I plan, in this post, to properly define the much maligned category of "chick flick". This genre is routinely butchered by the conversational public. It is my duty to set that public straight. Lets start with some definitions, shall we?
Grossly Defined Chick Flick: Defined more by what it does not contain. A movie that does not have anyone wounded, anyone dead, any vehicular explosions, or any breasts is a chick flick. Any movie that has hot female full frontal nudity and no male nudity cannot be a chick flick.
Narrowly Defined Chick Flick: A movie that is aimed at *just* women
Now the gross definition encapsulates O Brother Where Art Thou, The Wedding Planner, On Golden Pond, and Beaches. Depending upon who you talk to, all of these may be chick flicks. By the real definition, only Beaches is a chick flick -- since its intended audience is only women.
Real Chick Flicks:
Beaches
Ya-ya Sisterhood
Real Women Have Curves
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Raising Helen
Fried Green Tomatoes
Not Real Chick Flicks:
The Wedding Planner
Titanic
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Priscella, Queen of the Desert
The Notebook
I know, I know, where am I going with this? Bear with me here -- the point is forthcoming.
Anyway, lets look at the films that are "Real Chick Flicks". Every one of those films could give a rat's ass if any man saw them. They are not meant for male consumption. I'll admit that Fried Green Tomatoes and even Beaches were good movies and I fully enjoyed watching them, but I felt like a gay jewish black guy at a clan rally. (That's interesting, I just successfully compared Fried Green Tomatoes to rednecked fascism. Score! Obiwanchunn!)
Compare those movies to "The Wedding Planner" -- the stupid romance movie staring JLo and some famous guy. Okay, most people would classify "The Wedding Planner" as a strict chick flick. But I take issue with this. Let me further clarify -- Titanic had lots of stuff for the dames, as well as lots of stuff for the guys. (Stop rolling your eyes, Bubba.) Titanic has lots to offer us men: a whole lota death, someone gets shot, full frontal nudity of a classy babe, and Leonardo DiCaprio gets killed. What's not to love from a guy stand-point? Also for example is the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". That movie was funny. Funny movies give the guys lots to enjoy. And to top it all off, both "Titanic" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" are great date movies. They are meant for couples. Guys may get a little bit of extra attention when they get home. wink wink
Okay, by this point I have hoped to establish that Titanic and My Big Fat Greek Wedding both have something to offer men and are not "Chick Flicks". How, pray tell do I use that to explain why "The Wedding Planner" is not a Chick Flick? Simple, Titanic, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Wedding Planner are all in the same genre -- romance. Romantic movies are meant for couples. The first two movies in that series are good romance movies, The Wedding Planner is a bad romantic movie. It just so happens that women have a lower tolerance for bad romance movies than guys. Its kind of like Pulp Fiction is to Titanic as XXX is to The Wedding Planner. A bad action flick does not make it change categories -- its just that less people will see it. In the case of The Wedding Planner, a lot less MEN will see it.
I had to make one small aside before I get to the point of this entire post (yes, I still haven't made it yet). There are no big Hollywood "guy" films. Porn is about the only genre of guy films that exist -- and that delineation is slowly dissolving. I have "Priscella, Queen of the Desert" up on my "Not Real Chick Flicks" list because it is about gay guys. A lot of breeding men would classify a gay man film as a "Chick Flick". How ironic it is that films about gay men are nigh the closest thing to an actual "Guy Flick". Their target audience is just men. No women intended there. Okay, aside over.
The point of this entire post is that you should rent "The Notebook". It is a very good romance movie. I highly recommend it. All you guys out there, watch it with your dame and get some points for seeing "her kind of movie", knowing full well you aren't watching a "Chick Flick" -- just don't admit it though. And that recommendation was the entire point of this post.
Whew!
3 comments:
I like your point. I would have a different system though. I would assign attributes to movies instead of putting movies under one umbrella.
Date films: Take a date to with the intention of getting closer to the girl. These are constantly in theaters and will forever be the sacred cow of Hollywood.
Action: Something you go to to kill a couple of hours without falling asleep.
"Star Wars" et al
Horror: Something that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. This includes Zombie films, but I would almost separate them into their own sub-category. I would include them in the excitement category below.
Excitement: Films that put you on the edge of your seat. For some, this is suspense. For me it is the thrill of conquer or the lust for conquer. Perhaps it is because I find this lust failing in myself.
"Way of the Gun"
"Saving Private Ryan"
Character: This is where you can't help but like the protagonist.
"Forest Gump"
"Alice in Wonderland"
Story: These are the magical films that you can't stop watching and you feel a little bit different after watching.
"The Killing Fields"
Ok, this is terribly incomplete. You get the idea.
Me
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is more grin kinda funny. Not really laugh out loud kinda funny. So if you didn't laugh early, there is a good chance you won't laugh at all.
I was greatly amused by the dad that used Windex as a cure-all. Still, it was better than The Wedding Planner.
Adam, Adam, Adam...
The gay man's closest ally is the straight woman, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is totally geared towards a mixed audience.
Ha ha, you like Beaches.
Post a Comment