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What makes a good chick flick?

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laureanna
Post subject: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Wed 25 Feb , 2009 3:28 pm
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Not too many chick flicks in the thread about best movies ever, here: ROTK named Ultimate Best Picture of all time. So what is your definition of a chick flick? What do chicks want in a movie?

Edited to split off as the beginning of a new thread.

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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: ROTK named Ultimate Best Picture of all time
Posted: Wed 25 Feb , 2009 3:40 pm
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Are there good chick flicks?

Okay, that's kind of a joke, but it's an honest question from me. I hate watching them, I don't get the point and I rarely retain anything from them.

Whereas, I remember lots from The Godfather, and Pulp Fiction, and some of the others.

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laureanna
Post subject: Re: ROTK named Ultimate Best Picture of all time
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 4:02 am
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Good chick flicks? I suppose my definition is not the same as most. I want to see some guy-gal fidelity, or thoughtfulness about the world, or at least people showing some emotion besides anger and lust.

- Fellowship of the Rings (minus the orcs)
- Shakespeare in Love
- Chocolat
- Casa Blanca
- Love Actually
- A Town Called Alice
- Independence Day (well, the part where the guys act all committed about their gals)
- North by Northwest
- The Englishman who Went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain

I just did a search on Chick Flick on B77 and found out these have been called chick flicks either pleasantly or derisively, by at least one person:
Knocked up
Lady Jane Grey
We are Marshall
March of the Penguins
The Time Traveler's Wife
Pride and Prejudice
Memoirs of a Geisha
For Love of the Game
Room with a View

Anyone interested in peeling this off to a new topic? I could use the practice.

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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: ROTK named Ultimate Best Picture of all time
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 4:05 am
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Oh, that definition is definitely not the normal definition. ;)

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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 9:28 am
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I hate chick flicks as a rule, but I will say that I just discovered The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill and Came Down a Mountain and I am really glad that that exists because it's just as quirky as its delightful title. I wouldn't call it a chick flick, though. It's more Brit com with a chance of romance.

Also, I adore Shakespeare in Love. It is my comfort movie. I doubt I would like the same plot as much if it weren't written by Stoppard. I for sure wouldn't like it if it ended perfectly or even happily which is a hallmark of rom coms and chick flicks.

Actually, that's my problem in general -- the endings are too perfect, too neat, too happy. So for me, a good chick flick is one that doesn't end happily. I'd like it to be a bit more than boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back. Something with real ethos, if you will. Shakespeare in Love is as good as I've found so far and I'm quite happy with it.

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Alatar
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 10:47 am
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From a guy perspective, Bridget Jones Diary was a fun chick flick. Actually, most of the British chick flicks seems to have more cross-appeal. Love Actually, About a Boy, Four Weddings and a Funeral etc..

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Estel
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 10:47 am
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I love chick flicks, but my definition is probably a lot different than most peoples.

For instance -

Oceans 11, total chick flick. Why? Beautiful men in it to perv over.

The 300. Lots of beautiful and half naked me to perv over, and one strong woman.

Other chick flicks like that?

Boondock Saints
Dead Poets Society
The Bourne Trilogy
Swing Kids



Some more traditional chick flicks?

Fried Green Tomatoes
Room With a View
Beaches
The Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love




Going through our movie collection, the following are what I could consider chick flicks:

10,000 B.C.
The Fifth Element
Amelie
A Room with a View
Boondock Saints
The Bourne Trilogy
Chocolat
Dead Poets Society
Dracula
Edward Scissorhands
Finding Neverland
Ghost
Grosse Pointe Blank
Hero
High Fidelity
The Holiday
House of Flying Daggers
Immortal Beloved
Interview with a Vampire
Juno
King Kong
Labyrinth
Legend
LotR: 1, 2 and 3
The Lover
Malena
Mansfield Park
Mask of Zorro
Meet Joe Black
A Mighty Heart
Moulin Rouge
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Much Ado About Nothing
An Officer and a Gentleman
Overboard
Peggy Sue Got Married
The Pianist
Pretty Woman
Princess Bride
A River Runs Through It
The Road Home
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Romancing the Stone
Run Lola Run
The Saint
Serendipity
Sin City
Sleepless in Seattle
Something's Gotta Give
Starman
Stigmata
Swing Kids
The Thomas Crown Affair
Titanic
The Transporter, 1 and 2
Troy
Truly Madly Deeply
What Dreams May Come
What Women Want
When Harry Met Sally
Willow
Underworld

I know a lot of those wouldn't be considered chick flicks by quite a few people, and some people would have added other movies I have to this list (for instance, Enchanted).

I don't consider some shallow love story to be a chick flick. Those are more along the lines of teenage fairy tales. For instance, I would not consider movies like 27 Dresses, Sweet Home Alabama, etc, to be chick flicks. Those are more love stories for teenaged gigglers. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy those films. I did. I just wouldn't consider them to be chick flicks.

For me, a chick flick has at least one of the following:

Really hot men
A strong female character
A moving love story

Along with a feeling of something more. A chick flick is a movie that makes you give a shit about the characters even though the story might be one as old as time. Most importantly, it's a film that you can pull out during a girls night, and all the women will agree to watch it and all will probably enjoy it (hence, the men perving movies ;) )

Very vague definition, I know, but it's my own and I'm sticking to it ;)


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Impenitent
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 11:42 am
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I agree with Estel's definition (especially the eye-candy part). :)

Makes it easier to post, too. ;)

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Ara-anna
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 3:56 pm
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Where does Sophie's Choice fall then? I always thought it was a 'chick' flick of sorts.

I don't really classify stuff as chick flick or that type of thing anymore. If I like the movie, well that's all that matters to me anymore. I've seen to many glowing reviews of movies that I absolutely hated and vice versa.

As for 'Chick Flicks' I really don't know how to define those or any others per say. I always thought Titanic was a chick flick, but apparently a good deal of men watched it too. ;)

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laureanna
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 4:15 pm
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I hated Sweet Home Alabama!!!!

Think about what the final messages were (I won't say them here as they are spoilers) but the "morals" of the story really bothered me. OK, I'll say them, :rage: scroll down if you don't want to see them:










Gal, you can give up your career and your prestige and your friends and move back in with Bubba, because he now has a good income. That's all that really matters.

Gal, you will be happy with all the adults in your small town (who remarkably, were all in your graduating high school class). You will never be happy in New York. Go (back to) where your heart is.

Gay white guy who just came out of the closet, that cute, black, flaming queen you just met at the wedding is going to fit in just fine in your all white (except for the house maid) redneck small town.

A guy who is so secretive you don't even know that he's spent all that (joint bank account) money to start a business is soooo... what? Romantic?

:rage: :rage: :rage: :rage: :rage:

That kind of message is rampant in your classic chick flick.

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Estel
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 4:46 pm
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I did forget one of my favorite "chick flicks" ever - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Absolutely lovely and unexpected remake of a cinderella story. Really a lovely movie. I watched it on an airplane, and hated it for the fact that I ended up crying.


laureanna - don't forget the whole thing of giving up a guy who would do anything for you and is obviously one of those really really good ones for a guy who got wasted when you married him, is willing to fuck with you as much as it takes to control you and keep you for himeself and who says he knows you better than you know yourself even though he hasn't seen you in ten years. Really, when anyone says they know you better than you know yourself, it's because they know what they want you to be, and think that they can mold you into that.

I've got to say, though I enjoyed both Sweet Home Alabama and 27 dresses, that's what really bothered me about Sweet Home Alabama. As for 27 dresses, the fact that the girl falls in love with the guy even though he completely humiliates her, and, in this case in front of a national audience.

Almost every other teenage typed chick flick does this and it makes me a bit sick.

It's especially vomit worthy when the humiliation is wrapped in language of "I only did it to show you how deluded you are about yourself. I only did it for your own good."

Inevitably, the girl in the movie always has the same sort of reaction. Something along the lines of -->

"Oh thank you for pointing out how stupid I've been. Now I've changed my life to live it the way you think would make me happy, and even though I was angry at you for two minutes about how you humiliated me, I do now see that you did it for me, to help me.

I've fallen in love with you even more because of it.

Oh please, hit me again. I deserve it. It's so good for me!

When we get married, you can do that to me every day and I'll always be a better person because I'll always be able to depend on you to tell me, and the world, when I'm not behaving correctly."


:bang:


Wait! :doh1: That's the true mission of these crappy supposed chick flicks - to teach us that men are smarter, and we need them to humiliate us occasionally in order for our lives to have any meaning. Why didn't I think of that before?! :poke: I was wrong; these movies do have a place in our lives - to teach us our place!

:roll:


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Nienor SharkAttack
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 5:34 pm
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Why has no one mentioned Notting Hill?! :Q

I love Notting Hill. Really do. So funny, so lovely. :love: I also really like Love Actually. Hm, is it Hugh Grant? :P (Well, I do love him as British Prime Minister! :P)


I'm not a fan of chick flick movies in general, but those two I've watched many times now.

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Estel
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 6:16 pm
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:doh1: Those two are really lovely movies :love:


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Ara-anna
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 6:45 pm
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Estel wrote:
I did forget one of my favorite "chick flicks" ever - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Absolutely lovely and unexpected remake of a cinderella story. Really a lovely movie. I watched it on an airplane, and hated it for the fact that I ended up crying.


laureanna - don't forget the whole thing of giving up a guy who would do anything for you and is obviously one of those really really good ones for a guy who got wasted when you married him, is willing to fuck with you as much as it takes to control you and keep you for himeself and who says he knows you better than you know yourself even though he hasn't seen you in ten years. Really, when anyone says they know you better than you know yourself, it's because they know what they want you to be, and think that they can mold you into that.

I've got to say, though I enjoyed both Sweet Home Alabama and 27 dresses, that's what really bothered me about Sweet Home Alabama. As for 27 dresses, the fact that the girl falls in love with the guy even though he completely humiliates her, and, in this case in front of a national audience.

Almost every other teenage typed chick flick does this and it makes me a bit sick.

It's especially vomit worthy when the humiliation is wrapped in language of "I only did it to show you how deluded you are about yourself. I only did it for your own good."

Inevitably, the girl in the movie always has the same sort of reaction. Something along the lines of -->

"Oh thank you for pointing out how stupid I've been. Now I've changed my life to live it the way you think would make me happy, and even though I was angry at you for two minutes about how you humiliated me, I do now see that you did it for me, to help me.

I've fallen in love with you even more because of it.

Oh please, hit me again. I deserve it. It's so good for me!

When we get married, you can do that to me every day and I'll always be a better person because I'll always be able to depend on you to tell me, and the world, when I'm not behaving correctly."


:bang:


Wait! :doh1: That's the true mission of these crappy supposed chick flicks - to teach us that men are smarter, and we need them to humiliate us occasionally in order for our lives to have any meaning. Why didn't I think of that before?! :poke: I was wrong; these movies do have a place in our lives - to teach us our place!

:roll:

Rant for a day, I totally agree and have met I don't know how many men think this type of shit is acceptable in Real Life. And at this point in my life it bugs me that women accept it. I swear if I ever have another man tell me how his insulting me or degrading me is for my own benefit, I will change a rooster to a chicken.

My problem with 27 dresses is not only the humilation of the 'reporter' but also the whole issue with her boss and being in love with a man who is using her.

Thank god there are some decent men out there who don't see women like that.

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Nin
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Thu 26 Feb , 2009 10:49 pm
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I have not seen neither 27 dresses or Sweet Home Alabama, but I know this kind of behaviour so well.... that I just had to post in here.

Maybe I would efine a chick flick as I understood it as a movie which you prefer to go to see with a bunch of girl friends, eat a pizza (or a salad with French women ;) ) first, discuss about anti-wrinkle, complain about your guys, kids, bosses, kilos and bank-accounts, swoon for the male actor and for the dresses of the female actor and get home with energy for your daily marathon as working mom every day...

As I don't have a bunch of girl-friends, I do this rarely, but when.... this way I saw
My best friend's wedding
Harry Potter IV
Troy
Moulin Rouge

I would somehow also call The English Patient a chick flick....

And I would have wanted to see "Mamma Mia" like this, but did not manage.

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laureanna
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Fri 27 Feb , 2009 5:12 am
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Nin, I don't have a bunch of girlfriends either. I sometimes watch a chick flick on Saturday afternoon, by myself, at home. What defines a chick flick in my home is my son coming in, watching if for five minutes and being at a total loss as to why I would want to watch it. Where's the action? Where's the gore? Where are the speeding cars? Where are the half naked women?

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Estel
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Fri 27 Feb , 2009 11:32 am
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Who needs half naked women when you've got half naked men :devil:


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Pippin4242
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Fri 27 Feb , 2009 3:17 pm
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There's an interesting discussion of this going on over at Anime News Network right now. Somebody brought up the Bechdel Rule, which I'd never heard of before. It's changed my perception of media pretty strongly. Well worth a look.

On those grounds I now consider the greatest chick-flick ever made to be Nana. It's kind of like a lesbian romance between two girls who aren't gay. :scratch:

-Pips-

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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Fri 27 Feb , 2009 5:39 pm
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Nana kind of is a chick-flick yes. The whole series. >_> I can't stand Hachi though... :Q I think she's what makes it the chick flick.

Anyway,

My definition of a chick flick seems to be in line with the definitions of men...the 'shallow teen romances' are chick flicks.

Estel's definition isn't that of a chick flick for me - that's a well done romance. The kind I can actually kind of tolerate if I'm allowed to laugh at them. :neutral:

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Pippin4242
Post subject: Re: What makes a good chick flick?
Posted: Fri 27 Feb , 2009 6:08 pm
Hasta la victoria, siempre
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Hachi's alright. She's just at the whim of her hormones sometimes. And she's a bit self-deluding if she thinks she can truly be happy with Takumi, but I really appreciate her moral integrity in doing so for the sake of her child. I think if she hadn't fallen pregnant when she did, she would have stayed with Nobuo for a long time, and (I'm not up to date on the manga) maybe she would have managed to be the glue that held the band together.

The actual term 'chick-flick' sounds to me like 'cheesy movie that large groups of girls go to see together'. Sex and the City, that sort of thing. It looks like Estel is after good films for women to watch, which I think is different, and marketed differently. (Like, and sorry to bring the discussion to anime, but it's the best comparison I know for demographic-smashing - how nearly every fan of Bleach I know is female, and out of their teens, even though it was originally published in an anthology for, and entirely marketed to, young boys).

ETA: Holy shit, but I think it fails the Bechdel test. Two hundred episodes, three full length films, two TV specials, and a chapter a week every week for the last seven years... and it fails that simple test. :Q
All I can think of is Tatsuki and Orihime talking about food. Once. And the Suifeng/Yoruichi battle, which stood out so much that everybody's convinced Suifeng is in love with her.

-Pips-

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