Chicks in flicks

We had a discussion at work today about women in film.

Ok, that just made it sound like a very cerebral conversation. It wasn't. I started it off by expressing my annoyance of the romantic comedy genre.

Basically, rom-coms are all the same. That's no breaking news. However, for some reason, a new generation of 20-something women (with the exception of Amanda Seyfried) doesn't exist in the genre because the same old -- yes, OLD --chicks are in these chick flicks.

Now, I know that these women aren't actually old in the grand scheme of life. But in the grand scheme of movies, they are. Sorry.

Examples: Jennifer Aniston is 41. Jennifer Lopez is 41. Jennifer Garner is 38. Reese Witherspoon is 34. Sandra Bullock is 46. Julia Roberts is 43. Sarah Jessica Parker is 45.

These are the same women who have been doing the rom-com thing for at least 10 years already (or 20 in Ms. Roberts' case.) Why are these women the ones we have to continue to watch find true love for the first time? Surely there are actresses of a more believable age for that kind of storyline.

Note: It seems like screenwriters are trying to use these actresses however they can by doing the whole I-want-a-baby-and-don't-need-a-man-but-now-that-I-have-a-baby-I-met-a-man thing. I suppose it would be a more mature woman who went through a thing like that. Oh, and there's the whole I-am-the-bitchy-boss-lady-that's-why-I'm-older thing. Whatever. It still feels like they're reaching.

Name a 20-something actress who has done a rom-com lately. Besides Amanda Seyfried.

Nope, I can't think of one either.

The rom-com actresses take turns being "America's Sweetheart." All I'm saying is, it's time for some younger, fresher faces in the category. When I think of "America's Sweetheart," I think of Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts... from the early '90s! That was 20 years ago!!

So, during this conversation a coworker pulled up a video blog post from some feminist web site about the role of women in movies. It said to pay attention to these 3 things about the movie and the female(s) in it:

1. Is there more than one female character who has a name?
2. Do they talk to each other?
3. Do they talk to each other about something besides men?

Think of all the movies you have ever seen. The result is shocking. It's very hard to think of a movie where the above three questions are all answered in the affirmative. The first one that leaped to mind was the "Sex and the City" movie, which is truly unfortunate since that movie made me want to blow my brains out.

The answers for "SATC" are 1) Yes, there are four. 2) Yes and using only puns. Because THAT is how women talk to each other, you see. 3) Yes, but about clothes and babies and relationships in general. Because THAT is all that women talk to each other about, you see.

So the problem is twofold. The rom-com genre needs some storylines that are new and fresh (like "500 Days of Summer," which was excellent) and some new and fresh faces to play the female leads.

Perhaps I'll write them myself.