Big Love

Of the rom com genre…because life is serious enough at the moment.

I am a sucker for a good Christmas movie. A Christmas film connects me to the spirit of Christmas on the entertainment level, compared to say, the shopping realm. Watching a holiday film is a bit like listening to Christmas music. Points if it is silly and makes me laugh and points for making me cry – which it seems is often an aim of the modern rom com. Why? I don’t think it is necessary to have grief in a rom com in order to justify the rom. Seems like many films including children’s films have one, if not both, parents die, like in Disney’s Frozen, or Noel Diary. Perhaps it is all just a twist on the hero’s journey story arc, but I’m over it.

Dash and Lily (2020). This series on Netflix was surprisingly fresh and fun. In a world where you can have it all right away, two strangers find a new way to meet cute that involves actually not meeting.

Midnight at the Magnolia (2020). Not obviously a Christmas movie, more a holiday count down to New Years Eve, but snow and Christmas all over the place, so…? This one makes you think back to your childhood crushes.

Noel Diary (2022). What I liked about this movie was the thawing of hearts and healing of old wounds. You know the script writer is pulling on your heart strings, but it’s ok because of the funny parts and beautiful lead characters.

A Castle for Christmas (2021). I loved that this romance focused on people not in their 20s and 30s, rather a divorcee who went to Scotland to escape bad press on her famous novel series. An unlikely couple end up sharing a castle until Christmas. Fun and Scotland looks beautiful.

Love Hard (2021). Okay, I didn’t understand the premise of the film or the term “catfishing” at first, but this cute film about meeting and dating via dating apps provides a classic rom com set up. Some really funny moments here, I was glad to be watching it alone for my unabashed laughing fits.