What constitutes a "Chick Flick" ???

[MsManhattan]

OK, being a "chick" myself, on a board largely composed of "non-chicks," allow me to ask an honest question: On what basis do you categorize a film as a "Chick Flick?"

I'm not trying to stir up any controversy here -- I am genuinely interested in your thoughts.

Personally, I am not sure how I feel about that designation. I guess if I made a feature film, which I hope to do, I'd be disappointed if it got categorized as a "Chick Flick" just because I happen to be female. I would probably feel that the term marginalized my efforts.

Someone told me recently that he hadn't been interested in seeing The Hours -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274558 -- because it was a "chick flick." I would definitely disagree, but because it starred three women, that's how he classified it. The book -- a Pulitzer Prize winner -- was written by a man (Michael Cunningham), and while the main characters are women, the story hinges on a male character. Anyway, this is just an example of how I find the "chick flick" classification confusing.

On the other hand, I would myself probably classify, say, Sleepless in Seattle as a "chick flick..." And when I say that, I would have to admit that I am using the term somewhat dismissively.

So, what do you consider a "chick flick" and why? Is the term a way of dismissing a film? Or simply a synonym for "date movie" or "sensitive movie" or what? And is there a male equivalent -- do you think of "shoot-em-up/blow-em-up" films as "Testosterone Joints" ???

[Aaron Koolen]

If I had to sum it up, I'd suggest that "Any movie where there is an emotional (read, whatever we call this thing called "love") connection" - Usually this connection is between male and female, but I don't think it's necessary.

These are the sorts of films that most people I know call chick flicks. As a man, I feel it's quite an offensive term as it suggests that only women enjoy emotionally connected films. Unfortunately, like most generalisations or cliche's, it became a coined phrase for a reason - most movie watching men I know ARE emotionally disconnected

I say - bring em on!

[Blaine]

I can't tell you exactly what it is...but I know it when I see it.

Some examples that come to mind:
Steel Magnolias
Fried Green Tomatoes
Terms of Endearment

I'm afraid these movies don't interest me. I was dragged to see them at the theater and I feel like the guy in the Coke commerical who gets water from the ice on his eye and his girlfriend mistakes it for a tear.

The light comedies are a little easier to take. I've seen quite a few and have enjoyed some of them. These would include: Bridget Jones' Diary, When Harry Met Sally, Notting Hill and Shakespeare In Love.

It's kinda funny. When a lady suggests she doesn't like Braveheart or Last of the Mohicans because of the violence, I explain that it's really a love story and by inference, a "chick flick."

[Beat Takeshi]

If I walk out of the movie crying... its a chick flick. King Kong was a chick flick.

I would say I think of movies that deal with any complicated lover relationships. These movies attract women more than any other movie so I think thats why the term Chick Flick was invented.
In the case of King Kong, if you look past all of the eye candy its a complicated relationship and is probably more of a chick flick than anything but will never recieve that designation because it has action and CGI fx in it. I bet many women will not even go to see it because in their mind they will think its just another monster movie.

[MrBirdBoy]

The opposite of the Simpson’s.

Homer, Homer, Homer, Homer ... Chant the holy name.

[J.R. Hudson]

What constitutes a "Chick Flick" ???

It suck's?

Chick Flicks: trite, sappy, emotional, soap-opera-ish, cliched, melodramatic, weepy, and trivial...

Alright, alright....

I too have watched some of the lighter romantic comedies and have enjoyed them. I love When Harry Met Sally, Ghost, Working Girl, Fried Green Tomatoes, Four Weddings and a Funeral and What Women Want...

Sleepless in Seattle was nice, even some of the Kate Hudson, Jennifer Anniston films are 'tolerable' for light entertainment....

The probelm with Chick Flicks is that they are sometimes just too:

Well, this is spot on:

""I can be cute and assertive too"

and

"I'm emancipated but it's OK to long for romance, to get hung up on a guy, to obsess about mothers or children."

I don't know. They generally just suck. Too cutesy. Too formulaic. Too safe. Too White Bread. Too sugary.

[MsManhattan]

Originally Posted by Aram Bauman

If I walk out of the movie crying... its a chick flick.

LOL... By that definition, Saving Private Ryan could be construed as a chick flick. Of course, your definition sort of dovetails with what Aza said -- films with emotional connections. But I guess this is where I find the phrase confusing because... don't we love movies because of the emotional connection that either (A) we as viewers feel toward the characters or (B) because they are emotionaly resonant in some way. I mean, yes, obviously we love movies sometimes strictly for the entertainment value, but even the Simpsons, to borrow from Birdboy's post, can be emotionally resonant, right?

Anyway, I am learning a lot from these responses -- please keep 'em coming.

[Blaine]

Originally Posted by MsManhattan

LOL... By that definition, Saving Private Ryan could be construed as a chick flick.

I think you've got it. Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, Blade Runner and the list goes on and on...

[angrynerdrock07]

Originally Posted by John_Hudson

Too formulaic. Too safe.

I agree. My favorite thing is to see the actors in these films talking about how they wanted to do the film because the stories and characters were so original and like nothing they had ever seen before.

[J.R. Hudson]

Totally Right ?

Woman (Insert job; writer, housekeeper, advertising executive, lawyer, waitress) is (single, divorced or in a dead end relationship) and meets Man (Insert job) where they generally disagree (Or are against each other for some reason, or trapped together in a situation) but love will find away as they realize they are really in the same boat.............................

Of course this is all after one of them drives the other one batty. One of them is usually a player of sorts while the other is the more grounded and real person. By the end of the film, one of them goes against their normal choice and take's a chance on love.................

Sigh (Sniff)