What constitutes a "Chick Flick" ???

thartley said:
If not 'chick flick' then how about 'femme film'?

Chick Flicks to me are ones that appeal to the cerebral template that is inherently female. And we all know that men have that feminine side, which explains why some men will admit to liking some of these movies.

Chick Flicks are like soft serve ice cream. Still tasty, just a different feel.

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Thats a real good way to put it. "Chick Flicks...appeal to the cerebral template that is inherently female." It covers a lot of bases.
 
For me, a guy, a chick flick would be a movie that felt strange sitting in a theatre and watching with one of my male friends. For example, a long time ago went to the movie "Beaches" with a buddy, felt strange, Chick Flick! So basically, a movie when there needs to be a chick around is a "Chick Flick". I actually really liked "Beaches."
 
Any movie that a guy has to go see to get the play. They can be good, I guess, but I know I went to see "Titanic" for some post-movie lady play.
 
david jerome said:
For me, a guy, a chick flick would be a movie that felt strange sitting in a theatre and watching with one of my male friends. For example, a long time ago went to the movie "Beaches" with a buddy, felt strange, Chick Flick! So basically, a movie when there needs to be a chick around is a "Chick Flick". I actually really liked "Beaches."
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Think this is getting close! I don't feel uncomfortable at all, but would much prefer talking it over afterwards with a woman, than with many male acquaintances, who frankly would be bored by the subject matter. :)


Would the equivalent of a chick flick by John Hudson's definition above be a "buddy movie". One wild card gets paired up with the play safe guy, but they learn to respect each other through shared trials?
 
this reminds me of a joke i heard... can't remember who said it but here's the joke "a chick flick is ANY film in which the woman has a speaking role"
 
I dont kno about u all..but i think the most highly rated "chick-flick" movie....must go to The Notebook...

I was at a friends house...we were watching the Power Rangers movie...then after that a few girls that were there were like...OMGGG WE MUSST WATCH THIS MOVIE!! ITS SOO ROMANTIC!!...right away...my manly senses came into play wen i knew i had to get out of that room that wuld soon be filled up with buckets of tears and overflowing trashcans of tissues.
Me and a few buds threw our shoes on...and tried to make it to the backdoor...but hope failed...we were trapped...and were forced to watch that movie.

I felt like Alexander 'Alex' de Large from Clockwork Orange...eyes pried open..forced to watch...

after the movie was done...i declared that the biggest "chick-flick" of all time...and then fell to the ground into a mountain of tissues.
 
So what seprates some romantic movies from others?
Or are ALL "relationship stories" considered 'chick flicks' by most of you?

I'm thinking here of something like "Eternal Sunshine" - which was definitely all about a relationship, but I wouldn't call it a 'chick flick'....

Another kind of "relationship" movie is something like Sex, Lies, and Videotape - definitely wouldn't call that a 'chick flick'

Or something like 'American Beauty' - I wouldn't call that a 'chick flick' either.
So what makes these movies different?
Any thought?

Or am I just wrong - and you all consider those to be chick flicks as well?
 
I think ALL chick flicks have romantic ideals, but I dont believe ALL movies with romantic ideals are chick flicks. When the stories are romanticized it doesn't necessarily make it a chick flick. The character driven story of the Shawshank Redemtion, seems to appeal to a largely to a male audience. Why? Because there are men in it? Because Morgan Freeman isn't sexy? Because it has more to do with redemption and less to do with love? Personally, I can't say for sure. But, I do believe it is a character driven movie that does NOT set its primary focus on one persons love for another person, but rather on redemption.


So far, thartley said it best.
thartley said:
Chick Flicks to me are ones that appeal to the cerebral template that is inherently female.
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So could that be a closer definition of CHICK FLICKS; a character driven story which sets its primary plotline on the love between two people?
 
Luis Caffesse said:
I'm thinking here of something like "Eternal Sunshine" - which was definitely all about a relationship, but I wouldn't call it a 'chick flick'....
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You got me with this one? I think "Eternal Sunshine" IS a character driven movie about the love between two people. However, I don't think it FEELS like a chick flick either? Why? If we can agree that this movie doesn't feel like a chick flick, maybe we can use it as a good model, and find the elements in it to determine what seperates this movie from the standard "chick flick" mold?

Could it be the non sexual eye candy that seems to appeal to men? i.e non-linear storytelling, VFX, sci-fi vibe of the movie?

As thartley said "Chick Flicks to me are ones that appeal to the cerebral template that is inherently female." Perhaps "Eternal Sunshine", while having many "chick flick elements, largely 'appeals to the cerebral template that is inherently male.'??

thartley, Msmanhattan...would either of you like to chime in?
 
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I think you can put almost all the romantic comedies in the "chick flick" column. I still like a lot of them, though. :o But then there are the more hardcore chick flicks. I think Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatos are some examples of this type. These I have to steer clear of, I just can't sit through them. I've been forced to try (when I was married) and I just couldn't get into the stories.

No, I don't think Sex, Lies... is a chick flick. Nor would I put American Beauty into that column. ( Am I the only person in America who hated American Beauty?)

A hardcore chick flick deals with emotional relationships and feelings. It usually requires a box of tissues, because it is invariably going to be a tear jerker.

To paraphrase a judge (I think - who was talking about pornography) "I may not be able to give you a definition of a chick flick, but I know one when I see it."

Really, I think there are two categories of chick flick:
Romantic Comedy
Hardcore blubbering relationship movies (Tear Jerkers)

Like I said earlier, I'm kind of a sucker for the romantic comedies, though. As long as I get some good laughs out of them. A bad one is like any other bad movie...bad.
 
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rlm7189 said:
As thartley said "Chick Flicks to me are ones that appeal to the cerebral template that is inherently female." Perhaps "Eternal Sunshine", while having many "chick flick elements, largely 'appeals to the cerebral template that is inherently male.'??

thartley, Msmanhattan...would either of you like to chime in?
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Part of what I meant was that chick flicks (to me) are the ones that pull at the feminine side of us, the maternal side, the caregiver, the part that understands what having a close female friend is all about. There does seem to be a broad (no pun intended, heh!) generalization of what a chick flick is. Its focuses less on the action and shoot 'em up, and more on the emotional side of things, but SPECIFICALLY emotions most often associated with women and/or the characteristics of female friendships and relationships (i.e. Waiting to Exhale, Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green 'maters). To me, that's why these movies are characterized as being Chick Flicks. Its not so much that men cannot enjoy them, but they may have to dig deeper to find the parts of them that can identify with the characters and subject matter, whereas for women, we only need to blink to get it.
 
thartley said:
Part of what I meant was that chick flicks (to me) are the ones that pull at the feminine side of us, the maternal side, the caregiver, the part that understands what having a close female friend is all about. There does seem to be a broad (no pun intended, heh!) generalization of what a chick flick is. Its focuses less on the action and shoot 'em up, and more on the emotional side of things, but SPECIFICALLY emotions most often associated with women and/or the characteristics of female friendships and relationships (i.e. Waiting to Exhale, Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green 'maters). To me, that's why these movies are characterized as being Chick Flicks. Its not so much that men cannot enjoy them, but they may have to dig deeper to find the parts of them that can identify with the characters and subject matter, whereas for women, we only need to blink to get it.
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That is a VERY good explanation. I couldn't even get to the emotional point necessary to MAKE the explanation. Thanks.
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thartley said:
Part of what I meant was that chick flicks (to me) are the ones that pull at the feminine side of us, the maternal side, the caregiver, the part that understands what having a close female friend is all about.... Its not so much that men cannot enjoy them, but they may have to dig deeper to find the parts of them that can identify with the characters and subject matter, whereas for women, we only need to blink to get it.
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Yeah, I think you are onto something here.

By the way, you look hot in your avatar.
 
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