Posted by Neil at 205.163.142.226 on February 11, 2000 at 12:24:38:
Late in a continuing debate I wrote, "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."
Chiusano replied, "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."
And here's where I think we disagree. I don't think it fully succeeds at it, but it seems clearly to be high on its agenda.
"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."
Again, I think the fault of the movies characters not quite coming gelling, not the intent.
Although I would disagree. I didn't find TS/Brandi involving at all, but I actually get reasonably involved in the Brodie/Renee storyline. That's the plot that pulls me through the movie.
"It doesn't feel like the movie is particularly invested in it either, in my opinion."
Well, that's because it's not particularly invested in anything. It's definitely the main plot of the film.
"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?"
No, because it has a very surface A-Plot about Austin Powers stopping Dr. Evil. Anyway you look at MALLRATS, the plot centers around the romantic relationships of its two leads.
I won't go into the fact that the romance in Austin Powers didn't work for me, felt entirely shoehorned in to give it a commercial arc and worked to the films detriment, since I think that's off the subject.
"These themes come up in Clerks as well, but would you consider that film romantic as well."
CLERKS is more complex. While I could raise the argument that the main plot is, in fact about Dante's choice between romantic mates. The fact that his conflict takes place mostly internally gives it more of a character study feel, which is kind of where I place it.
"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."
Clearly a romantic comedy, same as MALLRATS. I don't think the level of crudeness changes these things.
"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?"
No, but I'm not probably going to pop in a comedy... or, at the very least, not a recent one.