The anatomy of a romantic comedy
CNN
In honor of Valentine's Day, and a celebration of love, CNN pondered that eternal question: What makes a romantic comedy click? We picked and prodded, we studied and surveyed everything from "Sleepless in Seattle" to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." This is what we found.
Though often ridiculed, or dismissed as "chick flicks," these movies appeal to something we all crave: love. To watch these movies is to be charmed -- don't we all, on some level, want to believe in a happy ending? That everything will work out, that everyone is worthy of love?
The rom-com is a genre that has existed for decades, since the very beginning of film. But, like any genre, it has had its duds; films that ring hollow, shallow depictions of one of the most beautiful aspects of life. In honor of Valentine's Day, and a celebration of love, CNN pondered that eternal question: What makes a romantic comedy click?