Comedies of Romance

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Comedies of Romance

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By Ben Elliott

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Most of us know the traditional romantic comedy formula: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. The familiar rhythm of a romcom is what makes it so appealing — it’s as comforting as listening to a favorite song or slipping into a well-worn sweater. But for those of us who've ever been in a real-life relationship, who know that love doesn’t fit neatly into a three-act structure, romcoms can sometimes feel disingenuous.

But the genre of romantic comedies covers far more than the basic “romcom.” For those who crave something a little more honest, there’s its sharper, acerbic sibling: the comedy of romance.

Harold and Maude, 1971

While romcoms follow a set formula, comedies of romance explore the darker, more complicated sides of love while still (hopefully) making us laugh. Billy Wilder cracked the mold with The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, paving the way for New Hollywood directors like Mike Nichols, Hal Ashby, and Elaine May to tear it apart with films like Carnal Knowledge, Harold and Maude, and The Heartbreak Kid.

Roman Holiday, 1953

And writers and directors were looking for ways to subvert expectations long before then, too. Even relatively tame classics like William Wyler’s Roman Holiday, which plays at The Triplex this Valentine’s Day, pushed the genre’s boundaries. It’s a simple story that dares to acknowledge a truth many comedies of its era avoided: sometimes, life — with all its obligations, responsibilities, and timing — gets in the way of love.

Which is what these movies are all about: they may break your heart, but they also lift you up. They capture the highs and lows of love in one cinematic experience, making you laugh, cry, cringe, and seethe in equal measure. They remind us that there’s no single formula for love — a lesson worth embracing (and celebrating) this Valentine’s Day.

Showtimes

Showtimes Freakier Friday | 1:00PM, 3:30PM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM The Life of Chuck | 1:15PM, 4:15PM Highest 2 Lowest | 1:45PM, 4:45PM, 8:00PM The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg | 7:00PM

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