not another girl movie

This weekend Mrs Dust and I watched Raising Helen. Given that we have watched many "chick flicks" together I have noticed some patterns in these movies. I'd like to share a few.

• The main character always does something embarrassing. Usually it is falling in public or in front of a guy she likes. This happens a lot more in teen "chick flicks."
• The main (or second primary) plot always involves a romantic relationship. In Raising Helen it was the secondary plot, but the main plot was family issues, so that can be forgiven by the audience I am sure.
• The audience is typically expected to believe that two specific people in the movie are meant for each other, even if they are already involved with other people. This is what I detested about You've Got Mail. It was too convenient that Meg Ryan's and Tom Hanks' characters got out of their previous relationships so easily. I had similar issues with Serendipity, but who's counting.
• The main character always has a chic job. How many magazine writers and advertising people are there in New York City?
• The main characters are almost always based in New York City. Even in Sleepless in Seattle true romance does not occur until both characters are at the top of the Empire State Building.
• The movies tend to preach what the target audience already believes. There is nothing better than satisfying relationships, so all else is expendable to meet that end. This is only bad when taken to extremes, but sometimes it is.
• The movie has to have a happy ending. This is even in the movies where the romantic relationship doesn't work out.

I am not going to be one of those guys that completely bashes "chick flicks" without pointing out the good, though.

• Almost every generalization above is false in at least one "chick flick" that I have seen. The only exception is the happy ending. I was excited when it appeared that Little Black Book was going to break this rule, but then a perfectly satisfying melancholy movie was nearly ruined by a sub-par happy and cheesy addendum at the end. (I actually tend to like happy endings, but not for every movie so that the happy ending loses its sense of reality).
• The movies that decide to add something beyond the sap are often spectacular. I loved Hitch and What Women Want because they both had good humor and provided some insight into the mental workings of the opposite sex.
• Even the movies that aren't very good by my standards have some redeemable qualities and so are usually bearable. Notting Hill had some humor and Runaway Bride provided some psychological insight to Julia Roberts' character.

Please note that when I describe "chick flicks" I am not describing LMN style movies. Those actually tend to be targeted to a different audience than the movies I describe. To me the typical "chick flick" is a romantic comedy with a "cute," pettite actress who goes through challenges putting together a relationship with a confusing but overall sweet and attractive man.

An LMN movie is typically about a scorned or battered wife whose cheating, abusive, greedy, and ugly husband is out to get her. Either that or her controlling mother is trying to steal her kids. Different audience indeed.

The difference is that I can enjoy the "chick flick" and I remain confused by the LMN movie. It wasn't made for me anyway.