Flashback Fridays: 90s Chick Flicks

For those of you who don't know, this blog's creation stems from a fantastic course I am taking at the University of Maryland. It's called ENGL 488B: Writing for the Blogosphere. In class, we occasionally receive challenges. This week's challenge is to respond to someone else's post/incorporate it into our own blog.


I've decided to tackle the subject of "Chick Flicks" as inspired by my fellow classmate's blog, Ezra Won't Shut Up. Ezra informed me that her favorite chick flick of her childhood was When Harry Met Sally. That's definitely a classic, but let's take a look at some great ones from the 90s.


Ezra begins by claiming, "We like to think chick flicks are about love in its ideal state, that they are about the best case scenario. I would actually argue that they are snapshots of female fantasy." I completely agree. Chick flicks somehow manage to tap into the inner minds of women. In fact, Sleepless in Seattle completely plays into that as an important part of its plot. The main character, Annie, dreams of finding a love like the classic old-time chick flick movie, An Affair to Remember. It's a chick flick within a chick flick! Chick-flick-ception. I think people fell in love with this movie because it showed a woman aspiring to achieve that chick flick female fantasy, and then, of course, in true chick flick fashion, she totally did.

So much love. So much passion. So much estrogen.
Photo Credit: NY Daily News

The chick flick romance is basically what every woman wants. Ezra argues: 


"Now, I can’t speak for all women (actually, I totally can, and you can’t do anything about it!), but I’m guessing most of you daydream as much as my friends and I do about the perfect guy [or girl] falling madly in love with us and getting married/moving in together and living together in the perfect blend of lighthearted jesting, cute shared traditions, and fiery passion." 

"She walked off of the street, into his life,
and she stole his heart." Wow. Ok.
Photo Credit: Movie Posters.com

If you say you don't, you're lying. Everyone has their own little "female fantasy." For some, it's that perfect bliss of happily Ever After. However, what happens after that ever after? Reality sets in. The rest of Ezra's post analyzes the newest chick flick, The Vow, and how we sometimes lose sight of reality when we escape into the world of the movies. 


I think it's safe to say many escaped into the reality of some more 90s chick flicks. For instance, Pretty Woman. I looked up a list of The Top 10 Chick Flicks of the 90s. Sure enough, Pretty Woman was number one. 


Pretty Woman is supposed to be the "cinderella story" of the 90s. Girl is prostitute. Prostitue meets wealthy business man. Prostitue begins affair with wealthy business man. They fall in love. Uh oh. Prostitute is almost sexually assaulted by George Costanza. Wealthy Business man comes to her rescue. They live happily after...until she becomes a Runaway Bride...or something like that. You get the point. Highly unrealistic, but everyone loves it. 


We all love it because we also love to put ourselves into those situations. Ezra believes that an important part of chick flicks is that they are  "Vague slots for us to emotionally slide our personality into." Case in point: The Bodygaurd. Come on, who hasn't belted out the lyrics to this movie's iconic song "I Will Always Love You" in front of a mirror? You haven't? Well fear not. Get your belting voice ready, it's karaoke time:

Ok, moving on. Every decade has its great, tear jerking, chick flicks. Why? Because that's What Women Want. Yes, they're often unrealistic, but that's the formula that works. Women buy tickets and buy into the fantasy. 


Some chick flicks are so successful that they get to be re-released. In one month or so, Titanic will be back on the big screen...and this time in 3-D. I am not ashamed to admit that you will find me in line, most likely dragging my boyfriend along with me. (Sorry not sorry Dear!)  Will buy into that movie once again and I will eat it up. I will eat it up like the pint of Ben & Jerry's that often accompanies most chick flick watching sprees.