I lay on the couch, watching for the umpteenth time, Two Weeks Notice. Hugh Grant walks into the new work place of Sandra Bullock and proceeds to tell her about this speech he just made, clumsily going over his lines in the Hugh Grant fashion that is so popular. Sandra, full of hurt pride, shuts poor Hugh down and sends him packing, but once he's out the door, she realizes her mistake and runs after him, only to catch him...and they live happily ever after with his billions of dollars and her "for two" when ordering take-out chinese.
The movie ends. The first words out of my mouth are "what a crock of...."
Why do we (women) do this to ourselves?
Having a bad night? Nothing better than a pint of your favorite ice cream and a good chicky-flicky! That will make it better!!!....right.
I have come to realize that there are certain genre's of movies that I like more than others. I like Comedy and Chick-Flicks pretty evenly. A close second is the action flick that has a strong, fiesty woman in the lead (Mr. & Mrs. Smith for example). Drama comes in a distant third and Horror doesn't even hit the blip screen.
As I am watching this movie, Two Weeks Notice, I start to ask myself why? Why, when I know that in this life I will most likely never have a guy come running after me, realzing what a dolt he's been and begging me to take him back....why do I insist on watching these love movies that end in happy endings? Real life doesn't always end up happy.
Comedy is the same way. Very upbeat, lots of laughs...but always ending on a good note. If a Comedy ended on anything other than a good note, would it really be a comedy?
In February, for my birthday of all things, I went with a friend to watch He's Just Not That Into You. To be fair to the movie, I had already read the book and watched a few of the author's talk show episodes, which were to get into the feminine psyche and try to re-train the ladies to be ok with the way men are and how they go about life. The book was terrible and didn't pertain to anything that was remotely close to my life. (For example: you sleep with a guy, he didn't call you, you stalk him by phone and he won't return your calls....lady, he's just not that into you! Now, you are free to move on.)
Ok, so the book was clearly for those who don't necesarily abide by the moral standards of the LDS Church. It was the only book I have ever taken back to the store and asked for a refund. That tells you just how bad it was.
Clearly, thousands of women thought it was good, otherwise, they would not have thought to make it into a movie. After two hours of the movie, I walked out completely depressed and hopeless as to the whole "love" thing all together. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that I was AMAZED women and men even ever end up together in the first place!
The story follows several different couples, who are loosely connected to eachother. Each story is following a different line of love, all of which don't really end up happy, except one. (In truth, I can think of two, but the second I could argue that it won't last long because the character is going against his character to make the other person happy.) Actually, after they have torn their lives apart, it tries to put a happy spin on where those people are now, as though they are much happier!
Anyway, I was very disappointed. But now, several months later, looking back....did this movie get it right? Was the reason I was so disallusioned with it because it was so close to the actual truth of love? Compared to the lovey-dovey chick flicks that always end up on a good note, was this horrible example the better movie (in accuracy) as far as a reference of what love actually is?
My answer now, is yes, it is. And just so you don't think that I am coming at this from a "jilted female" perspecive, here's why I feel this way:
Chick-Flicks are so popular because they offer not the reality, but the fantasy. They offer the "grass is greener" theory and the "don't loose hope! It COULD happen to you too!" perspectives, that we as women, thrive off of. Don't get me wrong, there are some ladies out there who can't stand the chick-flick, so to them this does not apply and I don't know what to tell you about how to figure out their mind. And there are the lucky few who actually have that wonderful, blissful love in a companion...but as for women like me, I think this is hitting the nail on the head.
I like the chick-flicks because they offer me what I don't have, which is perfect love. Even with the minor flaws and trials they throw in to make the movie more interesting, they still end up happily ever after, because you don't watch the rest of their lives after those two hours.
So when I am faced with a movie that is about actual truth's as far as what love really is in this world and how it applies differently to men and women, I don't like it. It's just too depressing. There it is in black and white (or color since most movies are in color these days, but you know what I mean)...love is hard and sometimes it is just too hard. Sometimes it just doesn't work.
So here I am and I am unhappy on both ends of the spectrum.
I don't like the "truthful movie" that shows what it is really like to go out on a limb and risk yourself to get love, to live with someone day in and day out, trying to plan your life out, making exceptions for eachother in order to make things work...compromising if you will, to try and avoid the temptation of the one you can't have but so desperately want...until one day it's just too much and their lives fall apart! (in a completely humourous way, I assure you! {Another example would the The Breakup, of which I am still waiting for royalties since someone used my name and my life for the basis of a movie!})
AND...I don't really like the rose colored, glossy movie, where the guy always treats the girl like he's supposed (always holding her hand, making her breakfast, slow dancing with her, etc) to and they fall for eachother and then they live happily ever after. This is just not reality for most men. Most don't even like watching the movies WITH the girl of their choice! (Men, you want to understand what a woman wants?...HELLO?!) So, naturally, this type of movie 1) make you look at your man and go...why don't YOU treat me like that??? (which cracks me up, because guys are all against Edward for being perfect and turning the heads of their women, but they failed to realized that before him, there was Mr. Darcy and this isn't a new concept) or 2) if we women don't have a guy...say why don't I have a guy like that??? Where's my prince charming? What's wrong with me?
But I digress...
Given the choice, I will most likely choose the chick-flick at the end of the day, and curl up with the warm blanket of "don't worry, it COULD happen to you".
In retrospect, I should have watched something with action and pyrotechnics, and left with the "yeah, I'm a bad A" feeling, on both occasions.
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