Romantic resurgence: Why the film genre is making a comeback

The recent renaissance of romantic films continues this Valentine's weekend, with two major releases that have Canadian connections.

The Photograph, starring Issa Rae and LakeithStanfield, was released on Netflix to coincide with Valentine's Day, as wasTo All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, featuringVancouver-born Anna Cathcartas the feisty younger sister of the main character, Lara Jean.

The Photograph,about a woman who falls in love with the journalist assigned to write about her late mother, is directed by Toronto's Stella Meghie. Meghieknows the power of the genre, havingdirected the 2017 teen romance Everything, Everything.

"She's so specific about her point of view in a really refreshing way and knows what she wants, and I think that's reflected in her work," Rae, known as the co-creator/writer/star of HBO's Insecure,told CBC News at Essence's Black Women in Hollywood eventlast week.

Romanticrenaissance

Romantic dramas and comedies were plentiful in the 1990s and early 2000s, withsuch notable films as Pretty Woman, The Notebook, Titanic, Love Actually, Love & Basketball and Notting Hill.

In fact, thetop five highest-grossing romantic comedies to date, according to Box Office MojoMy Big Fat Greek Wedding, What Women Want, Hitch, Pretty Woman and There's Something About Marywere all made between 1998 and 2005.

But popularity waned in the decade following.

Meghie says The Photographwas initially a tough sell for executives.

"Every film is a fight," said Meghie. "Every single one is a fight to prove it's worth being made. That the audience wants something different, that it's universal and it's for everyone."

In the past few years, romantic films have proven to be both.

When Netflix found a runaway hit with its teen rom-com The Kissing Boothit was among the most streamed and rewatchedfilmsof 2018 on the site despite a cast of unknown actors the streaming servicefound a hole that wasn't being filled by mainstream releases.

It quickly followed up with more, includingSierra Burgess Is A Loser, Set It Up, Someone Great, Always Be My Maybe and To All The Boys I've Loved Before,which was shot in Vancouver.

To All The Boysis based on the young adult novel by Jenny Han. The second and newestadaptation, P.S. I Still Love You, follows the budding high school romance between Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor) and Peter (played by Noah Centineo). Many of the characters return from the first film, includingCathcart's.

"A lot of film and TV these days are often turning to dark plots or scary and mysterious genres," said Cathcart in a phone interview from Vancouver. "Rom-coms and those kinds of films just make you feel good."

The L.A.-based Radiant Films, an international film distribution company,has also seen the trend moving worldwide. It's picked up a number of romances, including the teen-focused Endless and the wedding rom-comPlus One.

"Romantic comedies have broadened out in appeal probably because of the streamer content," said CEO Mimi Steinbauer, referring to services like Netflix and Amazon that produce the bulk of them.

But she also says "big, traditional rom-coms with two star names as the leads" is no longer the standard, nor is it necessary.Audiences, she says, are more drawnto a story in whichthey can see a part ofthemselves on screen.

She points to Plus One, Yesterday (a British rom-com about a world in which no one knows The Beatles) andAlways Be My Maybeas examples that all have "the traditional romantic comedy framework but are done in a more unique setting, or with a perhaps less well-known cast but featuring characters that are maybe more accessible to audiences."

'They get me'

Part of that audience accessibility comes down to another thing many of the recent films have in common:more inclusive characters.

The Photographhas two black leads.

To All The Boys was lauded for being the first mainstream teen romance film to feature an Asian-American lead. Crazy Rich Asians was released in theatres the same year, and Always Be My Maybealso with Asian leadscame soon after. In each film, ethnicity was remarkable for its uniqueness on screen but secondary to the plot. And all of the films proved successful.

"By watching something, you're like, 'They get me,'" said Cathcart."Somebody else is out there who looks like me, who acts like me, whohas the same problems that I do. Just feeling understood and represented is such a special and cool thing."