Romantic Comedy (2019) Movie Script

When I was younger,

this is how

I pictured my wedding.

I'm standing at the altar

with my fiance,

I have no idea that

my best friend, Tom,

the man I truly love,

is galloping towards the church

on a huge black stallion,

racing to stop me from making the biggest mistake of my life.

Just as I'm about

to say, "I do,"

Tom flies through the doors

of the church, and...

My heart skips a beat.

Back then, I'd picture

what it would feel like

to have

my heart broken.

Maybe I'd be working

in advertising

and I'd fall in love

with an inventor

of mysterious confectionary

while on a work trip

with him.

But then, I'd discover

his true identity.

He's my arch nemesis

from a rival company.

Understandably, I'm horrified.

Or, I'd imagine

how I'd meet

the love of my life.

My new Gucci shoe.

Come on.

Or where I'd be working when I met my husband.

- Hello, Natalie.

- Hello, David.

I mean, sir.

Shit. I can't believe

I've just said that.

And now I've gone

and said "shit."

It's fine, it's fine.

You could have said "fuck"

and then we'd have been

in real trouble.

Thank you, sir.

I did have

an awful premonition

I was gonna fuck up

on my first day.

Or what it would be like

when I met my fiance's

parents for the first time.

Good night, Mr. Banks.

Oh, you can call him

George. Or Dad!

George will be fine.

And don't forget

to fasten your condom.

Dad!

Seat belt! I meant...

I meant seat belt.

And I'd often

dream of being a chef

with magical powers,

which I could use to woo

the man of my dreams.

And my best friend...

...would be a crab.

This is how dominant romantic comedies have been in my life.

As a young woman,

they became

an obsession so powerful,

that they're now

a part of my identity.

Maybe it'd be better

if we start at the beginning.

And at most mythologized

and beguiling of all places,

the suburban teenage

girl's bedroom.

Mine looked a lot like this.

And it was here among the training bras,

hair mascara,

and intense boredom

that my obsession with

romantic comedies began.

They ease my fear

of being alone forever

as they promised me

that one day,

I, too, could have

a fulfilling romantic life.

Just as long

as I followed the rules.

A woman must always be laid back, easy-going and fun.

If you think

you hate someone,

that might actually mean

they're perfect for you.

And true relationship

success is achieved

by one thing,

and one thing only,

a big white wedding.

Which is wat happened to me,

I got married.

Well, this isn't my wedding,

but does it really matter?

Aren't all weddings

basically the same?

Before I got married,

my relationship to

romantic comedies

was pure and uncomplicated.

They reflected my experiences as a young woman

and dominated my outlook

on love and relationships.

But because most

romantic comedies

end with a marriage,

after my wedding,

I felt like

they'd abandoned me.

The connection was broken,

and suddenly,

I began to see

all the other ways

in which they were imperfect.

And I wasn't the only person

who felt this way.

I like

that I don't have to think

when I watch

romantic comedies.

I basically can just curl up

and not really worry.

But I will say,

the more...

The older I get, the more

they do make me anxious.

Liar!

They're really heteronormative,

and they're really white,

and they're really schmaltzy.

I saw Cameron

Diaz get poked in the face

by a penis in a glory hole.

And yet,

I was still obsessed.

But now when

the credits rolled,

I didn't feel elated,

I felt guilty.

Not that that stopped me.

I carried on watching them

over and over again.

♪ Beyond this

♪ There must be something

beyond this

♪ I've seen the sunset

and I feel it leads somewhere

♪ Between us

♪ Is there nothing between us?

♪ We've loved much more

They say for sure, once

♪ It all rises

♪ It all falls

♪ You can be pushed along

for as long as you want

♪ But sooner or later

♪ You might have to

get up and run

♪ How fast can you run?

♪ I've seen you all fall apart

♪ I've seen you all wasted

♪ I've seen them all fall apart

♪ I've seen them all wasted

♪ So come on and run

Of all genres, romantic comedies are the films

that are most

heavily targeted

towards a conventional

female audience.

And so, they have

the power to influence us.

Well, some of us.

We can see this

in the way women respond

to one of the most

successful rom-com heroines

of all time, Bridget Jones.

Some feel positive.

Everybody

kinda likes Bridget Jones,

like, you have to love her

because she's completely

who she is.

She never expresses

that she feels complete

when she's with a guy.

She got happy

and content by herself.

That's why Bridget Jones

is just like the HBC.

The Head Bitch in Charge.

But if staying here means

working within ten yards of you,

frankly, I'd rather have a job

wiping Saddam Hussein's ass.

Others are not so positive.

You know

what her weight is

and she's claiming

to be very overweight.

And she weighs about

nine stone or something.

Resolution number one,

obviously will lose 20 pounds.

I do remember

seeing that film

when it first came out,

and thinking,

"I weigh what

this woman weighs.

"She's worried that

she's really overweight,

"so I must be

really overweight."

My own feelings on Bridget are also conflicted.

In the films, we're told she's

a successful career woman.

Yet, I think this truth

is undermined

by her many pratfalls at work.

Bridget wasn't the only clumsy career

woman I saw in romantic comedies.

Rom-coms have

painted career women

as these pathetic, clumsy,

bumbling idiots,

because the idea of a woman

having her shit together

is very frightening.

She's doing

all this, like, nine to five,

but then, like,

she's kind of a klutz.

Like, "I'll save her."

They always think

that women need to be saved.

...must remember

the way to a man's heart

is not through beauty,

sex, or love,

but merely the ability

to fall arse over tit

in the mud.

People wouldn't

respond very well

to a portrayal

of a successful woman

who wasn't somehow undermining her success at every turn.

There has to be something

that takes away

from her own self-confidence

because I think people still

don't particularly like

to see that on screen.

In order

to better understand

how career women

and women in general

are presented in the films,

we need to look

at how they've been portrayed

in romantic comedies

throughout history.

In the 1930s,

Hollywood wasn't taken

seriously as a business.

Which meant people who normally existed on the margins,

namely, immigrants and women,

were able to thrive.

There were far more roles

for women than for men,

and female actors commanded

bigger paychecks.

The romantic heroines

of this era,

the screwball queens,

reflected this female power.

They were strong,

intelligent women

who excelled at exchanging pithy one-liners

with their male love interests.

This is my car.

- You mean this is your car?

- Of course.

Your golf ball, your car.

Is there anything in the world

that doesn't belong to you?

Yes, thank heaven, you.

- Now, don't lose your temper.

- Well, I...

My dear young lady,

I'm not losing my temper,

I'm merely trying

to play some golf.

Well, you choose

the funniest places.

This is a parking lot.

Will you get out of my car?

Will you get off

my running board?

This is my running board!

All right, honey.

- Stay there then.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Unlike modern rom-coms,

the female protagonists

of the '30s were often

brilliant career women.

For example,

Hildy fromHis Girl Friday.

It always thrills me that instead of picking the man

who offers her security, motherhood,

and suburban lawns...

Oh, you're gonna live

with your mother?

Well, just

for the first year.

...Hildy

returns to Walter

who loves and values her

for her mind

and her journalistic talent.

He treats her as his equal.

They'll be naming streets

after you. Hildy Johnson Street.

There'll be statues

of you in the park,

The movies will be after you,

the radio.

By tomorrow morning,

I'll bet you there's a Hildy Johnson cigar.

I can see the billboards now.

Says, "Light up with Hildy Johnson."

- Oh, Walter, will stop that acting?

- Huh?

- We got a lot to do.

- Oh, yeah, talking?

But this equality

didn't last.

World War II killed

the screwball

as it encouraged both genders

back into conformity.

Men out fighting.

Women at home keeping

the house in order.

Hollywood transformed into the patriarchal institution we know today.

If career women were

shown onscreen...

I happen to be paying

your salary, Ryan.

You can play games

on your own time.

Now, get down.

Tip that light down

a little, will you,

the one near his right shoulder?

They were always

eventually tamed by the man.

Goodbye, Henry.

Oh! Oh, Ryan! Ryan...

In general, we see chaste innocent virgins

waiting for their man

to come home and marry them.

But then in the 1950s,

everything changed again.

Hi.

Well, hello.

Marilyn Monroe's

charisma and talent

was unlike anything anyone

had ever seen.

Whilst rarely shown

as a career woman,

her innate natural sexuality

elevated her.

Her male counterparts would be reduced to bumbling idiots,

cowed by her immense

female power.

I'd like to stay here

with you tonight.

Mmm?

I'd like to sleep here.

Are you sure?

That is, if you don't mind.

Marilyn died in 1962.

I often wonder what the world

of romantic comedies

would have looked like

if she'd lived.

Her last film,

Something's Got to Give,

was never finished.

It was remade a year later

asMove Over, Darling

with another beautiful

blonde, Doris Day.

But unlike Marilyn,

Doris' romantic heroines

were not sexually confident.

Bedroom problems?

In fact,

they were incredibly chaste,

protecting their virtue

even when they were stranded

on a desert island

for five years.

There was a man

on that island with me.

How marvelous.

No wonder you look so well.

But you silly girl,

why did you tell Nick?

I didn't tell him!

He just found out.

Oh. Well, tell me then.

I wanna know everything.

There's nothing to tell.

And whilst these women

often did have careers,

they were very happy

to relinquish them

in the name of marriage

and motherhood.

In general,

it feels like the genre

hasn't really progressed much

since Doris Day

and her pastel twin sets.

In The Devil Wears Prada,

when he's pissed

that she missed his birthday

or something...

Yeah, she should miss

your birthday.

She has a really important job.

You got a cupcake,

why are you mad?

Nate, I'm so sorry.

I kept trying to leave,

but there's a lot

going on and...

You know I didn't have a choice.

Don't worry about it.

Romantic comedies

don't have a responsibility

to represent reality.

Way to go, Tess.

- Yay.

- Beauty.

However, I can say

that as a teenager,

dreaming of the relationships I one day hoped to experience,

I turned to them for guidance.

What I saw influenced,

or even defined,

my future romantic behavior.

When I fell in love

with romantic comedies,

Julia Roberts

was the reigning queen.

Holy shit.

During that period, there was a surge of the films,

which were hugely successful

at the box office.

And I watched all of them.

As the demand grew,

the genre began

to cannibalize itself

and spiraled out of control.

I now realize

it was presenting me

with increasingly more dubious narratives as romantic ideals.

I think that many

of the premises of rom-coms

are deeply suspect

and a bit twisted.

While You Were Sleeping...

I mean, that's quite a good

horror movie title already.

Does she have

a cat or not,

even, like, just

pictures of a cat?

And she's just

always in that little booth

in the train station

not really talking to anyone.

She pretends

to be with a guy

who's been in an accident,

he's in a coma.

She's obsessed with him,

but she's never,

ever talked to him.

And she goes to the hospital,

and they won't let her in to see him.

Completely justified.

Whoa, whoa,

you can't go in there.

- No, no, no, you don't understand.

- No, are you family?

- No.

- Family only.

No, you don't understand.

- I was...

- You wait there.

But she lies and

says that she's his fiancee.

Is that the woman

that saved his life?

Yeah.

Whoa.

It gets even better than that.

She's his fiancee.

And then,

his family show up.

And she feels it's normal

to lie to them as well,

and just insinuates herself

into his life.

I've fallen

in love with men

who are in emotional comas,

for sure.

Maybe

not physical ones.

I feel like there's

some sort of deformity

that he has on his testicles

that she gets a look at

so that she can say

to his mother, like,

"No, I really am his fiancee

"because I've seen his, like,

watermelon-sized testicle."

Peter has one testicle.

- No way.

- Way.

About a month ago,

there was an accident,

and he was playing basketball,

and his friend had a pencil

in his back pocket.

Ew.

She's not even

interested in him in the end,

and she falls in love

with Bill Pullman.

She falls in love

with his brother

and ends up with the brother.

I think the prospect

that you could fall in love

with somebody who's in a coma,

tell his family

that you're his fiancee

and then,

fall in love with his brother is psychopathic behavior

that should probably see you

ending up in a courtroom.

The film

that first made me realize

that the genre had lost its way wasFailure to Launch.

It's about a guy

who is too old to be living

with his parents,

but he's still living

with his parents.

Unhappy

with this domestic situation,

they employ Paula,

who is an expert

in making adult children

fly the nest.

Based on the initial

personality assessment,

I think that I can have your son

moved out of this house

and living on his own

by June 15th.

Ah!

Hallelujah.

The most dubious part

of the film, for me,

is that,

while Paula is still in the the employ of Tripp's parents,

she has sex with him.

Paula?

Wow. Early risers.

Hey, listen, FYI, workwise,

we're definitely on track.

Things are good. Tripp is good.

Well, actually, he's fantastic.

Of course,

I don't need to tell you that.

You're his parents.

I'm just, uh...

Just trying to say

you should be very proud of him.

Well...

You've got a lovely home.

She betrays him.

And yet,

they still end up together.

Idealizing any relationship that starts with one person

having immense power

and control over the other,

that's not a good place

to start from.

Fundamentally,

one person has been paid

to spend time with the other

and has had

a particular motive,

and it can't help

but be curdled by that.

I never found Failure to Launch romantic or aspirational.

But one part of it

did stay with me,

the way Paula changed

who she was

in order to secure her man.

How do you make sure that

he'll fall in love with you?

You look nice,

you find out what they like,

and then you pretend

to like it too.

That is pretty much

how it works.

This idea

that a woman is appealing

to a man if her behavior

resembles his...

Yeah.

Is common to many of the romantic comedies that influenced me.

And consequently, I spent much of my 20s trying to conform

to what I now recognize

were unachievable ideals.

She somehow can still

have a magically perfect body

despite eating

whatever she wants

like Sandra Bullock

inMiss Congeniality.

Sandra Bullock did a lot

of overeating on film.

Not even overeating,

just eating,

and not talking

about her diets.

But it isn't

just food.

The Generation X

rom-com heroine

loves everything

that a man loves.

InThere's Something

About Mary,

Mary is the beer-swigging,

sports-loving,

physical embodiment

of the ultimate cool girl.

When a guy can play 36 holes

and still have enough energy

to take me and Warren to

a ball game, and eat hotdogs.

I'm talking sausage

hotdogs, beer.

Not light beer, but beer.

That's my ad. Print it up.

Watching this,

I saw how attractive Mary was

to every man she met

to the extent that she has

to take legal action.

Woogie, you know you're not supposed to be within 400 yards of me.

Let's not forget here.

You put me through

a lot of bullshit, okay?

I had to change my name.

I had to go to court. I moved.

I mean,

you stole all of my shoes.

She sounds like an embodiment of a writer's desire

'cause all of that

is about how she's seen

rather than anything that's coming, like, internally

from her own desire.

Women just conform to certain forms of male behavior,

and they are "chill"

and they're willing

to sublimate themselves

and adopt male characteristics

in order to get along

better with men.

It's this thing of, like,

women having to be effortless.

It's like how women

always wake up

with, like, perfect

makeup in films.

How come you always look

so great in the morning?

Do I?

They started making jokes about it now,

but even then,

you're like, "Yeah,

but you do actually look a bit too nice."

Oh, I was having a nightmare.

I was so scared.

Oh.

You look beautiful.

Oh, no,

I'm sure I look terrible.

I just woke up. Are you kidding?

I'm sure I'm a mess.

As a young woman,

one of my favorite rom-com

heroines was journalist Andy

inHow to Lose

a Guy in 10 Days.

She's naturally cool.

She loves sports,

fast food,

and, of course, beer.

But for a magazine article, she has to drive her man away.

So she forces herself

to become the type of woman

she knows men hate.

Consequently, I saw how unappealing men find women

who are not "cool."

I did something kind of wacky.

- Huh?

- Yes.

I used Photoshop at work today

to composite our faces together

to see what our kids

would look like.

"Our Family Album!"

She's emotionally needy.

You don't wanna see

our children?

She asks him

to share her interests.

And she takes care of him

in front of his friends.

Blow.

Nobody likes a Mr. Sniffles.

I hate Mr. Sniffles.

Ultimately though,

Andy's natural coolness shines through,

and is what lands her her man.

So I thought that if I could be more easy-going and uncomplicated,

then I'd have

more success with men.

Women are

often taught growing up

that you're there to, like,

ease social situations

and to make people

feel comfortable

and not to make a fuss.

But it's actually not just coolness that makes a woman attractive.

It's her willingness

to play the part of the muse.

They're there

to inspire and facilitate

the greatness of

their male counterparts

rather than to have that

within themselves.

For example,

Sam inGarden State.

The scene

where she's like,

"Sometimes, I like

to make a noise

"that no one's ever

made before."

And then they make these kind of squeaky, kooky noises.

Like, this is supposed to be the character trait

that makes you think that she's this really extraordinary person.

She's got no agency,

or desire, or humanity

beyond being a mirror

to reflect him

and to allow him

to find himself.

Even500 Days

of Summer,

which was marketed as

a subversion of the genre

because of its unusual

storytelling devices.

And the scene in which

the leading man performs

a post-coital dance routine,

still presents its female lead, Summer, in a troubling way.

We're introduced

to her riding on a bike.

And are told

her height, weight,

and her uncontrollable

effect on men.

In 1998,

Summer quoted a song

by the Scottish band,

Belle and Sebastian,

in her high school yearbook.

The spike in Michigan sales of their album,

The Boy with the Arab Strap,

continues to puzzle

industry analysts.

Summer's employment at The Daily Freeze during her sophomore year

coincided with an inexplicable 212 % increase in revenue.

And her round-trip

commute to work

averaged 18.4 double-takes

per day.

Looking back,

I didn't realize that someone

was being objectified

because she's shown

through a lens of indieness.

"I am being different because I'm this, like,

skinny white dude."

But really, it's like,

"Well, you're still

treating them the same way."

Even though they're

not in a bikini,

you're still using the same, basically,

misogynistic tropes.

Why is it pretty girls think

they can treat people like crap

and get away with it?

Centuries of reinforcement.

I rewatched

500 Days of Summer recently

and was struck by the title card that opens the film.

On the whole, romantic comedies of this era led me to believe

that my main priority

was to find a man

and make him happy.

Women aren't

supposed to be hungry

for anything except love.

Overeating, sleeping around,

or overworking

are all ways to fill a void

that's been left

by not having a relationship.

Which, of course, is...

We all know is true, right?

Tell me, when is the last time

that you went on

a real live date?

I'm concentrating

on my career right now.

Do you own

any colored underwear,

stripes or anything?

There are still

these very archaic rules

about who's allowed what.

If you want sex, that means you don't get love.

I don't think

I've ever watched a rom-com

and related

to the main character

and been like,

"Oh, but you know,

"we totally share

the same views about sex."

You think of, like, Ashley Judd inSomeone Like You,

blowing the dust

off her diaphragm.

Why was it stored somewhere

that it was getting so dusty?

Like, where has it been?

And also, are you...

You're not gonna wash that off?

Like, are we not

gonna talk about that?

Women are very

rarely sexy in sex scenes.

There's always,

like, a guy on top,

and they're, like, trying

to coax something out of him.

For films that are effectively about the ultimate goal

being romantic satisfaction

and happiness,

it's never about

sexual satisfaction.

Because if someone's

sexually satisfied,

it means that they're a slut.

That selfish whore.

We're sluts, Emma.

We're dirty, dirty sluts.

Barfing, fucking, screwing,

the great days of nobody's fool.

Why don't you start taking cash

for your services?

It would be more honest.

That girl is a slut.

She completely trapped that guy.

InWhat's Your Number?,

a woman who's slept with 19 men

reads an article that tells her that women who have slept

with more than 20 men

won't get married.

I see it in my practice

all the time.

When you're too

sexually available,

it messes with your self-esteem.

Next thing you know, you're 45,

no self-respect, no husband,

and no muscle tone

in your pelvic floor.

She treats

this as gospel

and decides to marry

the next man she sleeps with.

The next guy who vacations

at Casa Esperanza

is going to be my husband.

It means that

you're damaged goods,

that you're this object

that someone wants,

and your premium is much higher if you're untainted.

A man is supposed

to be attracted to a woman

who can be fully owned by him. It's really gross.

The romantic comedies

I watched didn't expect me

to be concerned

with my own sexual desire.

In them,

women are there to make their partner feel good about himself

and his prowess.

The Sweetest Thing,

written by Nancy Pimental,

attempts to skewer

this ridiculous trope.

What do we always tell them

no matter what?

Oh.

"Oh, my God. Your penis

is so... Big."

Good girl.

They sing

this weird goofy song

that I'm just gonna call,

"The Penis Song."

You're too big to fit in here.

Too big to fit in here. Ow!

Too big to fit in here.

♪ You're too big

to fit in here

♪ Too big to fit in here

- Oh, my God.

- Oh, my God, it's fame.

Everyone in the restaurant is, like,

immediately on board.

No one's like,

"Who are these annoying women ruining our lunch?"

Then there's this old woman that's completely stealing the scene.

Scene stealer!

♪ Your penis is a Cadillac

♪ A giant Coupe de Ville

♪ Your penis packs a wallop

♪ Your penis brings a load

♪ And when it makes delivery

♪ It needs its own zip code

Okay, it's pulling

me round now.

♪ You're too big to fit in here

♪ Too big to fit in here

♪ Your penis is so strong

It's my feeling that the films influence me and my behavior.

But for every rom-com queen

there must be a king.

So, how do the men

in the films behave?

♪ It's oozy and it's green

Ew!

People don't

really talk about the men

in romantic comedies too much.

When I watch

these films now,

I'm always taken aback

at how aggressive

the men are in the way

that they pursue women.

- I said no.

- No?

- No.

- Why not?

Because I don't wanna go

have a drink with you.

I wanna go home.

Is that so hard to understand?

Hey. Hey. Hey.

What's going on?

Are you mad or something?

Go on, say it. You know what,

no matter what it is,

we're gonna work it out.

Hal, I'm not attracted to you.

So what?

InThe Last Kiss,

Zach Braff plays a man living with his pregnant girlfriend.

Finding himself

unable to commit,

he begins an affair

with a college student.

You make me feel

ten years younger.

Ten years?

Then I'm seducing a younger man.

Excellent.

You're trying to make me

lose my mind, aren't you?

I've already lost mine.

When his girlfriend

finds out, she's devastated,

and kicks him out of the house.

Who is she?

- What are you talking about?

- I want to know who she is.

Who were you with, Michael?

This girl I met. It was nothing.

It was nothing.

Oh, God! You make me sick!

But it didn't mean

anything, baby.

She made me realize I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

- I know that now.

- I'm three months pregnant

and you're already out

trying to fuck other women!

- Jenna.

- Get out right now.

I'll tell you when you

can come back and get your shit.

- Maybe Kimmy can help you pack.

- Jenna, we're having a baby.

Get out of here!

Go back to fucking Kim!

What, are you gonna

fucking stab me, Jenna?

- Get out!

- Are you out of your fucking mind?

- Get the fuck out of here!

- Are you out of your fucking mind?

- Get the fuck out!

- Fuck you! Fuck you!

He asks

her father for advice,

who tells him that he should try and win back the daughter.

I will do anything in the world

to get your daughter back.

Well, it's very simple.

Just do whatever it takes.

So he camps out

on her porch for days,

waiting for her to forgive him.

I really worry about where he was going to the toilet,

for the three days that he was lying,

not moving, on the porch.

It's horrible.

Can you imagine if your partner was lying outside

shitting themselves

for three days

bullying you into

you taking them back.

In real life, I hope

that this kind of behavior

wouldn't end in reconciliation.

But in the film,

it's successful.

And there are

many more examples

of men exhibiting aggressive

and controlling behavior

in romantic comedies.

The tenacious man is an incredibly harmful portrayal of men to watch.

It goes against

every idea of consent,

and that you should respect

women's boundaries.

It says, "If you just do

this inappropriate thing,

"or stalk her a little bit more or catfish her,

"then one day

she might fall for you."

People talk about

romantic comedies

giving women a lot of unrealistic expectations about relationships,

but I think they give men, perhaps,

some even more damaging ones.

Rob?

Laura, I just want

to say something.

I think you're running.

And... And he doesn't love you.

And he doesn't understand you, not the way I will.

And I will even more so

in the future.

I like you, Tom,

I just don't want a relation...

Well, you're not the only one

that gets a say in this!

I do, too. And I say

we're a couple, God damn it!

I don't love you anymore.

No, I...

I refuse to accept that.

Izzy, go home!

♪ You always got to walk away

♪ You never gave

those girls a chance

♪ I've been where they are now

♪ I've done the little things

♪ Some might think

It's easy to see

♪ Your love will change

Into lies

♪ But you're so good

at playing the nice guy

♪ And you tell them

That you're a nice guy

♪ How do you sleep?

♪ Is there thunder

Over your bed?

♪ Does it go round

And round your head?

♪ What you did

♪ How do you sleep?

♪ Do you wait up for a call?

♪ To say it didn't

Matter at all

♪ But it did

♪ And you know what you did

♪ And they know what you did

♪ And we're gonna know

♪ What you did

While I might claim

that romantic comedies negatively influenced my behavior,

at least I saw elements

of myself reflected in them.

This isn't the case

for everyone.

In the majority of

mainstream romantic comedies,

there's a disturbing

lack of any characters

who aren't white, heterosexual,

or middle-class.

It's insane

that there isn't, like,

a really popular, funny rom-com

about an interracial couple.

Isn't that crazy?

The only interracial

couple I can think of is,

and he doesn't even speak,

I don't think, hardly,

inLove Actually,

Keira Knightley's husband is black.

But then all the focus

is on her white stalker.

It's kind of

interesting to think about

romantic comedies

as a brown woman,

because so many of

the mainstream Hollywood ones

that I watched

were about white women.

It can feel jarring

or distancing

because you can see

a tiny element of yourself.

But it's also not you.

It's not your world.

And it can be quite

a weird experience to watch.

Studio

executives assume

that white audiences won't "relate" to films that have got black leads in,

which is obviously

a racist assumption.

And what about the women watching mainstream romantic comedies

who don't resemble the very specific Hollywood ideal?

The only images I see

of someone who looks like me

in films are "Before" pictures,

and then a woman goes on

to, like, hate herself

or lose weight

and then be happy.

- You look fabulous.

- Thank you.

Look at you. What did you do?

Is it your hair? What is it?

It's my hair,

and I have a little sun.

- It's...

- She lost 60 pounds.

And... And I lost

a little weight.

- I see that. Yeah.

- Yeah?

- You look terrific.

- Thank you.

- Sixty pounds?

- Yeah.

- That's a Backstreet Boy.

- Right?

Or I see

the sassy best friend

who never has any kind

of romantic potential.

I'm doing the Dr. Riverbed fast.

- Oh, yeah!

- Yeah!

What is that?

Water, peach resin,

apple pectin, shark extract,

and Lawry's seasoning salt.

What about food?

Look, I'm going to look

amazing in that dress,

I'm going to meet

a Scottish man...

And I'm

gonna be happy!

It's kind of

this moral imperative

for women to be thin.

Because thinness

is linked to success,

and is linked to fuck-ableness,

and is linked to whether or not that person is lovable

and worthy to care about.

Being loved means

caring about being thin.

What are you doing?

You're hurting her.

I'm helping her.

I did it to myself for years.

She can take it.

There it is.

Good job.

Why would you ever

do that to yourself?

I wanted to be beautiful.

We don't see anything but exactly what has been taught

is, "normal and digestible."

And anything that, probably,

our parents were told to subscribe to

and our grandparents were told to subscribe to, etc. Etc.

When I sawIn & Out,

it was really affirming.

- You know what you need?

- I need a wedding!

Again, looking back

on it, all the stereotypes...

- You're an English teacher.

- Exactly.

I mean, all this poetry,

and odes, and bonnets...

Sonnets?

And you're kind of prissy.

Prissy?

All the weird tropes...

- Uncut.

- Funny Girl!

...that now as an

adult gay man, like,

I'm not that into.

If you see gay men,

they have only one purpose,

and that is to make

the main character

look like they have dimension.

Which is the whole purpose of Rupert

Everett in My Best Friend's Wedding.

♪ While combing my hair now

♪ While wondering

What dress to wear now

♪ I say a little prayer

for you ♪

She calls him when he's in the middle of important stuff.

And it's not about

her being selfish,

it's about

he's at her beck and call.

George,

answer this, damn it!

I'm in a meltdown here.

She double-crossed me!

The little twerp

double-crossed me.

I'm running out of time.

I'm completely out

of sneaky ideas.

I've come to the end

of my rapidly fraying rope.

George, you have got

to think of something!

Even when

romantic comedies

do show gay characters

in fulfilling relationships,

it's always within

a heteronormative framing.

And it's often tinged

with tragedy,

as we see inFour Weddings

and a Funeral.

Gareth used to prefer

funerals to weddings.

He said it was easier

to get enthusiastic

about a ceremony

one had an outside chance

of eventually being involved in.

As ever, the problem

with these things

is that these bits

of representation

are being driven by people

with no real experience

or familiarity

with the thing

they're trying to represent.

I'm sure plenty

of people in Hollywood

have a gay acquaintance

that they might see in this

sort of stereotypical way,

because they don't see the full magnitude of their personhood.

They only see a very specific

version of the person.

- What the hell was that?

- I'm showing you the magic.

No, I said come 90

and then I come ten.

My mouth was open, Albert!

You overeager son of a...

Blecch!

- Oh, excuse me.

- Yeah.

Are you running

this whole thing?

Oh, sure.

Walk up to

the first homo you see

and assume he's the wedding coordinator.

Right? Nice.

No, no, I didn't mean that.

Nice stereotype, buddy. Nice.

Did I hear someone say,

"Wedding coordinator?"

That would be moi.

So, how can I help you?

- These aren't my clothes.

- Well, where are your clothes?

I've lost my clothes.

Well, why are you

wearing these clothes?

Because I just went gay,

all of a sudden.

Why don't you just go

to a gay bar?

At this point,

it would be wonderful to talk about the portrayal

of gay women

and bisexuals in the films,

and of trans people.

But I can't.

Because they almost never appear in mainstream Hollywood rom-coms.

And the films also rarely show people with disabilities,

or people from

lower-income backgrounds.

Nobody is a drop out.

Everyone has post-secondary

education.

Everybody lives in neighborhoods that are "good."

You have these characters

who have, like, dead-end jobs,

but seem to live

very, very stable lives.

Even if their job is, like,

getting fired from being

a waiter in the first act.

But then again, you know,

it was the '90s.

I'm never gonna find

another part-time job,

and then I'm not gonna be

able to pay my rent,

and I'm gonna have to move.

To Brooklyn!

Ah, the joy of rent control.

Six rooms, $450 a month.

Perhaps the reason for this skewed or narrow representation

is because of the demographics of the people

in power behind the camera.

It's that, overwhelmingly,

there's a certain type of person whose perspective we hear,

like people coming from

a certain background

or certain experience.

There isn't a space

for enough challenge,

coming from different writers

and different directors.

Men are the people

that are in power,

like you always have

male producers

or male heads of studios,

and usually male directors.

For all

the Hollywood liberalism,

all the guys that are making

these decisions,

are the same 60-year-old

white dudes.

It could be Wall Street.

You're not here to love anybody.

You're here to promote a movie.

That's it. Period.

I've worked in film

and I've seen how it works

behind the scenes.

It's about money,

and it's about what the industry thinks people want to see,

which is never what people

actually want to see.

Gay people, black people, women,

are all capable of making good movies.

So what's the hang-up?

And I don't have anything

against straight white guys,

but to say that it isn't disproportionately in their favor is ludicrous.

Now, as an adult,

in a happy,

balanced relationship,

I can clearly see

the negative aspects

of so many romantic comedies

I once loved.

And yet, I still find myself

watching these films.

And I'm moved by them,

despite their flaws.

It's wonderful

watching people fall in love.

Like, it's very uplifting.

It's a thrill,

it's a fantasy,

it's like something

that you're experiencing

for a cinematic emotion.

And not because you

necessarily condone or agree

with everything that's

happening on the screen.

Disneyland

of the heart or something.

You wouldn't want

to go there all the time,

it's not something

you would want for yourself,

but it's not an unpleasant

fantasy to entertain.

You're given all the little tiny,

bubbly feelings

of what it would be like

to be in love.

But it's never treacherous.

They resonate because,

even if the circumstances in them are completely ludicrous,

there are moments of real humanity written into them.

It's the watching someone ride off into the sunset,

isn't it?

You only imagine something beautiful is going to happen,

but you don't know

what it is.

Romantic comedies tap

into universal human desire.

We all want to be loved.

Maybe we want that

for a lifetime.

But maybe we only want that

for one night.

Either way, the desire for that connection is always there.

The films have a very simple way of showing this.

They present the love interests as two parts of one whole.

Plato tells us we began

as circles.

And when we strived

to be like the gods,

we were punished by a thunderbolt that struck us,

and cut us right down,

dead-center, in half.

And we scattered

to the ends of the earth,

searching and searching

for our other half.

Or to put it

another way...

You...

Complete me.

For me, the pinnacle

of romantic comedies

is Nora Ephron's

When Harry Met Sally.

And this masterpiece

wholeheartedly embraces

the idea that the two lovers

should be opposites,

who unite and complete

each other.

Harry is doomy

and full of cynicism,

which is in stark contrast

to Sally's upbeat,

positive persona.

- Yes, basically I'm a happy person.

- So am I.

And I don't see that there's

anything wrong with that.

Of course not.

You're too busy being happy.

Do you ever think about death?

- Yes.

- Sure you do.

A fleeting thought that's just in and out of the transom of your mind.

I spend hours. I spend days.

And you think this makes you

a better person?

Well, when the shit comes down,

I'm gonna be prepared

and you're not,

- that's all I'm saying.

- In the meantime,

you're gonna ruin

your whole life waiting for it.

At first,

their differences drive them apart.

But then, as they grow older

and move through the world,

they're faced with challenges.

You're not with Joe anymore?

We just broke up.

Aww.

I'm sorry. That's too bad.

Yeah. Well, you know...

Yeah.

So...

- What about you?

- I'm fine.

How's married life?

Not so good.

I am getting a divorce.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

Yeah, well,

what're you gonna do?

Gradually,

through sharing

their contrasting worldviews

with each other,

they begin to make sense

of themselves,

and their lives.

Harry, you're gonna

have to try and find a way

of not expressing

every feeling that you have,

every moment that you have them.

Oh, really?

Yes.

There are times and places

for things.

Well, the next time you're giving a lecture series on social graces,

would you let me know?

'Cause I'll sign up.

Hey.

You don't have to take

your anger out on me.

Oh, I think I'm entitled to throw a little anger your way.

Especially when I'm being

told how to live my life

by Miss Hospital Corners.

What's that supposed to mean?

I mean, nothing bothers you.

You never get upset

about anything.

Don't be ridiculous.

What?

You never get upset about Joe.

I never see that back up on you.

How is that possible?

Don't you experience

any feelings of loss?

I don't have to take

this crap from you.

If you're so over Joe,

why aren't you seeing anyone?

I see people.

See people. Have you slept

with one person

since you broke up with Joe?

What the hell does that

have to do with anything?

That will prove I'm over Joe,

because I fuck somebody?

Harry, you're gonna have

to move back to New Jersey

because you've slept

with everybody in New York,

and I don't see that

turning Helen

into a faint memory for you.

Besides, I will make love to somebody when it is making love.

Not the way you do it,

like you're out for revenge or something.

Are you finished now?

Yes.

Can I say something?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

Ultimately,

it's their differences

which make them an ideal fit.

This is a pattern

we see repeatedly.

Sometimes, it's mundane.

InStranger Than Fiction,

an uptight IRS man

falls in love

with the rebellious,

tattooed pastry chef,

he's supposed to be auditing.

Mr. Crick.

Yes, what is it?

You're staring at my tits.

Uh, I what?

I don't think I was.

I don't think I would do that.

If I was, I can assure you,

it was only as a representative

of the United States government.

But sometimes,

it's more metaphorical.

InSplash, a man

afraid of the sea...

Then you wouldn't

want me to do this.

Stop! God, no. Please.

Falls in love

with a mermaid.

This way of seeing romantic connection is incredibly satisfying,

and emotionally overwhelming.

In fact, so powerful is

this way of portraying lovers

as two opposites attracting

to complete each other,

that it's existed since

at least the 17th century.

Shakespeare used it

inMuch Ado About Nothing.

I wonder that you will still

be talking, SignorBenedick.

- Nobody marks you.

- What?

My dear Lady Disdain!

Are you yet living?

Is it possible disdain

should die

while she hath such meet food

to feed it as SignorBenedick?

I do love nothing in the world

so well as you.

Is not that strange?

As strange as the thing

I know not.

It were as possible

for me to say

I love nothing so well as you.

We also see this in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice,

where the relaxed and unconventional Elizabeth Bennet

is the perfect match for the highly reserved Mr.

Darcy.

I wonder who first discovered

the power of poetry

in driving away love.

I thought that poetry

was the food of love.

Of a fine stout love, it may.

But if it is only

a vague inclination,

I'm convinced one poor sonnet

will kill it stone dead.

So, what do you recommend

to encourage affection?

Dancing.

Even if one's partner

is barely tolerable.

His anguished declaration of love is so successful

in eliciting an emotional

response in audiences,

that it's become a trope,

used over and over again

in romantic comedies.

I've fought against

my better judgement,

my family's expectation,

the inferiority of your birth,

my rank and circumstance...

All these things that I am

willing to put them aside

and ask you to end my agony.

- I don't understand.

- I love you.

Most ardently.

Please do me the honor

of accepting my hand.

It's always one

of the most human

and relatable moments

in the films.

People convey those

kinds of thoughts piecemeal

over the course

of a relationship.

I don't mind

the cinematic license

of presenting them

in aggregate.

You become more wordy

in moments of crisis.

Of course,

I've performed speeches of love for guys,

I'm an actress. Everything

is a movie to me.

Someone has formed

a declaration of love for me,

but they didn't say

any of the things

that I needed them to say.

It was awful.

I've done them in airports, in a supermarket.

Like, you just say it to each other in a mundane setting.

You can hear yourself.

And it's like, "Wow.

"If anybody else hears me right now,

can they actually just kill me?"

Because I would wanna

kill myself.

He said stuff like, "If we had met on a dating app,

"we would have matched."

And that we had

sparkling banter.

They must have been,

"Yo, like she's insane."

They must've done!

They must have just been like, "Why does she think

"that she's in

a Disney film right now?"

They must have done!

Do you wanna know the real

reason why I came here tonight?

I closed my world off.

I put myself in a little box.

It was all my fault. I mean...

I'm the bastard here.

I'm immature, I'm unthoughtful,

I'm a friggin' idiot.

I'm a liar and a phoney.

A saxophone player.

But something's happened to me

since I've...

Met you and...

I'm happiest

when I'm being myself.

And I'm myself

when I'm with you.

So...

I thought that I would come here

and tell you something.

I like you.

I want you.

I love you.

I'm totally, completely

in love with you,

and I don't care

if you think it's too late,

I'm telling you anyway.

I'm crazy about you.

I think about you all the time.

And I want to spend the rest

of my life with you.

'Cause like you said,

"This is it."

"This is life."

I came here tonight

because when you realize

you want to spend the rest

of your life with somebody,

you want the rest of your life

to start as soon as possible.

And don't forget,

I'm also just a girl

standing in front of a boy,

asking him to love her.

♪ There's always been

Something about her

♪ But tonight's the night

You see her clearly

♪ As she pours you a glass

♪ Everything you thought

You knew is shifting

♪ And you're so scared

It shows

♪ And this woman's in love

♪ This woman's in love

This woman's in love

♪ With you

♪ Yeah, this woman's in love

♪ This woman's in love

This woman's in love

♪ With you

♪ And all the time you waited

♪ She was waiting too

♪ You can't believe

You found her

♪ And you can't believe

♪ That she's in love

She's in love

♪ She's in love with you

♪ In love with you

♪ She's in love with you

♪ She's in love

Recently,

I've noticed a spate of films

that, while not marked

as romantic comedies,

will exploit, enlist,

or twist the structures and tropes of the rom-com

to their own ends.

They employ many of

the same time-honored tricks

as the traditional rom-com,

and fall into some

of the same traps.

I need a taxi. I got to get

to the airport right now.

I gotta stop someone

from getting married.

Flight leaves in... Oh.

I got like four hours.

The Break-Up attempts to subvert the rom-com narrative

by, as the title might suggest,

refusing to give its protagonists a happy ending.

You think that I nag you?

That's all you do!

All you do is nag me.

"The bathroom's a mess.

"Your belt doesn't match.

"Hey, Gary, you should

probably go work out."

Nothing I ever do

is ever good enough.

I just want to be left

the hell alone!

- Is that what you want?

- Yeah.

- That's what you want?

- Yeah.

Fine. Great. Do whatever

the hell you want.

You leave your socks

all over this house.

Dress like a pig.

Play your stupid ass video game,

I don't care. I'm done.

- What?

- I am done.

I don't deserve this.

I really do not deserve this.

I deserve somebody

who gives a shit.

I'm not spending

one more second of this life

with some inconsiderate prick.

You're a prick!

A far more

interesting twist

comes from 2012'sRuby Sparks,

written by Zoe Kazan.

This rom-com plays

with the genre's conventions.

And directly confronts the insidious "cool girl" trope

and the power of the male writers who indulge it.

A novelist describes his ideal woman in his new book

and is stunned when one day she appears in his house.

I missed you in bed last night.

Did you get some

good writing done?

He falls

in love with her.

And resolves not to write

about her again,

as he wants her

to be her own person.

However, when she begins to seek a life outside their relationship,

he feels insecure.

- I'm so lonely.

- No.

Don't say that. Please.

I think I should start spending some nights at my apartment again.

He starts

writing about her again,

so he can control

her behavior.

First, he makes her

completely obsessed with him.

And crushes her desire

for independence.

Then he makes her

unrelentingly happy.

Eventually, we are

shown how disturbing it is

to have a female character whose every thought and action

is driven solely

by the male creator.

If this is how

you think about people,

then you are in for a long,

lonely, fucked-up life.

Do you hear me?

Calvin.

Less radical than Kazan's offering isI Love You, Man,

a film which is a rom-com

in every aspect but one.

Our soulmates are platonic

friends instead of lovers.

Sydney, I'm really sorry

for all the stuff that I said.

Pete, you called me

on a lot of my issues.

I appreciate it.

I'm really glad

you're here, Sydney.

Me, too.

I love you, man.

I love you too, bud.

- I love you, dude.

- I love you, Bro Montana.

I love you, homes.

I love you, Broseph Goebbels.

- I love you, muchacha.

- I love you, Tycho Brohe.

Okay.

In 2013, The Heat

did something similar.

It's a rom-com dressed up

as a buddy movie.

This time between

two female cops.

The uptight loner Ashburn,

played by Sandra Bullock,

and Melissa McCarthy's

loose cannon, Mullins.

- Ashburn.

- Hey, it's me.

Hey.

So, uh, did you get

that package I sent over?

Oh, God, I haven't even

opened it yet. I'm sorry.

I signed it. On the front.

Okay, I see it.

That's very funny.

I know.

I'm just kidding.

Just look at the...

Look at the back.

Well...

Don't make it weird.

Later, nerd.

Takes a nerd to know a nerd.

The success

of these bromances

and womances,

proves that the power

of the rom-com

is strong enough to survive

being transplanted

into buddy movies.

Yes!

Other film-makers

employ the same structure

as traditional rom-coms,

but disguise it.

There's a number of reasons

they might want to do this.

Foremost among them,

the sad fact that marketing a film as a romantic comedy

is a quick route

to critical disdain.

Perhaps, because

so many of the people

who are reviewing

these films are men.

A film-maker hoping to be

awarded accolades and acclaim

would do better if they presented their romantic comedy

as something else.

David O. Russell used

some romantic comedy tropes

inSilver Linings Playbook.

The screwball dialogue.

So how's your thing going?

The dancing thing?

It's good. How's your

restraining order?

The declaration of love.

I love you.

I knew it

the minute I met you.

I'm sorry it took so long

for me to catch up.

I just got stuck.

And the happy ending.

But the film avoided the cloud of critical distain

that surrounds the genre

because it's tonally

much darker

than the romantic comedies

I grew up watching.

Instead of being clumsy,

its characters dealt

with real problems

like suicide and depression.

Silver Linings Playbook

was billed as a comedy drama,

not a romantic comedy,

and was Oscar-nominated

across the board.

Other secret rom-coms might be even more critically acclaimed.

2016'sLa La Land employs all the beats of a romantic comedy.

But likeThe Break-Up,

it skips the happy ending.

It's important to note

that although these films use

the structure of romantic

comedies to great effect,

eliciting powerful emotions,

they yet again only show us straight, white,

middle-class relationships.

Earlier, I said that there was a lack of romantic comedies

with people of color

as the leads,

or mixed-race couples,

or queer relationships.

But this isn't strictly true.

Many examples

of those films do exist.

It's just that as

a white, straight woman

who is heavily catered for by mainstream romantic comedies,

I never went looking for them.

And because of that,

I missed out on this moment

from 2001's

Kissing Jessica Stein.

I didn't see a blond Zack Braff

and Justin Theroux

in the queer rom-com,

The Broken Hearts Club.

Or the sweet perfection

of 2010'sJust Wright.

I'd never seen Stella

getting her groove back.

And I'd also never watched

Alice Wu'sSaving Face

about a Chinese-American

surgeon

who falls madly in love

with a ballet dancer.

Despite not being represented

in terms of race or sexuality

by these films,

I love them just as much as I love

While You Were Sleeping,

orWhen Harry Met Sally.

Because romantic comedies aren't about race or gender or sexuality,

they're about human connection.

I realize now why I'm obsessed with romantic comedies,

it's so simple.

They show people

falling in love

and when anyone watches

any two people fall in love,

we see nothing

but their humanity.

My favorite film

of recent times

is 2017's critically-lauded

God's Own Country.

The love story is structurally a romantic comedy,

but instead of watching a straight middle-class couple

falling over each other

in a New York office,

we have a struggling

Yorkshire farmer

falling for a Romanian

migrant worker.

They call you Georgie

or summat?

- Gheorghe.

- Whatever. Get in.

It's got all the beats

of a Nora Ephron classic.

Two young people meet

and find themselves clashing

over their differences.

I'm from Romania.

Gypsy.

Please don't call me that.

However, they're forced

to share experiences

and in doing so,

they're drawn together.

Fuck.

If you leave it, it will

get infected with disease.

Eventually, they realized

they complete each other.

I was thinking.

I can stay a little longer.

After circumstances

force them apart,

there's no option but to make an anguished declaration of love.

I'm trying to do this.

Don't you see, I'm...

I'm trying to sort it out.

And I've come

all this way up here,

on a coach and everything.

And I want you to come back...

With me.

And I want us to be together.

I don't want to be

a fuck-up anymore.

No, leave me. I'm fine.

I want to be with you,

and that's what I needed to say.

And the rom-com

closes in the traditional way

giving the audience the ultimate satisfying ending,

a kiss between the two lovers.

God's Own country isn't

considered a romantic comedy,

which, while understandable,

is perhaps a shame

because it left me with all of the uplifting feelings of elation and romance

that I get from re-watching

Sleepless in Seattle

for the 35th time.

Another film I loved from the same year asGod's Own Country

isThe Big Sick,

which is based on

a real-life relationship

between writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani.

What were you

like in high school?

They called me chashmullee.

What is that?

It roughly translates

to "dweeb."

I'll show you a picture.

Of you in high school?

Oh, my God.

- Boom.

- No.

And I'm thinking,

"I'm killing it right now."

What inspired this haircut?

Hugh Grant.

- No.

- Yeah.

The film was

critically acclaimed,

Oscar-nominated,

and most importantly,

a romantic comedy

that sticked

to the traditional formula.

But unlike the films

that I grew up watching,

its characters are complex

and fleshed out.

I was going to tell you

about that.

These are women in Pakistan

who wanna marry you?

They're not in Pakistan.

You've met these women?

Just with my parents and stuff,

we haven't like...

But you're not serious

about this, are you?

It's my mom's thing,

I just go along with it.

So what does your mom think

about you and me then?

She doesn't know

about me, does she?

No.

They're not from

high-income backgrounds.

So are you ever gonna

let me sit in the front seat?

No, I'm a professional,

and you're paying for this ride.

I don't wanna pay for this ride,

it's surging right now.

And they deal

with real problems.

In the future, I hope

film-makers will continue

to use the power of rom-coms

to put different types

of relationships

in front of the camera.

I hope studios will realize

that there's a hunger

for these films.

And that they'll reach a mainstream Hollywood audience.

Because love

doesn't only happen

to white, straight,

middle-class people.

And it doesn't have

to end with a wedding.

And it doesn't always

last forever.

Are you breaking up with me?

But it is

wonderful to watch.

♪ There were never

Any fireworks

♪ You never fell in love

At first sight

♪ I never wanted

♪ Never wanted a normal life

♪ I wasn't waiting for you

♪ And I know you weren't

Waiting for me

♪ If we'd never met

It wouldn't bother

♪ Wouldn't bother me

♪ But it feels

♪ All right

♪ I don't like you

All the time

♪ None of my friends thought

This would work

♪ And if you walked away now

Walked away now

♪ It wouldn't hurt

♪ Who knows where

We'll be next year

♪ You never want

To make plans

♪ But if I'm honest

Yeah, I'm honest

♪ I want you around

♪ 'Cause it feels

♪ All right

♪ I wasn't made for you

♪ You weren't made for me

♪ But when I wake up

When I wake up

♪ You're next to me

♪ And it feels

♪ All right

♪ And yes it feels

♪ All right

♪ Yes, it feels

♪ All right

♪ Because it feels

♪ All right

♪ Feels all right

♪ I still remember

♪ When you called my name

♪ These feelings I had

♪ When you felt the same

♪ I still remember

♪ There was light in my day

♪ I fell into love

♪ Now it all falls away

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ How can I breathe, how can I?

♪ How can I live, how can I?

♪ How can I go on without you?

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ How do I dream, how do I?

♪ How do I plan, how do I?

♪ How do I laugh without you?

♪ I always wondered

♪ How it could have been

♪ If those days that we spent

♪ Weren't just memories

♪ I always wondered

♪ If there was more to say

♪ I had it so good

♪ But I let it slip away

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ How can I breathe, how can I?

♪ How can I live, how can I?

♪ How can I go on without you?

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ How do I dream, how do I?

♪ How do I plan, how do I?

♪ How do I laugh without you?

♪ I knew deep down

I'd only get one shot

♪ Our story only ever

Had one plot

♪ You'd better learn

To treasure what you've got

♪ Take it, take it from me

♪ It goes away

And it was never enough

♪ Get so used to it

And then then it stops

♪ So lock your heart away

In a little box

♪ Take it, take it from me

♪ How can I breathe, how can I?

♪ How can I live, how can I?

♪ How can I go on without you?

♪ How do I dream, how do I?

♪ How do I plan, how do I?

♪ How do I laugh without you?

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ If you are

The love of my life

♪ How do I laugh without you?

Romantic Comedy (2019) - full transcript