The Genre and Genre Theory paper

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 1

Romantic Comedy Genre

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University of Arizona Global Campus

ENG 225: Introduction to Film

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Purpose: Use this modeled example of the Week 2 Written Assignment to explore the elements that make this an exemplary submission. Read the

comments to learn about what the student has done well in this assignment.

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 2

Romantic Comedy Genre

Genre theory is a way to help one study films, and to classify films into

different groups so that viewers have an idea of what they will be watching before

they even watch it. Genre is like a glossary for movies. All films fall under at least

one genre and most can be more narrowly categorized into subgenres. For example,

the romantic comedy genre can also overlap with subgenres like the screwball

comedy, teen comedy, or gross-out comedy (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2019, table

4.1). This paper will focus on the romantic comedy genre, specifically the

screwball comedy, Knocked Up, to help movie viewers gain a better perspective on

the elements of this film, the specific conventions of this genre, as well as the how

this film expands the boundaries of romantic comedies.

In her study of the romantic comedy genre, Katherina Glitre (2006) suggests

that, “genre expectations are based on convention—our mutual understanding that

certain things happen in certain ways in certain kinds of texts. Thus, one of our

expectations when watching a romantic comedy is that the film will end with the

union of a couple,” (p. 10). This rings true for the movie Knocked Up, which stars

Seth Rogen as the obnoxious male protagonist, Ben, and Katherine Heigl as Alison,

the uptight, yet put-together female protagonist. Ben is a slob who smokes

marijuana and finds nude scenes in movies indexes them on a website he runs with

his friends. Alison is a beautiful television producer who has her life together and

is looking to move up in her career. When Ben and Alison meet at a nightclub, they

end up intoxicated, and spend the night together. After that night, Alison finds out

she is pregnant, and she informs Ben. They both test out a relationship, but decide

Although this leaves room for expansion, this

introduction provides a clear

definition of genre theory, introduces

the genres the paper will focus on, and describes the methodology with which the

writer will analyze a specific film.

The thesis statement serves as an organizing principle for the entire paper: the conventions of the romantic

comedy genre, how the film Knocked Up

employs those conventions, and how the film expands

the possibilities of the genre.

The author summarizes the

plot of the film in a few sentences, which enables

her to focus more on her analysis

of the genre conventions the

film uses.

A common trap that students fall into is relying too heavily on a scene-by-scene retelling of the plot, and not spending

enough time on the analysis of the genre conventions being used to advance the plot and meet the criteria of the genre.

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 3

they are too different, so they split up. Ben ends up getting his life together and

Alison realizes she misses him and cannot raise their baby on her own. In the end,

they come back together before their baby is born. This movie incorporates

elements of romance, including raunchy sex scenes, and comedic commentary and

funny banter throughout the film. A hallmark of the romantic comedy genre is

pairing two characters who are complete opposites. Knocked Up brings together

two people whose lifestyles are at odds, are joined by the repercussions of their one

libidinous night, fall in love, go through a conflict that leads to a break up, and then

eventually they get back together, all while infused with “comedic obstacles,”

(Goodykoontz B., & Jacobs, 2019, Romantic Comedy, Musicals, and

Documentaries section, para. 2). In this way, the film portrays this genre’s main

goal to have a happily ever after ending, whether the protagonists end up together

or not, which they do, while maintaining the light hearted, comedic tone of the film.

Knocked Up joins the conventions of romantic and screwball comedy in its setting,

lighting, and theme. Set in the present day, in easily relatable circumstances,

viewers are able to connect with the characters. The light in which we see the

characters helps us to relate to their experiences. For example, high key lighting is

used throughout the movie to keep in tune with the lighthearted and funny plot. In

the scene where Alison is having breakfast with Ben and her sister’s family, the

lighting is bright to show the happy and overwhelming emotions of the characters

as they process the fact that they are going to have a baby. It also helps set the mood

for the funny commentary between the children and adults. Another convention is

the theme, which helps to classify this in the romantic comedy genre. The theme is

In this part of the paragraph, the author clearly

states the objective of the

romantic comedy genre, identifies its conventions, and describes how this film

meets that objective by using those

conventions.

In this sentence here, the author

could better describe the

conventions of the screwball

comedy and how the film joins

those conventions with the conventions of the romantic

comedy.

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 4

“what the movie is about,” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2019, Literary Elements in

Film section, para. 2). The theme of Knocked Up is how two opposite people meet

under unusual circumstance, come together, overcome obstacles, and, eventually,

fall in love despite their differences. This is the most common recurring theme

throughout all romantic comedies, which helps set expectations of the genre.

In earlier years, romantic comedies often portrayed the good looking,

wealthy gentleman pursuing the immature heiress (Roman Holiday) or the

prostitute with a heart of gold (Pretty Woman) and did not resort to showing any

sex scenes to heighten their romance. Judd Apatow, who wrote and directed

Knocked Up, has changed the character dynamic as well as added in explicit sex

scenes that, as David Denby (2007), points out, has broken the “classic patterns of

romantic comedy” (para. 6). Alison is the ambitious, career woman, who has it all

together, while Ben is the lazy, comical, “schlubby guy” who gets the girl, by

getting his life together and being there for Alison and the baby. (Goodykoontz, &

Jacob, 2019, Romantic Comedy, Musicals, and Documentaries section, para. 9).

The character roles have been reversed from earlier romantic comedy films. It’s

important to note how Judd Apatow has expanded the screwball comedy subgenre,

which incorporates a strong female character, playful battles, banter between the

sexes, and adding in the bromance (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs, 2019, Westerns,

Gangster Films, Mysteries, and Film Noir section, para. 26). The bromance, which

is two buddies who are very close, is shown when Ben takes a trip to Vegas with

Alison’s brother in law to bond over drugs and alcohol all while discussing their

lady troubles. Judd added in the bromance and drug scenes to help grow with the

This is an excellent use of

an outside source to support

the argument that Knocked Up breaks the mold

of the genre.

This is a good observation into

the changing tastes of

audiences and how effective

films anticipate, often

presciently, the stories audiences

want to see.

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 5

tastes of the new generation of viewers. This as well as sex scenes, has stretched

the limits of this genre. It gives the viewers a way to relate their own real-life

moments to the characters in the movie as well as the consequences that can come

from the choices that they make.

In conclusion, genres are used to help people pick certain elements that they

like, such as comedy and romance, to watch in a movie. Judd Apatow’s movie,

Knocked Up (2007), shows the classic romantic comedy through his use of lighting

and theme. He also stretched the boundaries of this genre to help keep not only

romantic comedies alive but attract male and female audiences alike through

different explicit scenes, the bromance, as well as changing the lead protagonists’

roles. Knocked Up has taken romance to a whole new level and kept a humorous

tone throughout the entire movie to help portray the screwball comedy that it is.

ROMANTIC COMEDY GENRE 6

References

Denby, David. (2007, July 23). A Fine Romance. The New Yorker.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/23/a-fine-romance

Glitre, K. (2006). Hollywood romantic comedy: States of the union, 1934-1965. Manchester,

GBR: Manchester University Press. http://www.ebrary.com

Goodykoontz, B., Jacobs. C.P., Meetze, J., & Pritts, N. (2019). Film: From watching to seeing

(3rd ed.) [Electronic version]. https://content.ashford.edu/