1. 'Happily Ever After' is always the main theme in romantic comedies. In most rom-coms, the main characters are introduced as complete opposites yet the audience are able to see how perfect they are together. Th aspect of separate lives features heavily also however, the film always ends up in some sort of relationship or even at the alter.
2. Just when everything is going alright and the audience is content with how the film is going, a twist happens, where the result of 'happily ever after' seems very far away. Usually this comes down to misfortune. However, some twists, such as car crashes or sudden divorce, can bring two people together (eg. 'Titanic' or 'Twister').
3. The film usually begins with the lead being involved with love interest #2. Love interest #2 is always going to be someone inappropriate or makes the audience wonder what the lead sees in them. This is seen as dramatic irony as they will never end up together. This is seen in almost all rom-coms, specifically in 'Notting Hill', 'Sweet Home Alabama' and '(500) Days of Summer'.
4. The film goes on to introduce love interest #1, who is considered the perfect person. The woman usually initially hates the man, as shown in '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Guys and Dolls'. The man also usually finds the woman annoying, as shown in '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Ten'. Love interest #1 is the person the audience likes and warms to and the person the lead character generally starts to fall for.
5. The film then goes on to, more often than not,have a fight between the two love interests. Usually over the girl and love interest #1 usually wins, to the pleasure of the audience.
6. Rom-coms always have relatable lead characters. This is what draws women in to watch it in the first place. It makes the film itself more relatable and more enjoyable.
7. The lead characters will always go through one or multiple embarrassing moments in front of their love interests.
8. The most iconic scene of any rom-com is the airport or taxi scene where love interest #1 realises that they've made a mistake and decide to go back and get the love of their life. This usually involves a grand romantic gesture of some kind towards the lead character and ties the whole film together at the end.
9. Parents in rom-coms are always characterised in a specific way. The mother is usually over-involved but lovable and the father is usually befuddled. Sometimes these roles are reversed but only very rarely.
10. The lead female usually has a helpless best friend who is very supportive but doesn't really know what they're going through. The male lead also usually has a best friend who is a slob but the audience can't help but love them.
An example of a cliched romantic comedy is 'Dirty Dancing'. The trailer is below.
In 1963, Frances "Baby" Houseman, a sweet daddy's girl, goes with her family to a resort in upstate New York's Catskill Mountains. Baby has grown up in privileged surroundings and all expect her to go on to college, join the Peace Corps and save the world before marrying a doctor, just like her father. Unexpectedly, Baby becomes infatuated with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle, a man whose background is vastly different from her own. Baby lies to her father to get money to pay for an illegal abortion for Johnny's dance partner. She then fills in as Johnny's dance partner and it is as he is teaching her the dance routine that they fall in love. It all comes apart when Johnny's friend falls seriously ill after her abortion and Baby gets her father, who saves the girl's life. He then learns what Baby has been up to, who with and worse - that he funded the illegal abortion. (IMDb, Written by Amanda W, amended by Linda C.)
'Dirty Dancing' encompasses many cliches of romance films. It joins a sheltered rich girl with a illiterate boy from a very different background to her. Her over-bearing father is very critical of her and her actions, which means she must rebel against her parents to do what she thinks is right. It is primarily about following your heart and not your head and about immense social change. It finishes with a memorable happy ending about finding the perfect person.
