Romantic Comedy Dos And Don'ts: The Pitfalls Of The Rom-Com Genre (VIDEOS)

Moviefone  |  By Posted: 04/26/2012 9:05 am Updated: 04/26/2012 9:05 am

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Jerry Maguire

This Friday, Nicholas Stoller's "The Five-Year Engagement" hits theaters. The rom-com stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a doomed couple with an ever-lengthening walk down the aisle.

Thanks to the comedic gifts of Segel and Blunt, along with their co-stars, Alison Brie and Chris Pratt, the film is a general joy to watch. However, you may find yourself aching for the credits: It's long. Really long. Over two hours long.

This had to be a romantic comedy blunder, right? (The film's length is no stranger to producer Judd Apatow, however, whose movies tend to fall around the two-hour mark.)

So! In honor of "The Five-Year Engagement," we've gathered a couple of your favorite flicks to serve as a guide to the DOs and DON'Ts of rom-coms. Hey, those who can't do, teach, right?

VIDEOS:

"When Harry Met Sally"
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DO begin your I-love-you speech, casually. Who knows how things would have ended if Harry didn't begin his famous proclamation without "I've been doing a lot of thinking and the thing is, I love you." (Swoon!)

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This Friday, Nicholas Stoller's "The Five-Year Engagement" hits theaters. The rom-com stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a doomed couple with an ever-lengthening walk down the aisle. Thanks to t...
This Friday, Nicholas Stoller's "The Five-Year Engagement" hits theaters. The rom-com stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a doomed couple with an ever-lengthening walk down the aisle. Thanks to t...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
luckylily88
130 Fans
03:14 PM on 04/26/2012
Do realize that romantic comedies aren't real life, and if you're expecting your rom-com hero to swing in and make you swoon, that will probably never happen. However, real men (the ones who randomly buy you flowers and still open your car door after 20 years) lead to real relationships, which are intensely satisfying once you let go of all this silly crap.
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Greenblue
Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stranger :P
1242 Fans
09:42 PM on 04/26/2012
This ◕‿◕
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
inapickle
394 Fans
09:15 PM on 04/27/2012
I'd add, DO realize that if you were actually sucked into the script of a rom-com, you'd almost certainly be somewhere between annoyed and terrified. Rom-coms almost always center around two people who really don't like each other or have much in common. One of them is freakishly infatuated however and generally stalks the other person while lying to them about something significant. This is not healthy or comfortable in real life.
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eric14
1215 Fans
 
04:20 PM on 04/28/2012
Don't seek advice on how to run your love life from romcoms. They are time out. It is TV comedy shows that have good advice wrapped up in laughs.
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