Top 10 List

Top 10 Romantic Comedy Cliches
(that I secretly love)

 Romantic comedies feature cliches and tropes that pop up in movie after movie. Some get annoying, but others give me a thrill no matter how many times I watch them. Here are my personal Top 10 Favorite Romantic Comedy cliches:

-->

10. Running to the airport. The love interest is leaving town and our hero has to stop them. There are a lot of variations on this- sometimes it's driving to the airport, other times the character has run through an airport (as in Love Actually) hoping to stop their one true love before she gets on that plane. Whatever the location, it's always an exciting sequence that adds a jolt of energy to the climax of the film.

9. The montage of brooding. Basically something has gone wrong and there's nothing to do about it but brood to some melancholy music. It's a mini-moody-music video and a nice break from the normally chipper rom-com world. Knotting Hill has a gorgeous sequence where Hugh Grant walks down the street and through the seasons to Bill Withers’ Aint No Sunshine When She’s Gone.

8. Realizing you're in love. Something seems to be off, but the main character can't figure out what it is. The, suddenly, it hits her. She's in love! Even though the audience has probably figured out the character's feelings long before she has, the epiphany is pretty exhilarating and usually kicks start a huge turning point in the film. Beauty and the Beast sets that realization to music.

7. The almost kiss. This is a tricky one because it can very easily cross the line from enjoyable-cliche to annoying one. I'm not a fan of the "interrupted kiss" (someone barges in just in time to stop the lip lock.) I'm talking about the brief moment of hesitation that stops a kiss in its tracks. The sexual tension is palpable, but one false move ruins the moment and leaves both characters longing for more. The almost-kiss works beautifully in Enchanted (and you get a bonus “realizing you’re in love” moment!)

6. Telling off a jerk. Our heroine is being held back by someone who generally treats her like crap. Often times it's a boss, a jealous boyfriend or a manipulative friend. After finally realizing she deserves better, our leading lady finally gets to tell off her tormenter. Kate Winslet gets just such a moment in The Holiday.

5. The surprise kiss. It’s a risky move that is likely to get you in trouble in real life, but is thrilling on film. The kiss comes out of nowhere and stops the other person in their tracks. 10 Things I Hate About You subverts the cliché by having Patrick’s kiss fail completely.

4. Confessing your love. A good rom-com will build to that final moment when a character just can't keep silent anymore. The confessor puts everything on the line in the hopes that the other person feels the same way. Sometimes it works out (like in When Harry Met Sally) and other times it doesn’t (like in Love Actually.) Regardless, the confession itself is always a thrilling moment.

3. Kissing in the rain. Completely impractical, but completely romantic. Breakfast at Tiffany’s set the bar pretty high for this one.

2. Singing your love. Similar to "confessing your love" but set to music. Epitomized by Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer. 

1. The big fight. This might seem antithetical to everything rom-coms stand for, but there’s nothing I love more than a great argument. In a weird way, a fight can show you love someone even more than a kiss. You can’t just let them walk away, you’ve got to make them hear your side of things. While the kiss-in-the-rain scene may be the most iconic one in The Notebook, I find Allie and Noah’s fight to be way more moving. 

You would be hard pressed to find a scene that uses all of these clichés but this one from 2005's Pride & Prejudice makes a valiant effort. It features a love confession, big fight, almost kiss, telling off a jerk and it takes place in the rain. The only thing that could make it better is if Mr. Darcy pulled out a guitar

What are your favorite romantic comedy cliches? Let me know if the comments section below!