Codes and Conventions of the Romantic Comedy Genre

After looking the codes and conventions of romantic comedy trailers, I wanted to look more at the codes and conventions of the genre and it's films a whole;

Codes and Conventions of Romantic Comedy Films as a Whole

• Typically a "boy meets girl" plot
• Film usually ends "happily ever after"
• Narrative usually consists of 2 characters falling in love but meeting obstacles in the way
• Predictable narrative
• One obstacle usually an argument or disagreement
• Famous actors and actresses usually used
• Main characters typically good looking
• Christmas time is usually featured
• End of the film is usually a montage of different clips portraying the happiness of the characters
• Main characters are usually likable so the audience relates to them, regardless of their actions. This affection towards the characters is usually achieved through comedy.

As I watched different romantic comedy films from different decades such as Pretty in Pink (1980s) to Valentines Day (2000s), I noticed that the codes and conventions were developing over time;

• Narrative ending with a wedding -films usually used to end with a wedding between the characters (depending on their age) however more recently this does not always happen. This may be because modern day culture does not see marriage as a necessity.
• More editing and effects used in trailers and films - trailers for older films seem to just use straight cuts between clips separated by a black screen with white writing. Whereas more recent films use more editing and transitions probably as a result of more advanced technology
• Plots becoming more intricate - although still predictable, simple "boy meets girl" story line is not as common and more twists are put into narrative. This may be done to keep the audience watching and prevents them from getting bored with a simple narrative
• The obstacle which the main characters hit - The obstacle used to be something minor such as a small argument whereas in modern films, the obstacle tends to be something more serious or interesting such as an affair or unemployment. Eg. in the film Hitch the obstacle is the female finding out that the male is a "love doctor"