I'm a Woman Who Hates Chick Flicks

"If a movie is described as a romantic comedy you can usually find me next door playing pinball". This George Carlin quote is among my favorites, because it describes my lack of interest in the genre commonly known as "chick flicks". Being a fan of movies and filmmaking in general, I can appreciate a great story when I see one, and I do enjoy seeing talented actors carry out that story. Still, nine times out of ten, movies that can be classified as tearjerkers don't interest me in the slightest.

On the website Esparagon.com, the section devoted to such films (titled "Crème de la Crème: Feel Good Movies") describes these sort of movies as ones that leave the viewer with a "warm fuzzy feeling in your heart". While the pages list movies I do enjoy, such as "Bringing Up Baby", "Clueless", "Forrest Gump", "Groundhog Day", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Love Actually", and others, my absolute film favorites do not make the list.

"Pulp Fiction" is far too violent, "Schinder's List" is too serious, "A Hard Day's Night" focuses on four young men, "Laurence of Arabia" is devoid of women, and "Amadeus" concentrates more on Mozart's eccentric genius and Salieri's jealousy.

The movies mentioned on Esparagon.com's site seem more geared toward an audience wanting to feel good, leaving the webmaster with a "smile on [her] face". Everyone can appreciate a feel-good movie after a bad day or during a difficult time, but I'd rather put on something funny rather than heartwarming. I know Monty Python, Dave Chappelle, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force can cheer me up better than "Steel Magnolias", and that a ridiculous spoof like "Airplane!" or "Naked Gun" will make me smile, while "What Women Want" will make me cringe.

I've given the genre many chances, and continue to do so. I enjoyed "When Harry Met Sally" since it's funny and has great characters, but I rolled my eyes at the saccharine in "You've Got Mail". Being an anglophile, I adored "Love Actually" but found "Four Weddings and a Funeral" stifling and bland. I was captivated by the romance in "The Princess Bride" but was underwhelmed with "A Walk to Remember". I'm not completely averse to romantic comedies, but as soon as something becomes overly sentimental and mawkish, I dive for the remote.

On Wikipedia's entry for chick flicks, such movies are often centered around a "respectable female lead (however, this is not always the case) struggling with a romantic predicament." or "close relationships among female friends". The entry includes a list of chick flicks with two movies that don't fit either description. "Agnes of God" and "Girl, Interrupted" have central female characters but there's no romance; instead, the central women struggle with mental illness.

Having enjoyed both movies, especially "Agnes of God", it made me wonder if any movie that has central female characters can accurately be described as chick flicks. The more popular movies in the genre do fit the generalized description; "Terms of Endearment" focuses on mother-daughter relationships and marriage, "Beaches" is a modern classic about two lifelong friends (and yes, I disliked both movies).

I've been accused of being heartless and even having no soul for disliking such movies. This is obviously unfair, since it's bizarre to believe that anyone who doesn't have the exact same reaction to things that you do is an emotionless robot. I've been vilified for proclaiming my disgust for "Little Women" and "As Good As It Gets" but mocked by the same people for admitting that I cried (and still cry) when I watch "Edward Scissorhands" and the end of "A Christmas Carol" (the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge).

The themes of social rejection and redemption resonate more with me than characters rambling about relationships or sentimental mush. My taste in movies isn't superior, more high-class, strange, or even evil, it's just my taste.

Being a woman, my distaste for chick flicks has caused confusion, irritation, and amusement. People have assumed that I have no emotions, enjoy mindless violent movies, or that I hate anything romantic. All those assumptions are false, and I know I'm not the only woman who'd much rather watch Vincent Vega boogie down with Mia Wallace than see love kindle on the Titanic, or who'd happily trade the Ya-Ya Sisterhood for a fun game of pinball.