VARIOUS RULES - Why Rule #2 [Nudity]

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  Why do the nudity rules exist?

For every set of rules I've made Rule #2 about nudity.  Also see 10 ways film nudity can be more than gratutious titillation

ROM COM RULES - Why Rule 1 [The Characters]?

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  Why do the Rom Com rules exist?

I looked at 10 rules the Rom Com genre followed, tested 10 films against them and analysed the results, but I never looked at the rules themselves, so let's look at the first Rom Com rule...

ROM COM RULES - Analysis

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.

So do the films I looked at follow the rules or not?

ROM COM RULES - Educating Rita

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.

Educating Rita, the story of an alcoholic academic and his an open university student he tutors.

ROM COM RULES - Imagine Me & You

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.  

"Sure is for people who don't love enough." ~ Rachel.

Imagine Me & You is a Rom Com about a woman who falls in love with someone else on her wedding day.  Can a Lesbian Romance follow the Rom Com rules?

ROM COM RULES - Friends With Benefits

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.  

Friends With Benefits references Rom Coms but does that be it is more than just one?

ROM COM RULES - My Best Friend's Wedding

Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?  More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.

"You know, getting what you deserve isn't fair." ~ Julianne Potter.

My Best Friend's Wedding tries to break the rules.  Does it?

ROM COM RULES - Knocked Up

More than just being romantic and having comedy, a Rom Com follows a strict formula and a set of rules.  Can a film be a Slacker Comedy and a Rom Com?  Let's look at Knocked Up.

ROM COM RULES - Four Weddings & A Funeral

Another British Romantic Comedy this time around, Four Weddings and a Funeral.  Rom Com Rule follower or no?

ROM COM RULES - Sleepless In Seattle

A Romantic Comedy.

Sleepless in Seattle, a Rom-Com classic from 1993.  But does it follow the rules?

ROM COM RULES - 10 Things I Hate About You

Does the 1999 High School film adaptation (and contemporisation) of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew - 10 Thing I Hate About You - follow the Rom Com Film Rules?

ROM COM RULES - Roman Holiday

The Princess of an unnamed European country runs away one night while visiting Roman and finds love.  It has comedy.  It has romance.  Does it follow The RomCom Rules?

ROM COM RULES - Bridget Jones's Diary

2001's Bridget Jones's Diary is based on the 1995 novel of the same name which was loosely based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  

RULE #1 - The Characters

A:  The Couple - Bridget Jones & Mark Darcy.

i -   Balance - No, the book and film are from Bridget's POV, being, as the title suggests, based around the idea that it's Bridget's diary.

ii -  Opposites in Attitude/Behaviour - Her:  Slob, can't cook;  Him:  Repressed

iv - Occupations/free time involving Romance or the Media - She is in publishing in the beginning then

moves on to television.  He is a lawyer, but the one case we see is based around helping a couple stay together.

B: The Best Friend/Confidant 
Bridget has a trio of friends.  They only appear as a group (except Jude who appears once on the end of a phone in "trapped in a bathroom".  They really offer support more than advice, seemingly only telling her what she wants to hear.

Jude
Jude is "Hollywood ugly": attractive, cute but doesn't look like a supermodel.  She's the wackiest of the group, has man troubles herself and advises Bridget on landing a man.

Shazza
Shazza is the prettiest and most sensible of the group and therefore the least interesting.  Except that she likes to say "fuck" a lot.  Said to be based on the director of the film.

Tom
Tom is attractive and a sleazy/slutty gay stereotype.

C:  The Third Person
Bridget's boss Daniel Cleaver, is a relationship during the film which interferes with Bridget and Darcy getting together.  Darcy's law partner Natasha tries to win Darcy but he shows little interest in her.


RULE #2 - There Won't Be T&A

No T&A, so brief skin in one scene, and lots of Bridget in embarrassing underwear.  Bridget and Cleaver have lots of sex, Bridget and Darcy don't have any.


RULE #3 - The Meet-Cute

The in film Meet-Cute is silly parent supplied clothes and unfortunate overheard insult.  However, there is the story of a naked 4 year old Bridget playing in Darcy's wading pool which is certainly used as one over and over.

RULE #4 - Circumstances

An personal attack on Bridget by Darcy and overheard by Bridget and a lie told about Darcy by Cleaver creates a wedge between the pair.


RULE #5 - Realisation of Love

It seems that Darcy realises that he likes Bridget after she embarrasses herself at a book launch, and seems to fall more for her every time she embarrasses herself.  Which is a good thing since the entire film is about her embarrassing herself.  Cleaver does the same, starting, it seems with her horrible karaoke performance at a work Chi-mas party.

Bridget began to realise she loved Darcy when he confessed he liked her.


RULE #6 - The Break-Up
Bridget and Darcy were never really together to break up.  The closest they got was him visiting her for her birthday.

A:  The Reason - Any chance of anything happening after the party were crushed by his fight with Cleaver.

B:  The Event - Her birthday dinner, which was a disaster but was partially saved by Darcy before it was ruined by him starting a fight.

C:  Humiliation - The entire film is humiliation after humiliation for Bridget, the fight really wasn't much of one.  Darcy may have found it mildly embarrassing.

D:  But... - Bridget's dislike of Darcy is based on a previous lie by Cleaver.

E:   The Turmoil - Bridget undergoes a little turmoil because both Darcy and Cleaver are out of her life.


RULE #7 - Separated Forever

At the Darcy's Ruby Wedding Anniversary it is announced that Darcy is moving to New York.  With his law partner.  Which he does.  And then comes back.


RULE #8 - Redemption

C:   The Stunt - When her father is driving safely in snowy conditions, Bridget replaces him as driver and drives dangerously to the anniversary.  This is before she knows he is leaving.

D:  The Romantic Gesture - Bridget does the traditional speech interruption at the anniversary when she discovers Darcy will be leaving the country.  However, embarrassed she tries to cover not going all the way.

At the end of the film Bridget chases Darcy into a busy snowy street in her underwear when she thinks he is leaving her.  Whether this counts as a stunt, a romantic gesture or both I'm not sure.

RULE #9 - Happily Ever After

Ends with them kissing.  The new diary for a "new start" also implies a possible ever-after.  During credits some to-camera stuff suggesting the relationship lasts.

RULE #10 - Sequels

Actual - The film has a sequel, based on the sequel to novel (the novel has 2 sequels).

Spiritual - The leads, Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, are all regularly leads in romantic films.  The screenplay is by Richard Curtis (regular writer of British romantic comedies) and Andrew Davies (adapter of Austen and romantic films).  Grant previously appeared in Curtis's Four Weddings & a Funeral.

Results

The following rules were followed in this film:   1Aii;  1Aiv;  1B;  1C;  2;  3;  4;  6;  10.

The following rules were partially  followed in this film:  5;  7;  8;  9.

The following rules were not followed in this film:  1Ai;  1Aiii.

~ DUG.

Other Andrew Davies Posts.
Other Film Posts.

ROM COM RULES - The Film Rules

There is a certain sub-genre of romantic comedy chick-flicks contain meet-cutes known as Rom Coms.  These films are highly formulaic and cliched.  Perfect to a Film Rules.

But first, for a guide to living in a Chick Flick check out the now cancelled Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23's Season 2 Halloween episode.