't tell mom the babysitters dead' which most people seem to have forgotten but is great.

I think a feminist romcom would focus less on courtship — "getting" or "landing" the object of desire — and more on the building and rebuilding of a precarious but longed-for romantic relationship. There would certainly be no stalking or entrapment, and none of those 'zany' best friend characters who represent a version of femininity that is not thin, middle-class and white, and is therefore of peripheral, comic interest. I don't think it matters what gender the lovers are.

I haven't seen the film of Desert hearts, but the book (by Jane Rule) was powerful and romantic. Another feminist author who writes sweet, eccentric romances is Ali Smith — The accidental would make a charming romcom.

Ugh. I meant Girl meets boy, rather than The accidental, which would make a thoroughly depressing comedy!

Gregory's Girl was quite different for it's time and quite enjoyable. Girl plays football, not interested in boys, boy hangs around football pitch, boy tries to get interested in sport, tries to understand what makes girl tick, listens to his girl 'friend' for advice. Can't actually remember how it ends though!

In my head I'm just trying to analyse Susan from Coupling. Strong, good career, and didn't take any crap. Knew what she wanted from her relationship with Steve. But then why would she have gone out with shallow MCP Patrick? So maybe just a caricature really, not a good example after all. And came across as bullying sometimes.