Summary

• Modern rom-coms often show the guy falling first, leading to unique and entertaining storylines.
• Rom-com classics featured women seeking love, but newer films showcase more guys falling first.
• Balancing romance and obsession is key in today's rom-coms where the guy falls first to avoid a troubling narrative.

Romantic comedies have morphed and changed a lot over the years, and rom-coms where the guy falls first are becoming increasingly common in modern takes on the genre. This is not as unusual a storytelling device as it once was, as it leads to interesting moments where the guy has to work hard to win over his love interest. However, it is also hard because, in today's society, this is a tightrope the scripts have to walk to ensure that it remains a fun and romantic story, but doesn't tip over into a more disturbing tale of obsession and pressure from a man who won't take no for an answer.

For years, the romantic comedies that have stood the test of time often see the woman seeking out the man, putting viewers in her shoes more often than not. Examples include movies from the 80s like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, where Molly Ringwald plays a high school student who wants to find love and struggles until her dreams come true. Those movies also show guys who seek out their dream girls (Anthony Michael Hall and Jon Cryer, respectively) but fail. Today, movies where the guy falls first are popping up more and more.

15 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)

A Man & Woman Hook Up On Two Separate Bets

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson co-star in a romantic comedy about two people who hook up when they set out to prove a point. Hudson's Andie is a writer for a women's magazine who tries to prove her place in the magazine by writing a "hot to" article revealing how a woman can lose a man. She sets out to find someone to date and then does everything she can to drive him away. Meanwhile, Ben bets his boss that he can make any woman fall in love with him.

What results is Ben doing everything he can to make Andie fall in love with him, while Andie does everything she can to be annoying, so he will stop dating her.

What results is Ben doing everything he can to make Andie fall in love with him, while Andie does everything she can to be annoying, so he will stop dating her. Things change when Ben starts to see some of Andie's true side behind her annoying persona, and he starts to fall in love with her for real, regardless of his original bet. When Andie finally gives in and falls for Ben, they each learn of the bet/article, throwing a wrinkle into their relationship. The movie was a big box office success and remains a cult classic among rom-coms.

14 Blended (2014)

Two Single Parents Pretend To Be A Couple While On Vacation

What starts as a blind date gone wrong ends up so much worse (and somehow better) when Lauren (Drew Barrymore) and Jim (Adam Sandler) meet again when they learn they've both purchased one-half of a South African vacation package for their kids. Now, the two single parents must pretend to be a happy-blended family to save the vacation. Unfortunately, realizing he's in love with Lauren is only half the battle, because he is a widower and his kids are still grieving, while Lauren's ex-husband is causing problems.

The movie struggled to make a dent at the box office thanks to the increased diminishing returns of Adam Sandler's films at the time. Even re-teaming with Drew Barrymore, his romantic interest from the extremely popular The Wedding Singer, the movie was a box office flop, and it earned Sandler and Barrymore Razzie nominations. However, looking back on the movie, it remains a funny romantic comedy and the audience score is much higher than the critics' score, at 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.

13 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

A Guy Finds New Love After A Terrible Breakup