Nicole's Editorials

So much for my happy ending

We've been discussing genres in class this past week and their necessity in the world of mass produced media. I'll have to admit, I enjoy the formulaic plot of the "chick flick." I enjoy knowing that the guy and the girl will overcome all odds and be together. Maybe I enjoy the happy endings because I know that life doesn't always work out that way.

One of my favorite "chick flicks" took a risk in ending the way it did, and although the movie didn't come out on the top in the box office, it's one movie in my collection that I can watch over and over again. "Little Black Book" rejects the normal romantic ending where the guy sweeps the girl off of her feet--Stacy Holt, played by Brittany Murphy, doesn't get the "happy ending".

As the audience is left hanging, wondering how Murphy will survive alone, there is a point in which things seem to come together. As Murphy is walking back to her apartment one night, she runs into her ex-boyfriend from college. They briefly catch up, and Murphy literally states, "Everything makes sense now." The audience is excited that Murphy won't be left single. Hopes are again shattered as a car door opens and the ex-boyfriend's pregnant wife asks what movie he wants to see. The audience's expectations are shattered once again, as Murphy is left standing alone.

Instead of finding the man of her dreams, Murphy lands her dream job, working along side Diane Sawyer, while meeting her idol, Carly Simon, at her job interview. The audience had to see Murphy happy, even if it was without the guy!

Although this movie doesn't fit the norm, I loved it. It made me feel ok about not having a boyfriend. Afterall, not every girl finds a man to sweep them off their feet. "Little Black Book" had an ending to remember, even if it wasn't the conventional one.

posted by clevergirl @ 8:01 PM