Being a part of a generation that grew up watching Disney princesses fall in love with prince charming made us think we would end up with that fairy-tale ending; happy and in love. It was the same with non-animated romance movies; the main character always ended up falling in love with the right person while the wrong person was left alone. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to apply the rules to real life because hopes were raised and crashed down like a tonne of bricks; the end result always seemed to be disappointment. It was torturous, but we all held on to that hope that we would be the main character falling in love, but time and time again our scripts would be taken from us and our stories re-written.
However, it wasn’t Disney that was the biggest disappointment when it came to finding love in the real world, but the romance movies on television. That disappointment hits deep when you realistically have a soft spot for the genre; movies like Made of Honor, Bride Wars, Leap Year and Where the Crawdad’s Sing. Love is not just misrepresented in movies, but it’s represented in a light that is relatable in some instances.
The movie Made of Honor starring heart-throb Patrick Dempsey depicts two best friends, both complete opposites when it comes to love, but after Dempsey’s character finds that his best girl friend is getting married to a man she just met, his whole vision changes. He finds that he’s in love with her, the past few weeks she was abroad were weeks he spent feeling lost without her. The lesson we learn from this is; it takes another love interest to make you realise who you truly like/love. However, it doesn’t always turn out like the movies; often times the one you love won’t fall back into your arms after confessing your love to them. Yes, it happens, but if it all works out then your romance movie script was printed successfully, but remember, this is life, not a movie. If you love someone then tell them, don’t wait for their engagement to someone else to confess your true feelings.
Leap Year has been a favourite of mine for years as it follows a perfect, but chaotic love story with Irish humour. Anna is hoping to propose to her boyfriend after a gift of earrings was thought to be an engagement ring. A business trip takes him to Ireland where Anna plans to propose to him on leap day as it’s an Irish tradition for a woman to propose to a man. However, if there was ever a trip that led to disaster after disaster then this is it. As a guide for getting Anna to Dublin, Declan, a pub owner under stress from debt collectors takes the American lass under his wing as she promises a huge money reward. At first, the two of them fight and annoy each other, but as the movie plays on we notice the two of them drawing closer together until feelings start to surface shyly. This is the hardest lesson to learn; falling in love with someone you thought you never would despite wanting to make a commitment to someone else, but the one you thought you were destined to be with is actually not who you thought they were. Feelings are allowed, changes of hearts are allowed, but do not leave your thought-to-be other half without explanation.
Where the Crawdad’s Sing is a movie of such beauty and romance that is relatable on a variety of levels and my heart has never cried or bled for a character except when we’re introduced to Kya. The romance is portrayed as someone learning to trust, but their trust shatters when their love doesn’t show up; it’s a real tear-stained scene. Then there’ll be the lesson of not everyone can be trusted especially those that abuse your trust and make you into an object they’ll possess, but never speak about. Daisy Edgar Jones is a true beauty and was born to play a role that relates to one’s romance experience as opposed to romance that doesn’t appeal to us at all.
