I have discovered I am not a rom-com person; though that’s not to say I don’t like romance. I just don’t like romance as the pure focus of a film; I adore the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon series, and I will watch shows for romance, where the characters can develop. So, in the interest of carrying on to more exciting films that I can delve deeper into, I shall quickly summarize a few romances that I enjoy, but not quite worth a whole post.
Pretty Woman, was pointed out to be its 30th anniversary this year. Of course, there is the iconic song. It’s the film I best know Richard Gere and Julia Roberts from. Jason Alexander (much funnier in the Wonderful World of Disney presentation of Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella) shows up, as does Hector Elizondo (we love him in Princess Diaries as well and he is now the boss on Last Man Standing). I think part of the reason I was not terribly fond of this film growing up (because it’s as old as me) is that I was never comfortable with the hooker aspect (once I knew what that meant). But the transformation sequences are the best.
Overboard, an 80s film starring Goldie Hawn (fun note; her daughter is Kate Hudson) and Kurt Russell (Colonel Jack O’Neill from the original Stargate movie [before they switched to Richard Dean Anderson for the series]); the two have actually been together since 1983. Edward Hermann (Gilmore Girls) also appears in the film. It’s a fun story where a rich socialite falls overboard, loses her memory, and a struggling carpenter takes advantage. He has her be his wife and raise his rambunctious sons. Of course, they actually fall in love along the way, though she initially leaves when she regains her memories. Yet she ultimately decides to stay with the family because she cares about them; she wants a daughter at the end due to the number of boys. Basically, the whole film is “breaking the haughty,” as TV Tropes would say.
American President, is one of my mother’s favorite films and has an all-star cast. Annette Bening (she’s Dr. Wendy Lawson in Captain Marvel) is the lead female, a professional political strategist; Martin Sheen (after he was Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg, and he would later play the president in the hit show West Wing) is one of the president’s advisors. Michael J. Fox is another advisor, and the president, Andrew Shepherd is played by Michael Douglas (son of famous actor Kirk Douglas and husband to Catherine Zeta-Jones, he shows up in the MCU as well as Hank Pym, but I know him from the films Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile).
It’s a well-written movie that shows and widowed president attempting to have a relationship with a woman he finds intelligent while avoiding the media. It also shows that some of the major issues have not changed in twenty-five years. Gun control global warming are the two issues that are called out in the movie…and we’re still dealing with those.
Prince and Me (a combination that Hallmark loves in their movies) stars Julia Stiles and Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter) shows up as the queen of Denmark with James Fox (he’s shown up in Downton Abbey, Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes, BBC’s Merlin, and Patriot Games [I’ll be covering that film in the action section]) as the king. The film has three sequels, though never getting the original cast fully back together. A common storyline now, prince comes to America (hoping to sweet-talk unsuspecting college girls into taking their tops off), hiding his identity. Paige is focused on her goals and wants to become a doctor. She and Eddie get off to a rough start, but then begin helping each other out. Their relationship is discovered and splashed across the news causing Eddie to return to Denmark. Paige eventually follows and accepts his proposal of marriage and begins training to become the new queen. But she doesn’t want to put her life on hold, so she breaks it off and returns home. But Eddie comes after her, willing to wait to marry. There is an adorable part where Paige takes Eddie home for Thanksgiving. Fairly light-hearted.
In similar vein are the two Princess Diaries movies that Disney put out. Now, I read the books by Meg Cabot before the movies came out, but they also came out when I was a teenager, the age the movies are geared for. This was Anne Hathaway’s first big role as Mia. Teen heart-throb (though I was never into him) Erik von Detten was in the film, along with Mandy Moore (later plays the president’s daughter [the president was Mark Harmon] in Chasing Liberty and voiced Rapunzel in Tangled), and Sandra Oh. Hector Elizondo is back and the ever-lovely Julie Andrews as the queen of fictional Genovia. There is the iconic “shut up” scene when Mia finds out she is the princess of Genovia. She now must attend lessons with her grandmother. There is also the hilarious makeover scene involving broken hairbrushes and glasses. Mia learns who her true friends are and she does have it in herself to become a princess.
A sequel came out subtitled Royal Engagement, taking place five years after the first. An old law comes into play, where an unmarried woman cannot rule. Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies, though not as nice in this film as in others) brings up the fact that there is another possibly heir, his nephew, Lord Devereaux. It is passed that Mis has thirty days to marry or she must abdicate. Lord Devereaux happens to be the charming Nicholas (Chris Pine, yep, before he was Captain Kirk). While Mia courts the dashing Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue and he appeared in The Tudors), Nicholas attempts to woo her as well. Raven Symone also drops by (oh, and a Stan Lee cameo, way before MCU). Mia and Nicholas develop feelings for each other, but Mia decides not to marry Andrew and abolishes the marriage clause and Nicholas decides to give up his right to the throne. The film ends with them possibly starting a relationship while Mia takes over as queen.
I adore Julie Andrews whenever, so she makes a perfect queen. And Chris Pine really should have more roles as a romantic lead because he was quite dashing in the sequel. There are rumors of a third movie coming out, but nothing confirmed.
A few more rom-coms are left, but I shall post those in another block.
Let me know what you think of romantic comedies 🙂
Dreamer in the Mirror 