Preliminary Research

 The genre we decided to base our project on is Chick-Flick. Chick-Flicks are typically about women, romance, and female empowerment. Once Barbara Kaklias presented the idea, we decided this genre was perfect for us. My other group members are Mia Mainardi and Gianna Ruspantini. We figured the movie would be inspired by the early 2000s since that genre was so prominent in that era. We would focus on a female friend group in the film, that was established from the get-go. 

The setting in Chick-Flicks typically take place in a school or city setting. Romance usually plays a large role, but doesn’t have to be the main focus. It should have some comedy and some drama. The films feature bright colors, upbeat music, and attractive actors.

The target audience is women, but men can enjoy them as well. They typically have a stigma of being “stupid” and “too girly.” When in reality, they are very good. While they can be cheesy, the films have a very strong positive moral compass. 

5 examples of films in this genre:

• Sydney White 
• Legally Blonde
• Mean Girls
• The Clique 
• To All The Boys I Loved Before

I chose to analyze the movies Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Life as We Know it in depth. 

Life as We Know It:

This film is about a couple who is forced together due to their friends passing. Their friends die in a car crash and they find out they have to take in their infant child and raise it together. This totally derails their life plans. Also one more problem, they DESPISE each other. This movie fits the genre because it has a focus on a female lead and has romance. It also has a lot of cheesy tropes that are common in Chick-Flicks. Enemies to Lovers is a common trope. It also has many montages, bright colors, and upbeat music. Both of the actors are conventionally attractive. Over the shoulder shots are common to make a conversation more intimate. The movie is more based on character than plot. One of the most important scene is when the music swells as the characters kiss for the first time.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants:

This movie focuses on a friend group of female teenagers. They all have different life stories and the movie focuses on each one. In order to keep in touch over the summer, they mail a pair of jeans to each other for them to all share. The film focuses on not only romance, but the power of friendship as well. It uses trendy clothes, popular music, and colourful settings. One character even travels to Greece. This film fits the genre because it is targeted towards females, has romance, and focuses on femininity. It has comedy and drama. There is a lot of light in the film which is common in these films. Each female character explores different themes that hit different marks. The characters use colloquial language to make the movie more relatable for the young audience. 

This genre typically represents women and in the past, mainly white women. These films used to have a reputation of featuring just white people and having no diversity. Over time, directors have accepted this criticism and improved their films. These movies can feature any age group, but usually have teenagers.