Bridget Jones's Diary

Meet Mark Darcy, who describes Bridget: "smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish and dresses like her mother". Opening titles, singing drunk, listening to 'sad FM, easy listening for the over thirties'. In attempt to 'shape up' first stage is to lose weight, secondly bin underwear, and thirdly don't fall for workaholics, alcoholics or fuckwits. Fancies her boss who is smarmy, arrogant and handsome to some (although debateable), and begins her diary (interesting representations of a diary anyway). Bridget immediately thinks of marriage, and her friends teach her how to 'win her man', by 'looking gorgeous, totally ignore Daniel and circulate'. Ditzy and makes a fool of herself in the presentation, and Daniel takes her on a mini break which means "true love". Has found out so far that Darcy: dull, boring, and cheated with Daniel's finance.Less elegant under pressure Bridget finds Daniel cheating with American woman, and is engaged to her one day later., by which time Bridget had toughened up and leaves work declaring that she's "rather have a job wiping sadam Huessein's arse". Darcy then says that he likes her "just the way you are", and helps her prepare dinner for her birthday. Daniel turns up, unexpected and declares that he needs her, working his charm, at which point a fight kicks off with darcy and Daniel, both fighting for her. When Darcy takes it too far she sides with Daniel, who later says that if he can't get her he can't get anyone- not really a compliment. Later she finds out Daniel actually chated with Darcy's finace and then they get together, only after he finds her diary calling him dull etc, but goes to buy her a new one, while she runs to find him in her 'sexy pants'.

The Holiday

Story of Iris
fell in love alone, with a man who cheated on her but expects them to still be friends, even though it is declared in front of their work party that he is newly engaged. Could be described aas arrogant, sly, unfaithful. Puts her house up for a house swap, She considers suicide, and when describing herself, almost cries when states she's 'single'. Swaps houses with Amanda who lives in LA. Meets Miles, in a relationship, comforting, helpful etc. Jasper doesn't allow her to fall out of love with him, wants her to be there when he needs her (cake and eats), Miles' girlfriend cheats on him, but rings to say she wants him back, and in comes Jasper. Turning up at the door and declaring that "i've just travelled half way across the world to see you", but has failed to tell his fiance. Iris is then able to declare "I'm miraculously done being in love with you". Her and Miles end up together, he travels to London to stay with her for New Years.

Story of Amanda
Meanwhile Amanda, successful workaholic, leaves boyfriend after finding has chated on her with secretary, goes to live in Surrey. Unable to cry after shocked by parents divorce, where finds a new love interest, Iris' brother who is handsome, well spoken and funny. He states that people tend to fall in love with him, but he doesn't call after a date. Graham, first to say "I love you". She leaves and then cries, dadaaa, so runs back to find him crying.

Results

The majority watch romantic comedies for simple enjoyment, and secondly because they always have a happy ending. A slow but consistently developing love was the most important ingredient, as well as an amusing storyline and explicit sexual action. According to my results, the heroine should be funny, with a strong personality, and the male love interest must be attractive and secondly caring and fights for the heroine. After watching a rom com most felt happy and hopeful for love, with the narrative being important There also needs to be a glooming possibility that the two do not end up together. There was no preference to when a rom com would be watched, but with it being an escape for most. The main focus should be on the comedy, according to my questionnaire, and the perfect man for my audience was one who is masculine and strong yet nurtuting. There was an equal reponse to the men at the first of a film and the men at the end of the film representing the men in their lives, and most said that the idea that men are uncaring and then turn nurturing at the end is one that was agreed.

What qualities do you like to see in a male love interest?
That he is attractive 13
strong personality 5
Caring 8
Uncaring at first but gradually learns to care 4
Fights for the heroine 8
Confidence 4
Masculine traits 6

After watching a romantic comedy how do you feel?
Happy 14
Relaxed 2
Hopeful for love 7
Upset 2
Scared 0

Is the narrative important or is it just neccessary that the heroine ends up with the man?
Narrative is imporant 16
Just that the heroine ends up with the man 4

Do you feel that there needs to be a glooming possibility that the heroine and the main male figure do not end up together?
Yes 14
No 6

When do you most enjoy watching romantic comedies?
When feeling depressed 4
When you're happy 3
No preference 11
When something good has happened 2

Do you find watching romantic comedies is an 'escape'?
Yes 12
No 8

Do you prefer the romantic comedies to focus particularly on the comedy or the romance?
Comedy 14
Romance 6

How would you describe your perfect man?
Masculine and stronh, yet nurturing 13
Kind, considerate and always present 5
Loving yet independant 2
'Bad boy' type 1

One theory about romances is that the men start off hard, distant , cold and uncaring, and gradually learn to become loving, kind, emotional and nurturing through their developing relationship with the woman. Are the men in your life more like how the romantic hero starts, or how the romantic hero end?
Starts 10
Ends 10

Do you think the description of the men in romantic comedies given in the question above, is true of the romantic comedies you have seen?
True 15
Untrue 5

questionnaires

Films seen:

50 First Dates
There's Something About Mary
Heartbreak Kid
Love Actually
The Holiday
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Dirty Dancing
The Notebook
Pretty Woman
My Best Friends Wedding
Cruel Intentions
Romeo and Juliette
Bridget Jones
She's All That
Nottinghill
Legally Blonde
About A Boy
Wedding Date
13 Going on 30
Amelie
Bewitched
Cinderella Story
First Daughter
The Break Up
What Women Want
P.S I Love You
The Perfect Catch
Pearl Harbour

Which of the following best decribes why you watch romantic comedies?
To escape daily problems 2
For simple relaxation 3
For simple enjoyment 16
Because I wish I had a romance like the heroine 2
Because I imagine I am the heroine in that romance 2
Because I like to watch strong, virile men 3
Because watching films is better than other forms of escape 1
Because they always have a happy ending 6

What are the most important ingredients to a romantic comedy?
A happy Ending 11
A slow but consistently developing love between heroine and male love object 1
Love scenes without explicit sexual action 1
Love scenes with explicit sexual action 7
Two enemies who turn out to be lovers 0
An amusing storyline 11
Seeing how all the obstacles which face the heroine and male character's romance are overcome 1

What qualities do you like to see in a heroine?
That she is attractive 7
Humour 10
Strong personality 8
Confidence 2
"Ditzy" personality 5
Gradually developing confidence 3

too close to the problems of partriarchy

' characters resemble the people they meet in real life, 22 answered "they are not at all similar", 11 checked, "they are somewhat similar" and 2 asserted that "they are very similar. 0 of Dot's customers believed that romantic characters are "almost identical" to those they meet daily'.

"we read books so we won't cry"

"I would like it to be not as it really is"

'An optimist plot'

'event of picking up a book enabled them to deal with the particular pressures and tensions encountered in their fdaily rounds of activities'

'And I think my body is in the room but the rest of me is not'

'search for emotional gratification'

'one of the features housewives dislike most about their role is its isolation and resulting lonliness'

'declares his intention to protect her forever because of his desperate love and need for her'

'creation of that perfect union where the ideal male, who is masculine and strong yet nurturant too, finally recognizes the intrinsic worth of the heroine. Thereafter, she is required to do nothing more than exist as the centre of this paragon's attention'

'if it had to be...pills or drinks, this is harmful'

'draws the women's attention away from the immediate family circle'

'flight from one state of being to another more desirable one'

'denying the present'

The Holiday
Bridget Jones
Legally Blonde (although not changing any men?)

Questionnaire about why people watch rom coms.
Show clips of these films and ask what they think about what i am showing them etc

primary reseacr= is the pleasure for women audience members in rom coms all about transforming masculinity from something hard to something soft and gentle? find some clips that illustrate that and get women to talk about them, specific questions? who? context?
are the representations of women themselves in rom coms negative in any way, e.g women dependant on men, illogical etc etc, what do tou think of this woman? do you admire?
transformation of masculinity- Radway's ideas, men in their lives are uncaring, and women do not receive the love they need, women do not receive satisfactory caring. interviews on readers= women older than my t.a and married, may find different for my age group.

The Holiday part 1

new plan

representations of gender in rom coms, looking specifically at Bridget Jones, The Holiday and maybe with some reference to Knocked Up as it challenges the views. A questionnaire (tick box) to be supplied to students based on why the enjoy rom coms and then a detailed questionnaire to some of the individuals who have filled in the questionnaire

texts to look at:
About A Boy
The Holiday
Bridget Jones
Four Wedding's And A Funeral
As Good As It Gets
Addicted To Love
The Break-Up
50 First Dates
Love Actually
Hitch
Wedding Crashers
A Lot Like Love
Jerry Maquire

Change of idea

The pleasures of rom coms. What reps of femininity are available in romcoms and what pleasures/needs to they fulfil in their audiences. Key academic text to add - Reading the Romance, by Ann Radway.

character representations

Bridget Jones represents another love struck heroin, who suffers from the same insecurities that all women suffer from, although they seem to define who she is and what she does. Bridget Jones is just an amalgam of her anxieties, of everyone's anxieties. The ditzy blonde, clumsy and who fails in love. Obsessing over missed oppertunities, and fixating on wight, food, alcohol, cigarettes, work, parents, friends and lovers. Any women of a certain age can recognise elements of Bridget in herself. Every diary entry a record of her weight, maybe something which is even more common in society today.

Discuss with me the change from pre-war to post-war reps of femininity.  How about Renee Zelwegger/Briget Jones as a contrast to Lara Croft?  (Actually I don't think they are that much of a contrast in some ways).   Or Scarlett Johanson?

Sean

sources

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053291/ marilyn monroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsYD0bnR1TQ

New Ideas

After reading the examples you provided, the new title would help me look specifically at examples and at what they suggest about society. I will study closely the representations of Marilyn Monroe and Katherine Hepburn, but look at specific examples of their films, so that I can have a broad idea of their styles etc. I then need to look at the times that these characters were around and what was happening in society at the time, and if they represent this. I'll then look at Angelina Jolie as it's mor relevant to this time period and she's a A list star who connotes power in most of her movies, but having trouble thinking of an opposing character? Do you think they need to be represent different things in their films?

Your first ideas

Women and Film

“The past 100 years” is too broad! You need to find a couple of historical examples (Katherine Hepburn Vs Marylin Monore would be great), THEN look at some contemporary bib box office stars.

A better title:

“Do representations of women in film relate to the society and culture the films are produced from, and if so what does the popularity of current stars tell us about our society?”

I have attached a previous project on this title.

You will need to begin by reading several chapters (3 and 4) from “Media Gender and Identity”.

You will need to consider a few contemporary big box office female stars too.

You will need to build in some real audience stuff. For example, by testing out how real audiences “read” a couple of contemporary female stars – what they think of the representations of femininity they offer.

Eg you could do, say, Renee Zelwegger and, say, Angelina Jolie.

Take a look at http://www.amiannoying.com/(S(4huino5502lqo145zqahz3bc))/collection.aspx?collection=172