Romantic comedy Actors Glen Powell (left) and Sydney Sweeney square off as lead characters in the romantic comedy Anyone but You (2023). (more) romantic comedy movie genre Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: rom-com Written by Leigh Goldstein Leigh Goldstein is a feminist media researcher based in Montreal. Leigh Goldstein Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 5, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Also called: rom-com (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is a romantic comedy? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "A romantic comedy, or rom-com, is a movie genre characterized by a narrative focused on the pursuit of love, depicted in a lighthearted manner, often concluding with a happy resolution." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are some common tropes in romantic comedies? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Common tropes include the meet-cute, quirky best friends, the near breakup, and the grand romantic gesture." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did the Hays Code affect romantic comedies in the 1930s? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Hays Code restricted portrayals of certain romantic relationships and prohibited explicit mention of sexual relationships, leading to filmsu2019 relying on verbal sparring and physical comedy instead." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did romantic comedies change in the 1950s? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In the 1950s romantic comedies began to include racier dialogue and acknowledged the existence of sex and desire." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did romantic comedies try to broaden their appeal in the early 21st century? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In the early 21st century romantic comedies often aimed to broaden their appeal by focusing on male leads and their friends." } } ] } Top Questions What is a romantic comedy? A romantic comedy, or rom-com, is a movie genre characterized by a narrative focused on the pursuit of love, depicted in a lighthearted manner, often concluding with a happy resolution.
What are some common tropes in romantic comedies? Common tropes include the meet-cute, quirky best friends, the near breakup, and the grand romantic gesture.
How did the Hays Code affect romantic comedies in the 1930s? The Hays Code restricted portrayals of certain romantic relationships and prohibited explicit mention of sexual relationships, leading to films’ relying on verbal sparring and physical comedy instead.
How did romantic comedies change in the 1950s? In the 1950s romantic comedies began to include racier dialogue and acknowledged the existence of sex and desire.
How did romantic comedies try to broaden their appeal in the early 21st century? In the early 21st century romantic comedies often aimed to broaden their appeal by focusing on male leads and their friends.
romantic comedy, movie genre produced since the 1930s by Hollywood and other film industries. The romantic comedy, or rom-com, is characterized by a narrative organized around the pursuit of love, the lighthearted manner in which this quest is depicted, and a conclusion that almost always offers a happy resolution. Conflicts in many romantic comedies take the form of a battle of the sexes, as the vast majority of rom-coms revolve around a heterosexual romance (although there are exceptions, particularly beginning in the 2020s). Other tropes of the genre include the meet-cute (the notable way the protagonists meet), quirky best friends, ...(100 of 1656 words)
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