Getting the girl
Mar. 23rd, 2007 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altarielThis post will contain spoilers for Roman Holiday, Notting Hill and Legally Blonde, although if you are worried about being spoiled for romcoms, I don't think you're quite getting the genre.
I hadn't realized until my current rewatching of Roman Holiday the extent to which it influences Notting Hill. Replace the princess with the film star, and there you have it. There's even the press conference set piece at the end. The main difference is that in the '50s Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn have to part. But by the '90s, Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts can be together. And that, o my sisters, is progress.
Both films also contain one of my favourite romantic narratives: rich girl and poor boy in love. This has something to do with reconfiguring patriarchy, I'm sure. You can join up the dots yourself.
I also thought as I was watching how much fun it would be to have a Bujoldian version of Roman Holiday. Gregor would be in the Audrey Hepburn role, of course, and someone like Elli Quinn would have to be in the Gregory Peck role. Of course, Bujold largely does this herself in The Vor Game, but it's all a lot more dramatic and serious in that, and without the romance. Something lighter and more comedic - and romantic - is what I had in mind. Still set in Rome, mind you.
While on the subject of romcom, and as I was saying to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
katlinel, my recent viewing of Legally Blonde brought home the extent to which the romance is actually between Elle (Reese Witherspoon) and Vivian (Selma Blair). They follow the classic romcom track: initial dislike and hostility, tentative and guarded overture, misunderstanding and massive fallout, ultimate reconciliation. Elle's romance with her professor, Emmett, has no real trajectory in comparison. In fact, all you need to do is replace the caption: "Emmett is going to propose - tonight" with "Vivian is going to propose - tonight", and you would have a genuinely perfect film. It's pretty damn close already.
Both films also contain one of my favourite romantic narratives: rich girl and poor boy in love. This has something to do with reconfiguring patriarchy, I'm sure. You can join up the dots yourself.
I also thought as I was watching how much fun it would be to have a Bujoldian version of Roman Holiday. Gregor would be in the Audrey Hepburn role, of course, and someone like Elli Quinn would have to be in the Gregory Peck role. Of course, Bujold largely does this herself in The Vor Game, but it's all a lot more dramatic and serious in that, and without the romance. Something lighter and more comedic - and romantic - is what I had in mind. Still set in Rome, mind you.
While on the subject of romcom, and as I was saying to
katlinel, my recent viewing of Legally Blonde brought home the extent to which the romance is actually between Elle (Reese Witherspoon) and Vivian (Selma Blair). They follow the classic romcom track: initial dislike and hostility, tentative and guarded overture, misunderstanding and massive fallout, ultimate reconciliation. Elle's romance with her professor, Emmett, has no real trajectory in comparison. In fact, all you need to do is replace the caption: "Emmett is going to propose - tonight" with "Vivian is going to propose - tonight", and you would have a genuinely perfect film. It's pretty damn close already.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2007-03-23 01:54 pm (UTC)*loves you*
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Date: 2007-03-23 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 01:59 pm (UTC)And my projected plot for HP 7 is "Death Lee Hallows: Magically Blonde" where she turns up and litigates Voldemort into submission.
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Date: 2007-03-23 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 02:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 02:08 pm (UTC)she turns up and litigates Voldemort into submission
Because lawyers can be heroes too, just like sociologists.
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Date: 2007-03-23 04:33 pm (UTC)Roman Holiday always was one of my favorite movies when I was younger and those black and white-romances were shown on lazy Sunday afternoons on one of three TV channels available. *nostalgic smile*
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Date: 2007-03-23 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 05:35 pm (UTC)I have a box set of Audrey Hepburn films I've been steadily working through. Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's to come - yippee! - tho' I think Roman Holiday is my favourite.
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Date: 2007-03-23 06:24 pm (UTC)You are a genius.
"Vivian is going to propose - tonight"
And I like to think that her grandmother would have given her gorgeous ring to offer Elle as well, with her grandmother's blessing, Elle being a much better prospect than Warren Jerkmeister III.
Both films also contain one of my favourite romantic narratives: rich girl and poor boy in love.
Definitely go see The Illusionist.
Still set in Rome, mind you.
With or without the Egyptian eyeliner?
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Date: 2007-03-23 06:41 pm (UTC)*headdesk*
I had never noticed this, either, although both are among my favourite feel-good movies, with their gentle humour, their playful atmosphere and some genuinely sweet romance. 'Notting Hill' makes me even like Hugh Grant, which is no mean feat.
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Date: 2007-03-23 07:25 pm (UTC)Ha, brilliant! Of course it is!
*files the thought away under 'happy things'*
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Date: 2007-03-23 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-23 10:36 pm (UTC);P
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Date: 2007-03-24 09:06 am (UTC)Just two girls in a court-room.
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Date: 2007-03-25 07:34 pm (UTC)That's happening in my head now :-)
With or without the Egyptian eyeliner?
So much better with, I think.
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Date: 2007-03-25 07:34 pm (UTC)