Amy Adams & the Rom Com Genre

I think it's pretty safe to say that anyone who has seen Amy Adams in a film has fallen in love with her. Or, at least, it is very hard to dislike her infectious optimism and lighthearted innocence. She is one of the (very) few actors that are always an absolute pleasure to watch. Not to say that she is the best actress out there (though she's certainly one of them), but that she is downright enjoyable to watch.

If you do not know what I mean, watch the mellow, slightly dreary look at a North Carolinian family in Junebug. Adams' earnest take on her lonely character earned her a well-deserved Oscar nod.

Recently, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Amy Adams is likely to star in a rom com by the writers of Made of Honor called Leap Year. Reactions have been largely negative and incredulous as to why Adams, a well-respected up-and-coming Hollywood star with obvious talent, would sign on to the "lesser" form. Cinema Blend bemoaned the fact that she's morphing into the new Meg Ryan.

I have many problems with these reactions. First of all, though I'm not generally a fan of the genre, rom coms really get a bad rap. Full disclosure: I thought P.S. I Love You was one of the silliest, most contrived movies I have ever seen. But, the action-movie genre is just as beguiled as the rom coms by what will bang in the box office-- not in the Academy. In terms of quality scripts and performances, the action genre is at least as lacking. And Lord knows they both stretch the truth (A guy who can accurately predict the future feelings of his soon-to-be widowed wife? A car that can speed up a hill and fly through the air into a hellicopter?).

But the action genre does not get as bad of a rap as the rom coms. Why is that? The gender stereotypes of the two genres? The fact that the majority of film critics are males? Both genres have surprisingly high highs and very low lows. And yet, action films are not typically lambasted-- especially not in pre-production.

There is a vicious rom com stereotype out there. I guess I'm not wholly convinced that it is unwarranted, but at least it is a little unfair vis-a-vis the other box-office-driven genres. I mean, hello, the horror film genre?

And Re: Cinema Blend's woes over Adams becoming the next Meg Ryan: I unabashedly love the glory days of Meg Ryan rom coms (think Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and the best of the genre, When Harry Met Sally). Even a movie snob like me can admit the superior craft of a movie like When Harry Met Sally.

Not only were they well-made, they were entertaining, and really-- what's so wrong about that? Every now and then, I like living vicariously through emotions in the way that others love living vicariously through high-speed car chases down crowded highways in reverse. Sometimes I love rooting for the good-guy even though I know he'll win, or for a couple even though I know they will end up together.

Throw in a superb actress like Amy Adams, and I cannot help but have hope that Leap Year will defy the genre's stereotypes in the way that My Best Friend's Wedding did so well all those years ago. If you rent Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, you will see the beginnings of an actress who should have a great (and rare) career in both the dramatic and comedic genres. I am going to take a page from her own book and remain adorably optimistic about the rom com pick.