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phdvr on 11 Aug 2021 at 6:18 am
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Really beautiful, thank you. Leaves me with this slightly unreal feeling about why we havent asked these questions before! There seem to be 2 issues here though – dual protagonists and intersubjectivity is one. But this could still end in a HEA or HFN (which is itself a priceless concept). So to really change the structure its about not ending in union it seems. Does this mean it would be an open ended structure? Tnx.

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  philmathews on 3 Sep 2021 at 4:30 pm
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  Hi and Many thanks for your question. I don’t think that the ending need be either. There is a real fixation in the genre for closure and certainty via commitment. It could just be a connection that is supportive, respectful and sustaining for a while. The relationship in the film ‘Once’ is a useful example. I think that all the conventions and tropes have their place and certainly their audience, I would rather start from the story looking at the relationship in terms of characters and developing mutual respect. All the nuance and specificity of what a relationship should be is really nobodies business but the writers IMO. Thanks
  
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Deborah Klika on 22 Aug 2021 at 3:43 pm
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I enjoyed this presentation as I touch on similar themes in my thesis on relationship between sitcom and comedy films about relationships and suggest that using a term such as ‘relationship comedies’ enables a greater diversity of types of relationships that are also comedic. And I touch on this notion of dual protagonist from a position of frustration that so many romcoms are about one protagonist getting the trophy as you put it. So it was pleasing to see that further work is being done on this. Could you please give the reference for the Parker text you refer to (1999). Many thanks.

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  philmathews on 3 Sep 2021 at 4:33 pm
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  Hi Deborah. Would be great to hear more about your thesis. Phil Parker’s the art and science of screenwriting 1999 published by intellect is what I referred to. He also has written extensively on the romance in the journal ‘Twelve Point’ which ran during the 2000’s. Phil
  
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ELEANOR YULE on 26 Aug 2021 at 5:14 pm
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This is a long overdue observation that challenges not only the historically conservative nature of the genre but also begs the question why the romance genre is not taken as seriously by critics as other genres, often being seen as ‘slight’ or as films which will only appeal to female audiences.

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  philmathews on 3 Sep 2021 at 4:38 pm
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  Many thanks Eleanor for your encouraging words. I think the general lumping of romance with comedy to rom/com has done romance as a singular genre no favours. It also doesn’t seem to build a consensus or body of work in the way that other genres benefit from such as the western.
  
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roblesbrenda on 27 Aug 2021 at 6:40 pm
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I believe these themes are easier to explore in drama series than on feature, Sexual Education series, for examples provides the psychoanalytic/intimate development of characters developing first-lines experience of homoromantic and pansexual love, having romance as a secondary aspect as you suggest. Birilliant presentation. Thank you.

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  philmathews on 3 Sep 2021 at 4:40 pm
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  Thanks for your comments and I totally agree there is far more scope and opportunity to explore culture, arena and the life of relationships in longer form narratives.
  
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SRN 2021

Mathews – ‘What is love?’ Negotiating romance genre conventions in screenwriting practice

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