Rom-Coms or 'Romantic Comedies' are a hybrid of Romance Films or Comedy films but could also be classed as a sub-genre of the pair. Rom-Coms focus on the ideals of 'true love' but contain light-hearted humour and are presented in a humourous manner. A lot of films which are under this genre are primarily aimed at female audiences, and are usually known as 'chick flicks'.
The main storyline of a Rom-Com, usually but not always, are of a man and women who meet in usually awkward circumstances (Bridget meets Mark Darcy at her mothers party, each wearing ridiculous outfits and giving bad impressions on each other [Bridget Jones's Diary, 2001]). As the plot progresses, the screen-writers drop subtle (and explicit hints) that the pair are falling in love. Then an obstacle comes into place (In 'Theres Something About Mary' [1998], this obstacle is that Mary moves away to Florida, and Ted doesn't see her for 13 years, and then the agent he hired to find her lies to him so he can try and enter a relationship with her.) Usually, but again not always, the pair break apart and try to move on with their lives, but fail, and with a 'grand gesture' the pair get back together (In 'Confessions of A Shopaholic', Luke buys Rebecca's beloved green scarf as she tries to auction it of as she tries to reform herself of her shopaholic state) The pair will then usually kiss, and the film ends on a cliffhanger as to whether they get married or not.
Comedies in Ancient Greece sometimes had sexual elements within the play - usually in the form of Pederasty or simply for sexual pleasure, or as a obastacle in the main quest. This is also the same in Ancient Greek Literature. Although Romance was not generally focused on in these times, Romantic Love came into theatre during the medieval period of Western Europe. Before hand, Romantic Love was displayed through the heroic and chivalrous actions of a knight, common in the modernised fairytales today. These themes were then interwoven as time progressed. A good example is Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream (as Seen through the various Relationships of Titania, and the fool of the play Bottom .)
Various examples of Rom-Coms in Television include Friends, Will and Grace, Desperate Housewives and Army Wives (all American dramas), whilst Gavin and Stacey and Mistresses are British. In terms of cinema, a plethora of examples exsist, many already mentioned. Some include, 10 Things I Hate About You, Love Actually, A Cinderella Story and The Proposal.
A really common convention in Rom-Coms, is something known as the 'Meet-Greet'. This is just the meeting of a potential couple under awkward, unusual or humorous circumstances. Screen-Writers often enjoy adding the awkwardness through a clash of values, personalities or likes and dislikes. The use of binary opposites within the characters is also common with this.
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