February 14^th is rounding the corner.  It can go two ways. Some girls will wear black and declare it a day for Hallmark and candy corporations to sell their stock.  On the other hand, there will be the group of girls who play for the other team and flutter about shopping for their significant others. Some single men will take advantage of the single women woes, and try to lock in a hot date.  The taken men usually forget until they turn on the TV.

And what could be so worthy of grabbing their attention besides the Super Bowl? Of course, while everyone else is drinking wine, dating, eating their weight in chocolate, making homemade gifts or shopping, the TV companies are playing romantic comedies all day long.  For those who are single, the romantic comedy can either be the devil or the savior of their Valentine’s Day.  They will try to avoid the sickening love story that enfolds, or get together with other single friends and have a great night of movies and…eating more chocolate.

Now, the romantic comedy has been a favorite among our culture for quite a long time.  They don’t exactly scream Oscar-worthy, but they are classics that any type of person will, at one point in their life, enjoy.  But what makes the romantic comedy, in fact the romantic comedy?  Well, if anyone has seen When Harry Met Sally, Jerry Maguire, or My Best Friend’s Wedding, they know exactly what makes up the romantic comedy.  The guy, the girl, and the heartwarming, yet predictive, script that will make the audience faint, ah-yes, we know it so well.  But, what are the new-age romantic comedies of our time, and do they really live up to their predecessors?

After careful consideration of many movies, a formula has been developed and five movies have made the cut.  First, it must be known that no romantic comedy will ever make us weak at the knees like Harry did. (“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.”) But, there are a few that have tried and may live up to the bar.

The Formula: Dreamy man, attractive woman, and the line.  You know, that line that makes every woman want to jump through the screen into the movie and wish their lives were “more like that.”  The line where they turn to their significant others and say, “Why can’t you be more like him?”  Those unrealistic monologues and one-liners that usually occur at the end of the movies to bring on the happy endings that await.  It should also be said that both men and women can enjoy romantic comedies; though women tend to persuade men into watching them, and men will never admit they actually like watching them.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

In an attempt to ask her boss to let her write about more serious topics, Andie agrees to kill two birds with one stone and help her friend figure out what she does wrong in every relationship she’s been in.  Andie says she’ll pick a guy and do all the things guys hate, and will drive him away in 10 days.  Ben, the man Andie selects, coincidentally needs to make the diamond deal of a lifetime.  He tries to prove to his boss that he can make any girl fall in love with him.  Naturally, laughter roars as the two drive each other practically insane.  They begin to have some serious moments where they may actually fall for each other.  When Andie visits Ben’s family she is welcomed into the family like no other boyfriends’ have done before.  She beats Ben in a playful card game of BS. They find out that they are both playing games with each other’s hearts in the end, but of course, they work out to happily ever after.

Guy:  Matthew McConaughey | Girl: Kate Hudson

The Line: “Bullsh**.”

Bridget Jones’s Diary

We are introduced to Bridget Jones as she is trying to lose weight, quit smoking and find a significant other to shut her friends up and help her endure couples’ dinners that she so very often gets invited to.  As she battles her mother, who wants to set her up with a man she absolutely loathes, she begins to write down her daily weight and cigarettes in a diary.  In her conquest to find the man she deserves, she goes through a few embarrassing but comical hiccups along the way.  Of course, in the end, Mark Darcy makes every girl swoon with his line, the best yet since Jerry Maguire’s “You complete me” and “You had me at hello.”

Guy: Colin Firth | Girl: Renee Zellweger

The Line: “I like you, just as you are.”

You might be saying to yourself, some of these are total chick flicks.  Well, you are right.  Most romantic comedies do fall into the category of the infamous chick flick.  However, they are not true chick flicks. Their formulas are broad and can differ depending on the movie.  Chick flicks tend to involve the women in the film finding themselves through their friends, struggling with their careers, or dealing with family issues.  An example of a movie that is commonly mistaken for a romantic comedy is The Devil Wears Prada. Anne Hathaway’s character, though she does have that “his and her” moment at the end, is searching for herself while enduring havoc from her boss.  There is no dreamy guy that delivers the line at the end of the movie; just Anne Hathaway’s character kicking butt at her job.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Peter is trying to get over the love of his life, Sarah, who left him for a trippy singer/performer.  He ends up taking a vacation to Hawaii to get over the heartbreak, where naturally, he finds himself staying at the same resort his ex-girlfriend and her new beau are staying at.  Laughter ensues as he tries to avoid her and show up her new man at the same time.  He ends up falling for Rachel, the hotel concierge, throughout the process.

This movie is definitely one that any guy will watch without hesitation because of its downright hilarious screenplay.  The romance is pretty well disguised.

Guy: Jason Segel | Girl: Mila Kunis

The Line: “Then maybe this has a chance.”

27 Dresses

Jane has been madly in love with her boss since the day she took the job.  She never really has the courage to tell him how she feels, and loses her chance when her younger sister comes into town and starts dating him.  Jane watches in horror as her boss proposes to her younger sister.  Jane, the pushover, agrees to plan her younger sister and boss’s wedding.  She meets Kevin, the guy who writes the matrimonies in the Sunday Times.  Jane has a knack for reading and saving the ones she loves and hopes to have her own marriage covered one day.  She is disappointed when she finds out the man behind the writing, Kevin, mocks marriage and does not really believe in it at all.  Tense moments occur between Jane and Kevin, and Jane and her sister until Jane realizes she is falling for Kevin.  Jane delivers the monologue at the end, a refreshing take on the traditional romantic comedy format.

Guy: James Marsden | Girl: Katherine Heigl

The Monologue: “I’ve been waiting my whole life for the right guy to come along and then you showed up. And you are nothing like the man I imagined. You’re cynical and cranky and impossible. But the truth is, fighting with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I think there’s a very good chance that I’m falling in love with you. So…that’s it. That’s all I had to say. So… I’ll go now.”

Just Friends

The tell-told tale of childhood sweethearts.  Chris has loved Jamie his entire life.  They were best friends growing up, but Chris never had the guts to tell Jamie he liked her more than just a friend.  When he finally tried, she rejected him, and made him turn into a selfless womanizer.  Chris comes face-to-face with reality when he visits his hometown and finds out that Jamie is dating a guy he absolutely despises.

Guy: Ryan Reynolds | Girl: Amy Smart

The Monologue: “Because I wanna take you on a date. And I don’t care if it’s in the day or in the night or whenever, as long as it’s a real date.  And I wanna tell you how beautiful I think you are, inside and out.”

There you have it.  This Valentine’s Day, don’t mope around and avoid all your friends who are in relationships.  Don’t avoid your girlfriends and wives just because you think they’ll force you to watch a painful movie.  Remember, they’re not all chick flicks! Grab the chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of champagne, pop in a romantic comedy and escape into the land where the guy always gets the girl.

By the way, if you happen to see the new film Valentine’s Day, let us know what you think.  That many dreamy men and attractive women could produce a lot of one-liners and monologues.  We don’t think it fits the formula, but hey, a little Patrick Dempsey and Bradley Cooper never hurt anyone.

Sonal Patel is studying communcations in her fourth year at Drexel University. She is currently interning for the Drexel Publishing Group.