A twist in life is expected, but a twist in a romantic comedy, not always the case. In life, there are certain characters that come and go. Certain places we visit once, while other hang-outs become our version of ‘Central Perk.’ In high school, we encountered the sluts, the nerds, the bandies, the arty type, and the jocks-especially the football captain who got whatever he wanted with a flash of his smile and a wave of his biceps.Now that we’re in college, and moved out of the Molly Ringwald stereotype films, do we still find traditional romantic comedy roles in people we meet? Is there still the loyal friend, the evil villain and the love interest?
Noel, my 20-something girl friend with a long-time, long- distant boyfriend always had hope that one day she’d have her ‘Hollywood moment.’ She found it and the cameras were rolling. One evening, as she was walking home from her nonverbal Communication class, getting her brand new Steve Madden black pumps wet, she got to her Walnut Street apartment to find her soaking wet boyfriend holding drooping roses. They fought on their anniversary only 12 hours before the visit.
Jeff, the Med student at Texas A&M University, her still long- time, long-distant boyfriend, knew that the best and only way to apologize was to do something big to prove his love for Noel. Rightfully so, the bigger the screw-up, the bigger the bouquet of roses..these were huge. However not all women let men off the hook with a last minute $425 plane ride, wet feet and a dozen long stem roses.
Once in awhile, we’ll be introduced to a character who chooses to love herself more than any man, maybe because she knows no man will treat her the way she deserves to be treated, or maybe because she’s scared to get too close or maybe because she just views men as objects. Like a piece of gum…chewed until it’s lost its flavor. Either way, Amber, the youngest president of her sorority, would rather be in a horror film than get anywhere near the tissue box of a romantic comedy. To her, romance is staying with him till morning.
Not all my fabulous friends are here or there when it comes to romance. Michelle, a driven 21-year-old political science major with a strong personality, does not take crap from anyone and is skeptical about romance, but can’t help and indulge herself in it from time to time. She was dating a 24-year-old graduate student, with a tribal tattoo, she met outside his apartment building on Rosedale. They’ve gone out a few times, a bar here, restaurant there, then back to her place at the Commons for dessert.
She didn’t want to fall for his lines “Your eyes are so beautiful” or “I’ve never felt this way about anyone like this before” because she wasn’t sure what his angle was. Is he really romantic, and feelings these things or was he simply trying to get some.
After several weeks of tag she finally gave in to Brad. Turns out, she was right. He was only after one thing: Pants. A nice twist in Michelle’s second half of the film jolted her back to reality. That’s the thing about twists. You twist enough times, and it brings you right back to where you started. So maybe that wasn’t her leading man, and not her movie ending.
Occasionally, you find yourself in the ‘montage’ of the film, where the two leading characters split, try to find themselves, fix their personal problems, date other people and re-evaluate the time they spent together. It’s here, when we are separated from the one we love that we can truly come to terms with how much they mean to us or. How much they do not. When in a break up it’s normal to hope that he will call. However, perhaps one day you will be thankful that he did not.
While going through the montage, it is always important to stay positive and focus on the end of the film. When two characters meet again over coffee in New York City on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I got my moment, his name is Robert Grae. With several years on me and many experiences under his very fashionable GQ magazine belt, I was for the first time able to accept the fact that maybe life is like a movie. We met in true Hollywood and West Chester fashion, at a hip and trendy bar Coyote Crossing. I was wearing my BCBG black dress with my very high, very sexy heels when he walked up to me. I learned that evening that fun comes in every color.even gray. It is too soon to tell if this will turn into a Hollywood ending, or just another scene with another character, whom I will let pass on by.
Because in the end, if your script does not play out the way you hoped it would, there’s always the possibility of a sequel.