Coming-of-age is a Vantage column where staffers share their opinions on a specific beat. From in-depth analyses of TV series to miscellaneous musings in music (and everything in between), this monthly column is an avenue to spread and inspire thought-provoking ideas.
In this column, Vantage Magazine staffer Daniela shares how romantic comedies have gotten her through the quarantine.
I tried to be productive in the early days of lockdown, I really did. I tried to get into new hobbies and came up with lists of topics I wanted to learn more about. But as days turned into weeks, I began to get tired of baking banana bread and falling asleep reading books I wasn’t interested in. As a last resort, I turned to the good old romantic comedy in an attempt to cure my quarantine blues. I’ll admit, it wasn’t very productive of me, but it worked.
I watched a rom-com almost every single day, from the highest-grossing films to made-for-TV movies. For months, I immersed myself in the world of love triangles, elaborate bets, and confessions in the rain. I watched Heath Ledger sing Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You and held back tears as Julia Roberts stood in front of Hugh Grant, asking him to love her. I even scraped the bottom of the barrel by watching the notoriously formulaic Hallmark Christmas movies and sitting through a scene where the male lead rode up on a white horse to profess his love for the girl.
After watching over 200 of these films, I finally understood why the romantic comedy was proclaimed dead. Somewhere along the way, blockbuster movies turned into streaming platform releases, and plotlines became repetitive. A story about two people meeting online today just isn’t as compelling as it was when You’ve Got Mail (1998) was released, and every wedding-related premise has been done twice or thrice over. Few recent rom-coms have the same charm as those of the 90s and 2000s yet I still find myself watching new releases in the hopes of finding some hidden gems.
In spite of its more recent failings, I continue to defend the rom-com in all its cheesy glory simply because it asks nothing from you—only that you enjoy it. For this very reason, it is the perfect escape from a bad day, a bad week, or for many of us now, a bad year. Watching a rom-com each day was my way of remembering that once upon a time, nobody wore masks or kept six feet apart at all times. These movies reminded me that people used to be out there finding love instead of sitting at home, waiting for the host to let them into the call. In a time so turbulent, romantic comedies became my constant companion and cause for hope.
At some point in quarantine, I didn’t even have to give my full attention to whatever movie was playing because the idea of an upbeat ending was comforting enough for me. I knew Jude Law was never going to come knocking on my door to declare his undying love for me, but it was just nice knowing that somebody—albeit a fictional character—got their happy ending.
Many see romantic comedies as guilty pleasures, and I get where they’re coming from. It’s a bit embarrassing to have such a naïve notion of love. For me, though, the absurdity of the happily ever after doesn’t take away my enjoyment of a good ride-into-the-sunset moment. While I love watching rom-coms, I don’t necessarily believe I’m living in one.
Besides, I’ve come to peace with the fact that not everything I watch has to be particularly life-changing. Some days I just want to eat Cheetos in bed and watch Katherine Heigl try on 27 bridesmaid dresses—and if that’s what gets me through the rest of quarantine, I’ll take it.