Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com ) is a sub-genre of comedy and romance fiction , focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles.
60-554: The Holiday is a 2006 romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers . Coproduced by Bruce A. Block , it was filmed in both California and England and stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as Iris and Amanda, two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who arrange a home exchange to escape heartbreak during the Christmas and holiday season . Jude Law and Jack Black were cast as
120-525: A budget of $ 85 million. The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising its visual design and the cast's performances while regarding the plot as predictable. Iris Simpkins, a society columnist for the Daily Telegraph in London, is obsessively in love with her ex-boyfriend, Jasper Bloom; even though he cheated on her and is currently in a relationship, Jasper has been keeping Iris close under
180-516: A considerable distance from London, where the crew was based, so they opted to construct one for filming. Filming began on January 4, 2006, and concluded on June 15, 2006. Charles Shyer directed Lohan and Franco's scenes for the fictional movie trailer made by Diaz's character. The film opened at number three on the United States box office, raking in $ 12,778,913 in the weekend of December 8, 2006. Altogether, The Holiday made $ 63 million at
240-417: A friend of Meyers, make uncredited appearances in the trailer of the fictional movie Deception , which Amanda and her team finish at the beginning of The Holiday . Veteran voice-over talent Hal Douglas was the narrator for the trailer, as well as other "trailers" that describe Amanda's situation at various points in the film. Alex O'Loughlin and Odette Yustman play a kissing couple in a fictional movie in
300-478: A half-hour." The official soundtrack contains music by various artists, Heitor Pereira , and Hans Zimmer and was released on the Varèse Sarabande label. In December 2022, it was rumored that a sequel to The Holiday was in preproduction, with Cameron Diaz , Jude Law , Kate Winslet and Jack Black all signing on to reprise their roles from the original. However Meyers and Winslet both denied
360-551: A long-distance relationship work. While heading to the airport, Amanda breaks down crying for the first time in years, and runs back to the cottage to find Graham similarly in tears and they decide to spend New Year's Eve together with his daughters. On New Year's Eve, Iris, Amanda, Miles, Graham, Sophie, and Olivia all happily celebrate together at Graham's house. Rufus Sewell plays Jasper Bloom, Iris's emotionally needy ex-boyfriend, while Edward Burns appears as Ethan, Amanda's unfaithful composer boyfriend whom she breaks up with in
420-417: A rousing speech, and Miles asks Iris out on a date for New Year's Eve. She tells him that she will be returning to England soon. Miles admits he's never been to England, so he asks if he could accompany her home for New Year's and she happily accepts, and they kiss. Graham tells Amanda he has fallen in love with her, and while she says she does not return the sentiment, they pessimistically agree to try to make
480-809: A sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. Sometimes, the term is used without a hyphen (a "meet cute"), or as a verb ("to meet cute"). Roger Ebert describes the "concept of a Meet Cute" as "when boy meets girl in a cute way." As an example, he cites "The Meet Cute in Lost and Found [which] has Jackson and Segal running their cars into each other in Switzerland. Once recovered, they Meet Cute again when they run into each other while on skis. Eventually, they fall in love." In many romantic comedies,
540-609: A state comprehensive school in Twickenham, which he left in 1984, followed by West Thames College , where a drama teacher sent him to audition for drama school. He later enrolled at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating, Sewell was set up with an agent by Judi Dench , who had directed him in a play while at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His breakthrough year
600-664: A work based on a Shakespeare play since becoming a professional actor: he previously portrayed Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1 in 1995, Fortinbras in Hamlet in 1996 and the title role in Macbeth in 1999. The role also reunited him with his Charles II co-star Shirley Henderson. He appeared in the premiere and first run of Tom Stoppard's play Rock 'n' Roll at the Royal Court Theatre from June to July 2006 and at
660-636: Is a British actor. In film, he has appeared in Carrington (1995), Hamlet (1996), Dangerous Beauty (1998), Dark City (1998), A Knight's Tale (2001), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Illusionist (2006), Amazing Grace (2006), The Holiday (2006), The Tourist (2010), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Judy (2019), The Father (2020), and Old (2021). On television, he has appeared in Middlemarch (1994), Arabian Nights (2000), Charles II: The Power and
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#1732797722678720-460: Is a stocking-stuffer from Tiffany's ... so loaded with charm that it makes you glow all over and puts a smile in your heart." While he felt that the final 15 minutes of film "diminish a lot of the film's good intentions," he added that Meyers had "created some hearth-cozy situations, written some movie-parody zingers, and provided Eli Wallach with his best role in years." Somewhat less enthusiastic, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly graded
780-536: Is closer to tragicomedy ." It was not until the development of the literary tradition of romantic love in the western European medieval period, though, that "romance" came to refer to "romantic love" situations. They were previously referred to as the heroic adventures of medieval Romance . Those adventures traditionally focused on a knight's feats on behalf of a lady, so the modern themes of love were quickly woven into them, as in Chrétien de Troyes 's Lancelot,
840-522: Is dating aspiring actress Maggie. After he catches Maggie with another man, Iris and Miles bond over their similar relationship troubles, and they have dinner together on Christmas Eve. Amanda and Graham become closer, but she believes she is one of many women in his life. Surprising him one evening at his house, she discovers he is a widower with two young daughters, Sophie and Olivia. He reveals that he never tells new romantic partners about his daughters, because compartmentalizing his life helps him deal with
900-646: Is set in Brentwood, the exterior scenes at the gated property were actually filmed in front of Southern California architect Wallace Neff 's Mission Revival house in San Marino , a suburb adjacent to Pasadena . Neff had built the house for his family in 1928. The interiors of Amanda's house were filmed at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City . Other Los Angeles locations included Arthur's house in Brentwood and Miles's house, designed by Richard Neutra , which
960-585: Is situated on Neutra Place in L.A.'s Silver Lake area , near downtown. The UK part of the film was partially shot in Godalming and Shere , a town and village in the county of Surrey in South East England that dates back to the 11th century. The cottage's exterior was constructed in a field adjacent to St James's Church in Shere. The production team had sourced a genuine cottage but it was located
1020-505: Is so thoroughly predictable that audiences may end up opting for an early check-out time." On Metacritic it has a score of 52 out of 100 based on reviews from 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a grade A−. In her review for USA Today , Claudia Puig found that The Holiday "is a rare chick flick / romantic comedy that, despite its overt sentimentality and fairy-tale premise, doesn't feel cloyingly sweet." She felt that "much of
1080-769: The Duke of York's Theatre from July until November 2006. The play was a critical and commercial success, playing to full houses and collecting several awards and nominations, including wins for Sewell in the Best Actor category at the Evening Standard Awards , the Critics' Circle Awards and the Olivier Awards . He has recorded eleven of Ian Fleming 's James Bond books on 36 CDs for Collins. He continues to work in film, television and theatre, playing
1140-460: The Golden Age of Hollywood . Over dinner, Iris reveals her troubles with Jasper, and Arthur gives her a long list of classic films with strong female characters such as The Lady Eve , so she can become "the leading lady of her own life." She returns his kindness by helping him prepare for a Writers Guild of America gala in his honor. Meanwhile, Iris befriends Miles, a colleague of Ethan's who
1200-518: The film ends on a happy note . Even though it is implied that they live happily ever after, it does not always state what that happy ending will be. The couple does not necessarily get married for it to be a "happily ever after". The conclusion of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in the protagonists' lives, even if they physically separate in the end (e.g., Shakespeare in Love , Roman Holiday ). Most of
1260-538: The BBC's Charles II: The Power and The Passion . The series' cast included Ian McDiarmid , Helen McCrory , Rupert Graves and Shirley Henderson and spanned the life of the king from his last days in exile to his death. He co-starred in the controversial film Downloading Nancy , which was released on 5 June 2009. At the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, audiences walked out of the screening. Despite
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#17327977226781320-586: The Child , Helen of Troy and The Illusionist . He spoke of his unhappiness about this, saying that "[I] don't want to play a baddie again." "Everyone has their thing they have to get around," notes Sewell. "With me, it's like okay, how can I make this upper-class bad guy in the 19th century different and interesting?" In 2008, Sewell appeared in the HBO miniseries John Adams as Alexander Hamilton . He received critical praise for his portrayal of Charles II in
1380-556: The Knight of the Cart . The contemporary romantic comedy genre was shaped by 18th-century Restoration comedy and 19th-century romantic melodrama . Restoration comedies were typically comedies of manners that relied on knowledge of the complex social rules of high society, particularly related to navigating the marriage-market, an inherent feature of the plot in many of these plays, such as William Wycherley 's The Country Wife . While
1440-787: The Moon . Sewell co-starred with Dwayne Johnson , as Autolycus, in the film Hercules , which was released in July 2014. In 2015, Sewell voiced the role of Sir Claude, a feral cat, in Blinky Bill the Movie . Sewell has most recently appeared as high-ranking American-turned-Nazi official John Smith in The Man in the High Castle , and as Lord Melbourne in Victoria . In February 2023, it
1500-576: The North American domestic box office, and $ 142 million at the international box office. The film grossed a total of $ 205,841,885, worldwide, against a production budget of $ 85 million. The Holiday became the twelfth highest-grossing film of the 2000s to be helmed by a female director. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 50% based on 159 reviews with an average rating of 5.70/10. The site's critical consensus states "While it's certainly sweet and even somewhat touching, The Holiday
1560-670: The Passion (2003), John Adams (2008), Eleventh Hour (2008–2009), Zen (2011), The Pillars of the Earth (2010), Parade's End (2012), Victoria (2016–2017), The Man in the High Castle (2014–2019), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019) and The Pale Horse (2020). He currently stars in the Netflix series The Diplomat . On stage, he originated the role of Septimus Hodge in Tom Stoppard 's Arcadia (1993) and
1620-528: The beginning of the film. Shannyn Sossamon plays Maggie, Miles's actress girlfriend. Sewell and Sossamon reunite as they both starred in A Knight's Tale (2001) together, although they do not share a scene. The film also cast Bill Macy as Ernie and Shelley Berman as Norman, friends of Arthur, as well as Kathryn Hahn as Bristol and John Krasinski as Ben, Amanda's employees. Jon Prescott appears as Maggie's short-time affair. Dustin Hoffman appears in
1680-471: The characters already has a partner or because of social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave clues that suggest that the characters are attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The characters often split or seek time apart in order to sort out their emotions or deal with external obstacles to being together, which they eventually overcome. While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they love
1740-495: The controversy, Sewell continues to staunchly support the film. "It's a film I'm very proud of, whether you consider that it fails or succeeds, whether you like it or don't like it. I'm proud to be in it." Between 2006 and 2009, on BBC Radio, Sewell read Russell Thorndike's stories of Doctor Syn —the adventures of an 18th-century clergyman, adventurer, smuggler and pirate. Although best known for his work in costume dramas, Sewell prefers " cravat -less" roles in modern pieces, such as
1800-562: The credit goes to inspired casting and the actors' chemistry." Carina Chocano, writing for the Los Angeles Times noted that "like a magic trick in reverse, The Holiday reveals the mechanics of the formula while trying to keep up the illusion." She complimented Winslet and Law's performances, but was critical toward Diaz, who she felt "strikes the off-note, but then you tend to think it's not her fault." Rex Reed from The New York Observer noted that "at least 90% of The Holiday
1860-717: The decades. We can see this through the screwball comedy in response to the censorship of the Hays Code in the 1920s–1930s, the career woman comedy (such as George Stevens' Woman of the Year , starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy ) post-WWII, and the sex comedy made popular by Rock Hudson and Doris Day in the 1950s–1960s. Over the years, romantic comedies have slowly been becoming more popular to both men and women. They have begun to spread out of their conventional and traditional structure into other territory, and to explore more complex topics. These films still follow
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1920-468: The fact that these films are still romantic comedies. One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the entertainment factor in a contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press's Christy Lemire have called a " meet-cute " situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create
1980-424: The film was "the most love-centric movie since Love Actually ." She felt that The Holiday "has charming moments and a hopeful message for despondent singles, but it lacks the emotional resonance of Meyers' Something's Gotta Give (2003) and the zaniness of What Women Want (2000). Clocking in at 2 hours and 16 minutes, Holiday is ridiculously long for a romantic comedy and would benefit from losing at least
2040-546: The film with a B− rating, summing it as a "cookie-cutter chick flick." He concluded that "it's a self-consciously old-fashioned premise, with too much sub- Bridget Jones dithering, but Nancy Meyers' dialogue has a perky synthetic sheen." Justin Chang from Variety wrote that while "Meyers' characters tend to be more thoughtful and self-aware (or at least more self-conscious) than most ... this overlong film isn't nearly as smart as it would like to appear, and it willingly succumbs to
2100-654: The film's leading men Graham and Miles, with Eli Wallach , Shannyn Sossamon , Edward Burns , and Rufus Sewell playing key supporting roles. The Holiday premiered in New York City on November 29, 2006, before it was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on December 8, 2006. The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures in North America and by Universal Pictures overseas. It grossed over $ 205 million worldwide against
2160-436: The follies and misunderstandings of young lovers, in a light‐hearted and happily concluded manner which usually avoids serious satire". This reference states that the "best‐known examples are Shakespeare's comedies of the late 1590s, A Midsummer Night's Dream , Twelfth Night , and As You Like It being the most purely romantic, while Much Ado About Nothing approaches the comedy of manners and The Merchant of Venice
2220-735: The gender role that society has imposed upon them, as seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall , in which the male protagonist is especially in touch with his emotions. It can also be seen in Made of Honor , in which the female bridesmaids are shown in a negative and somewhat masculine light in order to advance the likability of the male lead. Other remakes of romantic comedies involve similar elements, but they explore more adult themes such as marriage, responsibility, or even disability. Two films by Judd Apatow , This Is 40 and Knocked Up , deal with these issues. This Is 40 chronicles
2280-507: The guise of 'remaining friends'. When he announces his engagement at the company Christmas party, Iris is devastated. Amanda Woods, owner of a film trailer company in Los Angeles, breaks up with her film composer boyfriend, Ethan, after he cheats on her, citing her emotional unavailability. Coming across Iris's listing of her Surrey cottage on a home swap website, she messages her, and the two agree to switch houses for two weeks starting
2340-706: The lead role of Dr. Jacob Hood in the CBS TV series Eleventh Hour . He finished filming in November 2009 for the miniseries The Pillars of the Earth , which was shown on TV in 2010. In 2010, he played the Italian detective Aurelio Zen , based on the best-selling novels by Michael Dibdin , for the BBC One drama series Zen . The three episodes were filmed in Rome and shown on BBC One in early January 2011. The series
2400-507: The lead role of John Murdoch in the science fiction film Dark City in 1998, Amazing Grace , The Illusionist and Nancy Meyers ' romantic comedy The Holiday . Amazing Grace deals with William Wilberforce 's political fight to abolish slavery in Britain, with Sewell playing Wilberforce's co-campaigner Thomas Clarkson . Sewell is known for his villainous roles, such as those in A Knight's Tale , The Legend of Zorro , Bless
2460-567: The melodramas of the Romantic period had little to do with comedy, they were hybrids incorporating elements of domestic and sentimental tragedies, pantomime "with an emphasis on gesture, on the body, and the thrill of the chase," and other genres of expression such as songs and folk tales. In the 20th century, as Hollywood grew, the romantic comedy in America mirrored other aspects of society in its rapid changes, developing many sub-genres through
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2520-429: The mid-life crisis of a couple entering their 40s, and Knocked Up addresses unintended pregnancy and the ensuing assuming of responsibility. Silver Linings Playbook deals with mental illness and the courage to start a new relationship. All of these go against the stereotype of what romantic comedy has become as a genre. Yet, the genre of romantic comedy is simply a structure, and all of these elements do not negate
2580-676: The next day. Iris happily settles into Amanda's large house, but Amanda has trouble adjusting to quiet English country life and decides to return home the next day. That night, Iris's brother, Graham, drops by after drinking too much at the local pub, asking to spend the night. Amanda agrees, and after they talk, Graham unexpectedly kisses her on the lips; she suggests they have sex because she does not expect to see him ever again. The next morning, despite enjoying their time together, they go their separate ways. However, Amanda decides to stay and continue seeing Graham. Iris meets Arthur Abbott, Amanda's elderly neighbor, an Oscar-winning screenwriter from
2640-588: The opening scene as Miles composes the music for the scene. Production on The Holiday began in Los Angeles, then moved to England for a month before completing filming back in California. Principal photography began in the Brentwood area on the Westside of Los Angeles , where real Santa Ana winds reportedly gave Meyers and her team a winter day as warm as scripted in the screenplay. Although Amanda's home
2700-436: The other person. Then, one character makes some extravagant effort (sometimes called a grand gesture ) to find the other character and declare their love. However, this is not always the case; sometimes, there is a coincidental encounter where the two characters meet again. Alternatively, one character plans a romantic gesture to show that they still care. Then, with some comic friction, they declare their love for each other, and
2760-528: The other zombies and even starts to cure them. With the zombie cure, the two main characters can now be together since they do not have a barrier between them anymore. Another strange set of circumstances is in Zack and Miri Make a Porno where the two protagonists are building a relationship while trying to make a pornographic film together. Both these films take the typical story arc and then add strange circumstances to add originality. Other romantic comedies flip
2820-414: The overwhelming responsibility of being a single working father, and he does not want to bring a woman into the girls' lives unless the relationship definitely has a future. On the gala day, Maggie asks Miles to take her back, but he refuses. Jasper surprises Iris by showing up at Amanda's wanting to reignite their romance, but when he reveals he is still engaged, she kicks him out. At the gala, Arthur gives
2880-406: The potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three ( It Happened One Night ), who would not meet or talk under normal circumstances, and the meet cute's contrived situation provides the opportunity for these two people to meet. Rufus Sewell Rufus Frederik Sewell ( / ˈ sj uː əl / ; born 29 October 1967 )
2940-535: The role of Petruchio in the BBC's 2005 version of Shakespeare 's The Taming of the Shrew . This was shown as part of the ShakespeaRe-Told series, and the role earned him a Best Actor nomination at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards . In this modern retelling of the story, the action moves from 17th-century Padua, Italy to 21st-century London. This production marked the fourth time that Sewell had acted in
3000-598: The role of Jan in Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll (2006), with the latter earning him an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play as well as a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play . Sewell was born the son of Jo, a Welsh artist and classically trained pianist. His Anglo-Australian father, William John Frederick Sewell (1924–1978), was born in Australia to English parents and worked as an animator on
3060-467: The rumor. Romantic comedy The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two characters meet , part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately, realize their love for one another and reunite. Sometimes the two leads meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe they do not like each other. This could be because one of
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#17327977226783120-469: The standard conventions of the romantic comedy genre. In films like 500 Days of Summer , the two main interests do not end up together, leaving the protagonist somewhat distraught. Other films, like Adam, have the two main interests end up separated but still content and pursuing other goals and love interests. Some romantic comedies use reversal of gender roles to add comedic effect. These films contain characters who possess qualities that diverge from
3180-401: The time the ending gives the audience a sense that if it is true love, it will always prevail, no matter what the two characters have to overcome. Comedies, rooted in the fertility rites and satyr plays of ancient Greece , have often incorporated sexual or social elements. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines romantic comedy as "a general term for comedies that deal mainly with
3240-468: The typical plot of "a light and humorous movie, play, etc., whose central plot is a happy love story" but with more complexity. Some romantic comedies have adopted special circumstances for the main characters, as in Warm Bodies where the protagonist is a zombie who falls in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend. The effect of their love towards each other is that it starts spreading to
3300-592: The very rom-com cliches it pretends to subvert." He added, that "in a spirited cast ... the Brits easily outshine their Yank counterparts. Winslet weeps and moans without sacrificing her radiance or sympathy, while the marginally less teary-eyed Law effortlessly piles on the charm in a role that will have some amusing resonances for tabloid readers." Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle remarked that
3360-574: The video rental store in an uncredited cameo as Jack Black talks about the score from The Graduate (1967). According to Hoffman, this was unscripted and unexpected. He was going to Blockbuster Video to rent a film when he saw the lighting from the film production crew and walked over to see what was happening. He knew director Nancy Meyers, who scripted a short scene with him in it. Lindsay Lohan , who had made her motion picture debut in Meyers's remake of The Parent Trap (1998), and James Franco ,
3420-539: The “ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds " segment of animation for the Beatles ' Yellow Submarine film. His parents divorced when Sewell was five and his father died when he was 10. Sewell's mother subsequently lived at The Pelican, Laugharne , Carmarthenshire, formerly home to the parents of Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas . Sewell has said that he was a difficult teenager. Sewell went on to Orleans Park School ,
3480-617: Was announced that Sewell had been cast as Prince Andrew in Scoop , a Netflix drama about Andrew's 2019 Newsnight interview, co-starring Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis , Billie Piper and Keeley Hawes . Sewell has been married three times. His first wife was his long-term girlfriend, Australian fashion journalist Yasmin Abdallah; they were married in 1999 and divorced in 2000. He married his second wife, scriptwriter and producer Amy Gardner, in 2004 and divorced in 2006. They have
3540-642: Was cancelled by the BBC after just one season. He also had a small part in the film The Tourist , which also starred Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp and was released in cinemas in 2010. He played the lead vampire, Adam, in the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter , which was filmed in New Orleans and released in June 2012. Sewell played the role of Ethics Man in Darkside , Tom Stoppard 's 2013 radio drama based on Pink Floyd 's album The Dark Side of
3600-676: Was in 1993, in which he starred as the unpleasant Tim in Michael Winner 's film Dirty Weekend . Winner chose him after seeing him in a play at the Criterion Theatre . Also in 1993 Sewell starred in the BBC serial of George Eliot 's Middlemarch and on stage in Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia at The Royal National Theatre (Lyttelton). His film work includes 1995's Cold Comfort Farm , directed by John Schlesinger ,
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