Every genre has its cliches and conventions which make it distinctly the genre which it aims to be. In this post I shall be assessing some of the cliches associated with the romance genre:
The Guy
- The jock - He's sporty, good-looking, and the most popular guy in school.
- Or he's the unsure, shy guy at the back of class with a hidden talent.
- When the relationship goes sour, it's always his fault.
- Has a variety of cheesy lines at his disposal.
- Has a variety of cheesy dates at his disposal.
- Tends to run down the middle of busy roads, sometimes in the rain, to reach the love of his life.
- An excellent singer.
The Girl
- Unsure of herself.
- Has some sort of hidden talent.
- Protective father.
- Sassy best friend/ sardonic best friend/ quirky best friend.
- Has some form of sob story.
- Just wants to be appreciated.
- Slides down the wall whilst crying.
- Laughs and cries at the same time.
- Shots where her head falls into frame and lands on a pillow.
- Over emotional.
Story
- Guy meets girl, they fall in love, there is a problem, they overcome the problem, they live happily ever after.
- Make-up kiss in bad weather.
- Makeover montage with friends saying whether the new outfit is good or bad.
- Shy girl becomes stunning beauty through a little make-up.
- Singing using random objects as microphones.
- Love montage - always including riding bikes, rowing boats or picnics
- Speech where the guy explains all the small things he loves about the girl.
- Meddlesome parents.
- A romantic set piece, where the guy does something insanely romantic for his girl.
- A particular picture of them both, that is related back to as the film goes on.
- A sex scene.
- Waking up the morning after to find the guy is gone, sometimes leaving a post-it note on the bed.
- Sad or happy ending...doesn't matter which - it's still a cliche.
- Inappropriate comment from an elderly person.
- Guy has a side kick who at one point thinks that the best friend is deserting him for the girl.
- Guy has a side kick who tries to explain to the girl why it is over.
- Guy has a fat, comedic side kick.
- Cheesy song in soundtrack.
- Constant, over-the-top, cheesy, orchestral soundtrack that crescendos at the kiss.
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