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| October romantic comedy Ruby Sparks |
Almost every romantic movie follows a similar structure: boy meats girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again. This is a successfully proven formula that attracts audiences of both male and female demographics, as well as a number of other conventions that distinguish romance from other genres.
The lead, unlike action movies, is often vulnerable, shy or socially inept, often just having broken up with a lover. He or she is attracted to someone who seems unattainable, and there is some sort of social divide that is stopping their love. A love triangle is a theme that is found in many romantic movies, with the object of affection engaged to someone they don't love, or an ex-lover wanting revenge on the lead. Age difference is a popular theme, such as The Graduate, Lost In Translation or the recent Liberal Arts.
Romantic movies can be divided into many sub-genres, the romantic comedy being the most popular, with an almost universal audience. Teen romances have distinct cliches, such as the jock and cheerleader characters, and many romances are set around a particular situation, such as a wedding or a party. Other romances can span years, such as The Notebook or time travel romance The Time Traveller's Wife.