The following analysis may contain spoilers for
Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994)
RULE #1 - The Characters
A: The Couple - Charles & Carrie.
i. Balance - The film is really about Charles and his friends. Carrie just appears at events that they are invited to.
ii. Opposites in Attitude/Behaviour - Charles is afraid of commitment, she is engaged soon after they meet.
iv. Occupations/free time involving Romance or the Media - Carrie used to work for Vogue. Not sure what Charles does, but he jokes that he seems to go to a wedding every weekend.
B: The Best Friend/Confidant - Charles has a gang of friends and family. They fill the range of ugly and beautiful, wacky and straight, slutty/sleazy and not, family and friends, are mostly male or family but includes one case of unrequited love.
C: The Third Person - Charles previously dated Henrietta and nearly married her. Carrie married and left Hamish.
- Henrietta: Clingy, bossy.
- Hamish: Dull, older.
RULE #2 - There Won't Be T&A
No T&A, as per the rule. All the sex is clothed (at the very least in underwear).
RULE #3 - The Meet-Cute
They met at a wedding and he embarrassed himself in front of someone else, but not a strong Meet-Cute.
RULE #4 - Circumstances
Her saying she's returning to America and his fear of commitment keep them apart, followed by her engagement and marriage.
RULE #5 - Realisation of Love
He's attracted to her immediately, but gets engaged to Henrietta because he thinks "waiting for true love gets you nowhere", he later admits realising during his wedding that he loved her and had loved her since he first saw her. She seems to think that they were missing out on something by not forming a relationship after they had sex.
RULE #6 - The Break-Up
Never technically together as a couple until the end of the film, so they don't actually break-up during it.
RULE #7 - Separated Forever
Her supposed return to the US, her engagement and marriage and then his near marriage all threaten to separate them forever.
RULE #8 - Redemptions
There is no real need for redemption due to no break-up. He does embarrass himself (8d)... He shows a willingness to commit by nearly getting married, though, and although doesn't promise marriage promises to try commitment (8a)
RULE #9 - Happily Ever After
They agree to remain unmarried together for the rest of their lives. Kiss. Role credits. Everyone else gets a happy ending, too.
RULE #10 - Sequels
No sequels. It was the first in a line of Romantic Comedies by Richard Curtis staring Hugh Grant (including Bridget Jones's Diary), and one of many Romantic Comedies Grant appeared in.
Results
- Rules that are followed in this film: 1Aii; 1Aiii; 1B; 1C; 2; 4; 7; 9.
- Rules that are partially followed in this film: 3; 5; 8; 10.
- Rules that are not followed in this film: 1Ai; 6.
~ DUG.
One of the few I like.
ReplyDeleteYes. It was always the one romantic comedy I liked. I think it may be Richard Curtis, I liked a couple of his. It may not be the Rom Com that I don't like rather the type of humour in the standard US Rom Com. I was a big fan of the scene in Burn After Reading where they're watching a Rom Com, because I'd have been the "bad date" who doesn't laugh at the line "Will you get down from the tree"
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