Relationships in Classic Movies
04/15/2007
I watched a couple of Cary Grant movies from the late fifties and sixties this weekend. I’ve seen quite a few. They all have several things in common. There are little relationship lessons to be learned. Perhaps they worked then. Perhaps they work now. Don’t know. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Men are always reluctant to marry, but the right girl will change their minds.
- The girl is never really looking to get married to that guy, but to someone else who better meets her criteria.
- Girl doesn’t think it would ever work with the guy and has a list of reasons why.
- Girl will change her mind after extensive wooing by the man even when it makes no sense to her.
- Friends connive to get the two together. The friends are always right and never get in trouble for meddling.
- Little lies are okay when wooing or meddling. If the character’s lies get found out, it’s fine when the other realizes why.
- There’s no sex. Hints of sex, but no activity that even leads to sex. Always suggested, never seen. You suspect the characters will get it on when the movie is over.
- Married men and women never cheat or even fool around with others.
- Marriage is the end all be all. It supplies the satisfying ending. The characters don’t just end up together. They have to get married.
- Everyone lives happily ever after.
Mr. Fabulous said,
April 15, 2007 @ 7:52 am
So..it all pretty much mirrors real life?
Liz said,
April 15, 2007 @ 9:07 am
You must be from a different generation. There’s definitely sex before marriage now, not that there wasn’t then. It just wasn’t shown in the movies. Oh men are still reluctant to get married, but you can’t convince one to do so. In some of these movies, the woman does the convincing. Doesn’t work. And cheating? Don’t even get me started on that one.
Jaime said,
April 15, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
I think it’s pretty funny how things were always portrayed that way. Things have changed now. Though you still see formulaic approaches in modern movies, there is definitely more diversity.
Well, it’s not like movies are supposed to represent real life anyways. Else we wouldn’t watch them to escape it.
Ricardo said,
April 15, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
You still see this formula being used in big Hollywood romance films even today. But there is sex before marriage in those. Other than that the formula has remained the same and it all makes for dull movie watching in my opinion.
It’s funny that you mention men not wanting to commit. This is something I’ve been wanting to write about and discussed this weekend with my platonic female friend. For many of us men, there a sense of “what if I can do better?” We wonder if we can get a woman that’s more attractive, more ambitious, better in bed, more caring, more into us and so on and so on. This doubt is instilled into our minds because many of us all of a sudden become hot commodities once we’re attached. If single, no woman wants to come within 100 feet of you. I’m not putting this blame on women’s shoulders, but it’s a factor. Also, many men have a sense of adventure about them. Think about the other films (action and adventure ones) where women are disposable to the hero because more women and adventures await. Just something I’ve noticed.