(500) Days of Summer & the Birth of a Film Genre

Well, birth might be a strong term, but I'm officially "naming" a genre of films that, to this point, has seemingly been un-categorized. A movie genre bris/baptism, if you will.

My girlfriend and I went to see "(500) Days of Summer" last weekend.

We both thoroughly enjoyed it for a mixture of reasons. Good acting, awesome music, clever time-bending narrative, a bashing of the greeting-card industry, Zooey Deschanel's eyes, a friendly take on the unfriendly downtown LA, Zooey Deschanel's name, etc.

We exited the theatre, rehashing our favorite parts of the film. She mentioned that she really appreciated that the film was told, pretty honestly, from the male point of view; something atypical of a romance/date movie. Thinking about it, I replied, "yeah, sort of like Almost Famous." When she gave me a blank stare, I explained:

The movie shows how guys are typically uncomfortable expressing emotions, except in big swings or when it's too late. We typically listen to music that will exactly complement (ie exacerbate) whatever mood we are in. We are most attracted to females that we can have or can't figure out, but who show a slight interest in us and some common interests. We talk to our guy friends about all the goings on in our personal lives, just in a less emotionally open and honest way (ie, we joke...a lot). When the time comes for us to do the hard things/make the hard decisions, we can...just sometimes with it takes some prodding. At the end, we may or may not get the girl, but we generally come away feeling like we'll be ok. When we're really lucky, there's another one out there.

I jokingly said that there should be a specific genre/name for these type of movies. With the Apatow crew having mastered the "Bromance," I came up with "RoMENce movies."

Must have a male main character who is likable, but fully capable of being an ass. Not an asshole. There is a distinction. An ass could worry that his new girlfriend isn't as interested in him as he is in her and maybe say some stupid things. An asshole would sleep with her best friend.

Movie must be about/contain/have a soundtrack with ridiculously awesome music. It can be from that era, a previous era or a mix. The music should not only be of high quality, but it must be finely tuned to the tone of the scenes in which they appear and the overall movie. This is much harder than you think. It's really easy to be too obvious here.

There can't be too much deus ex machina unless it fits into the story line. This also means that boy doesn't always get girl. Guys can't relate to a romantic movie that always has a perfectly happy ending. The ending can be happy, just not too happy.

Generally, the female love interest should be attractive, but not too attractive. I know this is splitting hairs considering we are talking about Hollywood actresses, but hear me out. While guys may sit around talking about which actress/supermodel/athlete is so incredibly attractive, dating that kind of person is sort of like dating an alien (unless you are also an alien/Brad Pitt). Normal guys are looking for a female they are attracted to that is also "attainable." If we are going to sit in a movie theater and relate to a relationship on screen, it can't be between Martin Starr and Bar Refaeli because the writers thought it would be clever to have them meet on J-Date.

The movie must make you think. And it can't just be, "This movie is so right, all guys are insensitive pricks who only want to get laid," or "why doesn't he see who she really is behind those glasses," or "if guys were only more like women wanted them to be, they wouldn't screw up all the time." This is true for both males and females in the audience.

Other Notable "RoMENce" movies:

Almost Famous - As mentioned, this might be the movie that defined the genre (if it's a modern phenomenon. William Miller (aka Cameron Crowe on film), aptly played by Patrick Fugit, loves music, loves a girl, loves a band whose lead guitar player is also in love with the girl. He's conflicted and confused by his love for these things and his desire to write about them honestly. He's voice of sanity is an insane music writer (my favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performance). He goes on the road, exploring all of these relationships, with his story (and his actual experiences) narrated by a rich mix of music of the era: Elton John, The Beach Boys, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin and Rod Stewart. The music mixes well together in the film and the film doesn't work without the mix of music. Every male who sees the movie can empathize with William's heartache, earnestness and desire to score Goldie Hawn's daughter. Credit to Frances McDormand for playing every Jewish mother ever without actually playing a Jewish lady.

High Fidelity - This one is sort of a cheat, because it was based on the terrific book by Nick Hornby. The book, set in England, hits all the notes perfectly: music to match emotional moods (doesn't every guy sulk with sulky, emotional British pop?), never feeling quite satisfied that everyone in a relationship is just as perfect as it could/should/might be, never feeling like you have any control of the relationship and, most common, overthinking all of the possible things that your girlfriend/wife/significant other might be thinking/doing/enjoying after you have a fight? I think Cusack (who originally optioned the book rights) and Director Stephen Frears did a really job staying true to the "RoMENce" aspect of the book while translating it for American audiences. They left certain music the same and made some appropriate changes to help make it more relatable to American audiences. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Rob Gordon (Cusack), a record store owner who is just trying not to get in the way of his own happiness. He's honest about things that are his fault, both before and after the fact (we often know when we are being idiots...well, sometimes). Watching this, I cringe at the awkward scenes/interactions, not just because they are awkward, but because I can specifically remember doing similarly awkward things. Special props to Tim Robbins for his role as "Ray" the upstairs neighbor and potential love interest for Rob's ex/current/on-again/off-again girlfriend.

What are your thoughts? Other movies that fit into my new genre? I totally forgot "Garden State!" I feel like you could make the argument for some classics (Casablanca?). Also, I would argue that John Cusack went from the star of the "RoMENce" era (Classic Cusack Trio: "The Sure Thing," "Better Off Dead," and "One Crazy Summer") to a regular RomCom whipping boy (Not-Classic Cusack Trio: "America's Sweethears," "Serendipity" and "Must Love Dogs") overnight. Who might take his place?