Waiting for big theatre romances is like waiting for rain in this drought: useless and disappointing–UNLESS??

Hi all,

Writing this to you like it’s a fancy little email like I’m at my fancy little job at the email factory because that is my entire life right now. I’m unable to turn it off, so this is the kind of thing you’re getting.

I’d like to touch base with you about the beloved yet incredibly undervalued and overlooked genre of romance and the rom-com, especially as it relates to movie theatre releases. Per my discussion on a very serious finance call with a very short agenda, the want and need of more romance and rom-coms in film was brought to my attention, and really, I couldn’t agree more.

This comes as we’d been discussing the dismal box office numbers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It has fabulous ratings and excellent reviews, but opening weekend box office numbers were downright disappointing. There are so many people online yammering on about the death of movie theatres, and while I do think the argument can be made to deem that true, there are so many factors at play in the industry as a whole.

Firstly, I’ve been seeing a loooot of people talking about how expensive it is to go to the theatres. Many of those people are including the cost of getting there, a potential babysitter, and the ever-daunting, high-priced concessions. Here’s what I say to that: sneak in your own stuff! Eat before! Bring a water! (And primarily, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. Look, if you spill popcorn, there’s only so much you can do, but bro, be a nice person). I rarely actually buy concessions, you’ll live.

Conversely to that point, there are many that have been defending the “low cost” of actual ticket prices. Factor out concessions, it’s like $8! Maybe in some places, in some theatres, it IS $8, but many of us are limited to the $14-$26 prices of city AMCs. Well, $6 on Tuesdays! but not the point. Being an avid movie-goer, I have AMC A-List, and I’m telling you, it’s an excellent investment if you go to even a couple movies a month, but it’s not for everyone.

But see, this argument is moot if there’s barely anything worth seeing in the theatre. Which brings me to my rallying cry: make movies fun again, I’m begging. Studio heads seem to think that the only thing “worthy” of going to the movies, of spending the money to advertise and format and actually put INTO theatres, are tentpoles and hot-actor ensemble pieces. Fun movies, specifically semi-cringe romances/rom-coms are mostly being relegated to streaming releases or very limited releases only, and I’m MAD about it.

I remember going to the movies to see things like The Holiday and Bride Wars and Valentine’s Day and Easy A and She’s the Man. I LOVED it. There was very little that brought more joy to me than getting a little cute with my girlfriends, spending our babysitting money on a “nice” dinner together, and then laughing together in the movie theatre. 

I’m not saying there aren’t still movies like that showing on the big screen, because there are, but they’re pretty few and far between, and they either have limited releases or only show for two or three weeks before disappearing.

The success of Anyone But You at the box office gave me some hope. The girlies were OUT and ABOUT to see that movie. I got tickets a few times, but never quite made it to the theatre, unfortunately. But I just watched The Idea of You on Amazon and listen, it was soooo cringe, but I loved every second. It made me ???, it made me laugh, it made me scoff. Even though it wasn’t necessarily “good,” it was FUN. And I had so much fun texting my friends about it during and after. What I would’ve loved even more was to go see it together and then gab about it over rosé afterwards.

Romance movies are supposed to be corny and sappy and cringy. I’m supposed to roll my eyes and maybe secretly wish I was experiencing the same thing. I don’t want to beat a dead horse and say, “let women enjoy things” but come on, let women enjoy things! And put value on them. I can understand that you have to make money off these films, and they often have really low ratings and reviews, but that’s because, in my opinion, many movie reviewers don’t actually like things. And you’re not getting the right people to review them. These movies are supposed to be fun and kind of terrible, it’s what makes them so enjoyable. Valentine’s Day has, like, 14% on rotten tomatoes, but it made over $100million at the box office and is beloved.

And really, I know studios and creatives are trying really hard to give the genre edge, but I’m telling you: stop. People tend to hate on the romance genre because it’s cringy, it’s predictable, and it’s unrealistic. Babes, that’s what we LOVE about it. That’s what makes it fun for us. I don’t need a romance/rom-com movie to be raunchy, in-your-face/forced PC, or have some surprise ending to “keep it fresh.” Make it light, give it a little spice, and keep it simple. A good romance with strong characters and good banter and chemistry will still feel fresh, even with the same old happy ending. 

There are movies like Set It Up; Upgraded; Love at First Sight; Along for the Ride; Red, White, and Royal Blue; Father of the Bride (the new Andy Garcia one); Turtles All the Way Down; Holidate; Love Hard; Always Be My Maybe; Someone Great; To All The Boys; The Hating Game (even though I did not like this book lol); Palm Springs; Which Brings Me to You; Fire Island; EXmas…the list goes ON AND ON of things I either couldn’t make it to  see in theatres or went straight to streaming. “Oh, it doesn’t have a budget that will make it good enough for the big screen.” BE SERIOUS. These are the kinds of movies I’d be racing to see, and I’d even buy a large popcorn and a slushie to go with it, regardless of the low budget. It’s the low-to-mid budget movies I usually have the most fun seeing.

I know that it costs a lot of money to put movies into theatres, and I know that we cannot and should not rely on nostalgia to sell anything (PLEASE), but I implore the industry gods and goddesses to remember the good ol’ days.

Anyway, I don’t know if that made any sense. I could come in with an army of research and really drive the message home that way, but I must get back to my silly little emails.

Hope to further the conversation.

Best,

Ash xx

Ashley Corinne

Resident Romance Lover and Complainer

O: 1-800-LUV-BOOK