LOVELESS IN HOLLYWOOD

Even as Hollywood rom-coms are stuck in a rut, one can find inspiration in world cinema

- ANJULY MATHAI

There was a time when Hollywood peddled its happily-ever-afters with flair and fervour. One could perhaps say that it was ushered in 1989, with the release of the rom-com blockbuster, When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner. Its wisdom was undisputed and its dialogues, uncorked wit. One might argue that no one really says things like, “When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” But a girl can hope, can’t she? A generation of girls started hoping. Ephron, their fairy godmother, waved her wand, and hey presto, the golden age of Hollywood rom-coms dawned. Ephron herself wrote two more iconic ones—Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You’ve Got Mail (1998)—and they, in turn, birthed one of Hollywood’s beloved pairings: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. There were others too—Julia Roberts and Richard Gere (Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride), Drew Barrymore and Michael Vartan (Never Been Kissed), Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping), Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney (One Fine Day). They existed in the endless continuum of a forever love that never grew jaded.

But forever love is a myth, and Hollywood had to find out the hard way. Our brave Romeos were soon vanquished by the caped crusaders. Marvel came up with its big-budget, superhero franchises, and studios started toeing its line. In the post-Avatar world, the rom-com became collateral damage.