Chick flicks
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Women and Film
sarizonana — 11 years ago(April 21, 2014 05:39 PM)
Why is it that lately chick flicks is the definition of stupid films for woman when it should just be films targeted to woman.
I know it's almost impossible to make guys like something lets say The Bridges of Madison County or The English Patient since they are love stories with the female point of view but still are great movies with very respected actors and I know some teens love watching every rom com just because they don't have to think but not all chick flicks are stupid or brainless.
That a film it's marketed to us doesn't mean automatically that it's a silly movie or a formulatic romantic comedy, there some really great chick flicks of all genres so I think it's really frustrating when people define chick flicks as stupid films for woman.
Even Martin Scorsese did a chick flick which is the age of innocence.
Here a few a examples of really good chick flick which require some thinking or have a good plot
The English Patient
Moulin Rouge
Chicago
The Age of Innocence
Withering Heights (1992 version)
Erin Brockovtich
Casablanca
Gone With the Wind
Bridges of Madison County
The king's speech
The Duchess -
funnygurl — 11 years ago(April 25, 2014 11:49 PM)
I agree. I don't usually take the phrase "chick flick" to be pejorative. Even a "formulaic romantic comedy" can be great if it's done right. Look at
When Harry Met Sally
(Oscar nom for screenplay, 5 AFI top film lists)
Moonstruck
(won Oscars for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Screenplay)
Love Actually
(Several BAFTAs, numerous British film awards)
Sleepless in Seattle
(2 Oscar noms for screenplay and song, 2 BAFTA noms in the same category)
Bridget Jones' Diary
(Oscar nom for Best Acress, 4 BAFTA noms, many noms and wins from critics associates and European film awards)
Jerry Maguire
(Oscar for Supporting Actor and 4 other noms for Best Picture, Actor, Screenplay and Editing)
Groundhog Day
(BAFTA for screenplay, numerous other nomination and wins)
As Good As it Gets
(6 AFI lists, Oscars for Actor and Actress and noms for Supporting Actor, Editing, Score, Screenplay and Picture)
All of these are pretty formulaic romantic comedies. Boy meets/knows girl, there are complications and misunderstandings, boy and girl are together by the time the credits roll. Yet I know a lot of guys who like many of these movies. They were all successful and the box office and declared to be "good" by various awards associations. "Formulaic romantic comedy" doesn't mean bad movie an more than "chick flick" does. It can be done very well or very badly. Just like any other kind of movies.
I know it's almost impossible to make guys like something lets say The Bridges of Madison County or The English Patient since they are love stories with the female point of view
It's interesting that you pick those two movies as both were based on novels written by men. Both films were directed by men.
The Bridges of Madison County
was written by Robert James Walker (the film version was directed by and also stars Clint Eastwood whom many consider to be an icon of masculinity) and
The English Patient
was written by Michael Ondaatje and directed by Anthony Minghella.
I agree that there are some movies that women tend to like more than men because they speak to the female experience. Likewise there are movies men tend to prefer for the same reason. But that doesn't mean that if a movie is well done it can't be appreciated by both genders. Calling something a "chick flick" has dismissive connotations. It implies that it's not worthwhile, which is a sexist attitude. It's worthwhile if it's a good movie, regardless of whether or not represents or speaks to one gender more so than the other. -
sarizonana — 11 years ago(April 29, 2014 12:14 PM)
you are so right thre are also some formulatic rom coms which are great too and those really acmplish their goal which making the audience laugh with some romance in it.
thats why they are named Romantic comedies which means it has a double taks to accomplish which is giving us romance with some good amount of making us laugh the perfect examples for me are
My best friend´s wedding
the ugly truth
pretty woman
monster in law
those rom coms were as formulatic as they come but they made laugh hard till my stomach hurts.
i didnt realize i picked two example sof films made nad written by men till you pointet out i knew it but didnt think about when i made the post lol
"I agree that there are some movies that women tend to like more than men because they speak to the female experience. Likewise there are movies men tend to prefer for the same reason. But that doesn't mean that if a movie is well done it can't be appreciated by both genders"
yes exactly and its ad how films that resonate more to the amle audience are not considered not worthile or with less quality, but yet when guys hear ofa chick flick it means that its gonna be a bad movie.
Calling something a "chick flick" has dismissive connotations. It implies that it's not worthwhile, which is a sexist attitude
thats what id like to stop. i think its fine thta films which appeal more the the female croud has a name or its fine the definition but i wished the dimmisve connotation would go away since their are some very obvious dude flicks and they dont have that dimmissive conotation -
funnygurl — 11 years ago(May 04, 2014 07:55 AM)
Do you think the same thing goes for "guy movies"?
When I use the term I refer to genres like action oriented sci-fi, crime and war films primarily. Again I think they can be done very well or very poorly. For example I liked
Die Hard (
the first one),
Terminator
(the first 3), and
x Men
(the first few and one of the new ones) even though I usually don't enjoy films with a lot of chase scenes and explosions and such. But I enjoyed these because they had good stories that were well told.
I think a guy can enjoy a "chick flick" in the same way: if it's a good story that's well told. It doesn't have to reflect his own experience necessarily. (But I would like to point out that men are a lot more likely to fall in love than they are to have a cyborg travel through time to protect them, or attend a school for mutants!So in that way I think "chick flicks" are more representative of the experience of both genders than most "guy movies" are!) -
sarizonana — 11 years ago(May 07, 2014 10:01 AM)
yes definitley.
the same goes for guys movies there are many which are trully great and we can like them.
for example this weekned i just saw Non Stop and it was very good, one of the best action/thrillers ive seen. it doenst have much explotions or CGI but there is a lot action and suspense.
another guys flick i just enjoyed very much is 300 raise of an empire,the story was pretty fun and Eva Green was great as Artemisia, the only flaw is that it was a little to gorish for my tase hehe.
now about chick flciks being more relatable or plausible i agree at some degree sinc ethere some guys flicks which are relatable to the boys as well like wolf of wallstreet or Batman´s trilogy by Christopher Nolan.
at the end it odenst matter how good they are there will always be some films which appeal more to woman and some that will appeal more to the male crowd but that doenst mena guys cant enjoy a good chick flick or owman cant enjoy a guys films even tough if they find a few of them offensive like again Wolf of Wallstreet or Caisno.
i personally i liked both but its a little sad how most of Scorsesse´s films portray woman they are always prostitues, trophy wife´s or drug jonkies. the only two exceptions are The Age of Innocence and the aviator. -
IcingOnTheCake — 10 years ago(October 15, 2015 11:44 AM)
It's due to long ingrained society sexism. Women can say we enjoy
guy
movies but some guys are teased for saying they enjoy the
girl
ones. The overall views need to change but it will take time. Some men are already secure enough to admit that they have liked some films generally targeted to women. -
sarizonana — 9 years ago(April 28, 2016 11:12 AM)
Well if it works as consolation, im seing in my girls group as the werid one for liking James Bond which is The Ultimate male fantasy. but i love those films even the 60s era where Connery's once in while treated the Bond girls badly like in From Russia with Love or what he did to Miss Taro in Dr No.
There are some guy flicks which are ok to enjoy. Bit there are others that if you like you don't seem feminine enuogh and i think Bond is one of them.
So its not onky guys who are teassed if they enjoy a chick flick, sterotypes work both ways -
louiseculmer — 9 years ago(May 12, 2016 03:06 AM)
I like good romantic comedies, if they are 'chick flicks' that doesn't bother me too much. some I particularly like include:
Forsaking all others
it Started with Eve
Desk set
Housesitter
a Good Year
the Goose and the Gander
laws of Attraction
notting Hill -
bubblegum_jenocide — 9 years ago(November 29, 2016 12:13 PM)
Chick flick is synonymous with romantic movie, but is that necessarily so? Why don't people consider movies like Coffy, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Maleficent to be "chick flicks?"
Seems like if the plot doesn't involve a lonely unhappy woman being "rescued" by a man, it's not a chick flick. Because that's what we all want and need: to be rescued by Prince Charming. Our happiness is tied to men.