Two Romantic Comedies That Caught A non-ROMCOM Viewer by Surprise

I love all kinds of movies dramas, comedies, adventure, historical, biographical, animated, and documentary. I was never one to watch romantic movies, but somehow these movies caught my attention and I am now open to another genre.

The two movies that are worth watching are: Silver Linings Playbook, and Crazy Rich Asians.

Silver Linings Playbook got things started for me. This movie made its debut in 2012. I had seen the previews of it and had a feeling it was worth seeing. The cast is amazing Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver.

Pat is played by Bradley Cooper a man who discovered his wife was having an affair and the marriage ended badly with Pat going into an institution and losing his job. Pat is released to the care of his parents and he makes his plan of winning back his ex-wife. Pat is a different romantic character than the usual male lead. He is bi-polar and gets obsessed with an idea in his case it was two main ideas, making himself a better person, and to win back his ex-wife. He says what he thinks without regard to who he hurts. Pat isn’t all bad, and he conveys his love of his parents, and his good friend.

The movie’s title is what first drew me in Silver Linings Playbook is such a great title. It is a philosophy to look on the good side of things and to get your life pointed in a good direction. Pat is sent to a mental institution, it sounds like a bad thing, but it is there that he starts to get his act together.

Pat’s mom decides to get him out of there because he has been there 8 months.

In the Romcom world things can be a bit on the fantasy side, but this movie stays in reality, and you start to root for Pat, his family, and Nicole the woman he gets introduced to.

Pat isn’t the charmer that you would expect find in a romantic comedy, in fact he is so blunt he scares people and turns them off. He is supposed to be on medication for bi-polar, but he refuses to take it which causes several manic episodes that threaten to have him taken back to the institution unless he begins treatment.

The movie has the viewer feelings all the mixed emotions that Pat has had to endure. You want him to find his silver lining.

She starts to see something in Pat that makes her keep trying to draw him in. She finds a way by having him help her by dancing with her in a dance contest. The only way she sees how to get him to agree is to tell him she will give a letter he writes to his ex-wife.

During the next few weeks Pat starts looking forward to his time with Tiffany, and she with him.

The movie also has us see the family of Pat. The mother who loves her son and will do anything to keep him safe and happy. She gets him out the institution, she knows he needs to move and tries her best to get him moving in the right direction.

Pat’s dad is troubled just as bad as his son. Pat Sr. has gambling issues and is obsessive compulsive. He isn’t sure his son should be out of the institution, but in time he loves having him around to share their love of the Eagles and to just have talks with him in general.

Silver Linings Playbook is a movie that has drama, comedy, and romance. It is a movie that will tug on your emotions and draw you into the lives of these people who are trying to get their own versions of Silver Linings Playbook realized.

Crazy Rich Asians was released in 2018. I became interested in this movie after seeing Henry Golding the star of the movie in a later movie Last Christmas which came out in 2019. This movie takes us to a fantasy land, of sorts, of rich Asians and the beautiful locales they live in.

The movie is almost like a Cinderella story with an Asian twist.

The main character of the movie is Rachael Chu played by Constance Wu. She is an American Asian who is raised in American by a single mom. She is a college professor. Rachel doesn’t meet her boyfriend Nick in this movie. She has been dating him for a while. Rachel is a pretty girl who has a great sense of humor. She loves her job, and she is happy with Nick.

Things start to get crazy when she finds out he comes from a wealthy family. She doesn’t discover this until she agrees to go with him to attend the wedding of his best friend in lives in Singapore.

Rachael doesn’t realize that there will be differences because as she tells her mom, “...they’re Chinese, I’m so Chinese I am an economists professor with lactose intolerance.” Rachel’s mother tells her that she grew up in America that though she may speak Chinese and look Chinese in her heart and mind she is different. Rachel finds that out once she gets overseas.

It is strange that Nick doesn’t let his girlfriend know anything about his wealthy upbringing until she starts to get the message when they board a private plane.

Once Rachael gets there, she finds herself trying to hold her own against jealous girls who want Nick for themselves, and his mother who thinks no girl will be good enough for her son.

Rachael learns more about herself during this trip and must decide whether she wants to continue her relationship with Nick or not.

Almost like characters in the movie the scenery is every part of this movie. The locations are beautiful and breath taking. The richness of the people and having all they can buy is something to see. The airport they arrive in once they get to Singapore has a butterfly garden and a movie theater. That is only the beginning. They show all these fabulous buildings and the cuisine of the nation. The wedding of Nick’s friend is beyond a fantasy wedding.

The music is upbeat and infectious throughout the film. It is sung with Asian lyrics, but some of the songs have American and English roots.

Nick is played by Henry Golding and he is the perfect boyfriend. He is handsome and intelligent, he is loving to his girlfriend, and is always attentive and making sure she is happy. He is thrilled to share his country and family with her but seems to know that if he revealed too much about his wealth it might scare her away.

Nick must figure out who is most devoted to once it becomes clear that his girlfriend and his mom are not getting along.

Nick grows in character just as Rachel does. He comes to find out love and not money is the most important thing in his life.

Every RomCom must have a best friend and someone to bring the laughs and Peik Lin played by Awkwafina does a great job. She steers Rachael in the right direction on how to handle Nick’s wealthy family with a great comedy sense. Her scenes where she goes with Rachael to the Nick's grandmother’s house is hilarious.

Eleanor Young played by Michelle Yeoh is Nick's mom. He is her only son and she loves him more than life itself. She is suspicious of Rachel when she finds out she is from America and isn’t wealthy. Eleanor is an opposing figure and seems more like a queen than a mother. She grows as a character just as Nick and Rachael does. She sees Rachael in a new light by the movie’s end.

Crazy Rich Asians show us that even though we may be of another nationality we all go through the same things regarding family and love.

Silver Linings Playbook and Crazy Rich Asians are romantic movies that although different both have similar theme of family and love. The films are entertaining, and worth watching.