Posted by Chiusano at usr3-d42.stk.cwnet.com on February 10, 2000 at 19:33:29:
In Reply to: What you're ignoring... posted by Neil on February 10, 2000 at 19:15:22:
: The main story for both of the duel leads in MALLRATS revolves around their quest for romantic love. It's not a commercial ploy sub-plot to create a weak story arc. It is, in fact, the main story of the film. The A-Plot. Just because the tone is different than NOTTING HILL and it wasn't marketed as a story about romantic love, does not on any level change the fact that it is.
I see what you're saying and I do agree to a certain extent. But I still have to stand my ground. Even though it pervades the storyline, I simply just don't think that Mallrats is really all that concerned with conveying true romantic sentiment. The love story element just feels too superficial and uninvolving to me. We never get too caught up in the TS/Brandi business and even less so with Brodie and Renee. It doesn't feel like the movie is particularly invested in it either, in my opinion. I think that Mallrats is akin to Austin Powers in the field of romantic comedy. Austin also features a romantic subplot about a woman's love causing a man to re-evaluate his lifestyle and it runs through the whole film, but who would honestly consider it to be a romantic comedy? These themes come up in Clerks as well, but would you consider that film romantic as well. Something like Chasing Amy, however, earns the title (well, it may actually be more of a "dramedy") because the movie really seems caught up in its romantic angle instead of merely nudging at it between penis gags.
But then there's something like There's Something About Mary, where I don't know which pile it goes in.
It's a thin line, the romantic comedy classification. I guess it's just a subjective issue.
Let me just say this: on V-Day, if your respective ladyfriend wants you to put on something romantic, are you really gonna pop in Mallrats?
Chiusano