Romantic comedy is a genre that has existed since the beginning of cinema. It has given us countless stories that remain in the history of the seventh art: When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail, Notting Hill, and many more! The titles of this genre are familiar to us because they are still classics today, but... What are their main characteristics?
The romantic comedy was born from the screwball comedy, a subgenre that emerged in the United States during the 1930s. In it, the main characters, a man and a woman, keep the audience intrigued about their relationship and how they will end up together. As we can see, this genre has as its main narrative axis the search for love. It is a journey with cheerful tones and a successful ending.
This kind of film uses a quite familiar narrative pattern: boy meets girl, he conquers her, he loses her, and then reconquers her. Even though the way of telling the story may vary from film to film, the basics are similar. On the other hand, the screenplay usually shows different stages of growth and self-improvement of the protagonists, that is, we can witness character development. In addition, the obstacles the protagonists must face derive from misunderstandings, entanglements, or communication problems.
A film that is worth mentioning that has some of these characteristics is What if? starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, which delves into the friendship between Wallace and Chantry, who decide to be friends and try not to let other feelings affect their relationship. Other films of the kind are The Space Between Us, The Rewrite, and Destination Wedding.
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