DISCLAIMER: This is not an series dedicated to proving men shouldn’t cry, or to suggest ONLY women cry and are therefore inferior. The goal of this series is to dispel the pre-established yet flawed notion that being “Manly” and being disconnected from your emotions go hand-in-hand. Even the most macho of men enjoy and even shed a tear at films, and the sooner we can admit that the sooner the concept that one sex is better than the other can go away. While the approach to these articles is one of light-hearted comedy, the emotional core is valid. While men might be more hesitant to admit it, movies often times have the potential to make us cry, for example:
“Hidden Romance”
Previously these articles involve movies that are at face value for what you get. An action movie is an action movie, a sci-fi thriller is just that. Sometimes Hollywood tries to be sneaky, and hide one film inside another, and many times that “Hidden” movie is a romance story. Guys more embarrassed about being seen as emotional might not admit that they like to watch Love, Actually, or other films that are directly marketed as date movies, or films with a female demographic. Hollywood sometimes pulls a fast one on these fellas, hiding romantic comedies in these otherwise innocent films.
The one sentence description of this film would be “Guy has to relive the same day over and over again until everyone in the audience has died from laughter, then he gets the girl.” While that’s true (everyone who’s ever watched this movie is actually dead, having suffocated from pure ecstasy of laughter years ago), you don’t really notice that you’re watching a romance blossom. Just because Bill “Funniest Man Alive” Murray gets the girl doesn’t automatically make it a romance, it just means he got the girl. No, in this movie upon deeper inspection, a large portion is dedicated to just a guy and a girl getting to know one another and developing a deep relationship. The audience see Bill’s other antics and get so distracted we don’t notice he’s learning to improve his imperfections, learning how to listen to women’s wants and feelings, and becoming a better man for the woman he realizes he loves. That’s the true one-sentence description of this film, hidden behind time loops and comedy.
I apologize for ruining your day, reminding you of the most depressing part of this film. No, it’s not that Bill Murray’s brother the Mayor is in this film and has to eternally live in his brother’s shadow. It’s when Bill tries to save the life of an elderly hobo, only to find after many attempts that there’s nothing he could do. Life has ignored this homeless man too long, and no amount of comfort Bill gives on his one day can alter the course. It’s sobering and makes me think twice every time I pass someone asking for change.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
One sentence description: “Man suffers break up so bad he turns to surgical brain damage to forget his pain, then trips balls”. It’s high concept but made a huge splash when it was released. Jim “I used to be more popular” Carrey is in a relationship loop, though this time not due to time travel but rather a cycle of relationship-break up-memory wipes. This is for a lack of a better word weird, almost sounding like a Terry Gilliam movie and in parts looks like one too. The usual formula for romance movies is turned on its head, but it’s still there. Traditionally characters that learn from their mistakes, but these characters are surgically unable to. However, once medical records are released and Jim learns the truth of the cycle, he has the unique opportunity to enter a relationship already knowing it has ended before.
That is the saddest part to me, that these two are simultaneously destined to be together AND destined to not work out. It’s as if the universe enjoys seeing these two people fall in love and then self-destruct. Come on universe, pick one or the other!
Pretty much any Judd Apatow film would do, but this is the best example for my money. This film’s description would be “40-year-old man’s friends try to get him laid after he reveals he’s not had sex ever”. It’s crude, hilarious, features a man that later was arrested for murdering his wife (look it up!), and above all it’s not a sweat and flowery romance film at first glance. More the National Lampoon Van Wilder-style gross-out humor at first, but with a special “Apatow” touch that makes everything a little more deep. While the progonist learns how to relate to women, his friends learn not to be so crude and sexist. Everyone meets at the end as better people in stronger relationships.
For me the sad part is the plot suggesting that Andy couldn’t be a fully functional adult while still enjoying his hobby of collectables. Throughout the film it’s hammered home that Andy was right all along, being shy was his only offence and all his friend’s bad advice was the problem. Andy even has a breakdown, complaining that his love is trying to push him to change too much. That’s a valid point, and it’s glossed over with the implied answer of “Well you suck as a person and need to change to be happy”. As someone who has both a child and collectables, I think they went too far on that one.
This one going off of title alone is a hard sell. I remember when someone tried to get me to watch it, my first reaction was “Does it have pretty ponies and care bears in it?” Anyone who’s actually seen it knows the film is full of swashbuckler, torture, giant rodents, and revenge. It’s an action movie disguised as a romantic princess story AND it has Columbo! It’s no more a princess movie than Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the two are often confused for one another. But there is romance, and a love story that spans the entire movie hidden in between Billy Crystal being ridiculous.
I’ve always been a bit bothered at the torture scene. If we are to assume that the machine worked, the hero’s life is permanently shortened by one year. Then he’s plain tortured to death. You can quote “Almost dead” all you like, the point is this movie has the main character forced through so much pain that he literally dies, and only “Magic” brings him back. Me thinks there’s going to be some lasting psychological damage there.
(Point of fact: I grew up personal friends with Inigo Montoya’s grandparents. Deal with it)
It’s right there in the tag line: “A romantic comedy with zombies”. They knew from the start that there’d be confusion between this funny/horror film and a film with a legit romantic story. One thing the Cornetto trilogy did perfectly was hide stories of personal growth and evolving relationships in bombastic shells of action. The titular Shawn learns to grow up, respect his elders, be honest with his friends, and treat his girlfriend with more respect and reverence than a random bar-mate. Also, ZOMBIES!
The sad part, of course, is the physical actions Shaun has to take in order to follow his character’s metaphorical growth. Too dependent on your mother? He has to shoot her. Being held back by your best friend? Chain him up in the shed. Too stuck in your routine? Watch as half the town you live in gets murdered. It’s easy to laugh at it, but if you try to imaging Shawn’s mental state after the events of this film, things get a little dark.
Like what you see? Secure enough in your masculinity for more? Check out more Guy Cry Cinema or watch Dan on No Right Answer, the weekly debate show that knows what’s really important: Pointlessly arguing about geek culture.
