"He's Just Not That Into You" is a popular chick flick for 2009. (Courtesy of New Line Cinema)
What makes a chick-flick? Be it a comedy, tear-jerker, cheesy romance or female-empowering action film, there are a few basic requirements any chick-flick has to meet.
A slushy-snowy afternoon presented perfect weather—at least for discussing the topic at hand. Among the studious and hungry table-dwellers in the UMC sat Kayla Romero, senior political science major, Hayley Kennedy, sophomore psychology major, and Erika Munter, sophomore sociology and women’s studies major. The three students opened up about the role chick-flicks play in their life.
“My newest favorite chick-flick is ‘He’s Just Not That Into You,’” Kennedy said. Kennedy just saw “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” and she said she was disappointed.
“I have high expectations,” she said.
“‘Sleepless in Seattle’ is kind of a classic, and I really liked ‘An Affair to Remember,’” Munter said.
“An Affair to Remember” is an older film starring Cary Grant. It’s old enough that they actually mention it in “Sleepless in Seattle.” Other timeless chick-flicks include “Thelma and Louise,” “Pretty Woman,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Sixteen Candles” and “When Harry met Sally.”
“I love chick-flicks,” Kennedy said. “It’s my favorite thing to (watch). All of my movies are chick-flicks. I like watching movies alone. I can get more into it, like serious ones or love stories.”
Hopeless romantics typically love movies like “Titanic,” “The Notebook,” “Love and Basketball,” “Love Actually,” “Chocolat,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Sex in the City” and “Ever After.”
“I like watching them with my best friend, no one else though. They talk all the time, it ruins it. She knows me well enough to know not to do that,” Romero said.
Kennedy said chick-flick movies can often be very different from reality.
“I feel like I’m always disappointed after chick-flicks because no guys are going to actually do that that stuff,” Kennedy said. “I have to do a reality check, like, no guys actually going to show up at the airport and hug me at that perfect, magical moment.”
Romero and Munter said they agreed.
“With guys you could watch, like, ‘Knocked Up,’ because it appeals to both,” said Reshma Shrestha, a senior English major.
Angela Chung, a senior business major, laughed when she said, “That’s why guys watch chick-flicks, cause they have hot girls (in them). I feel like guys would like ‘Sorority Row’ for the all the girls.”
Some girls said they feel chick-flicks can be demeaning. Lydia Whitney, a senior astronomy major, said, “I don’t really watch a lot of chick-flicks because they seem really shallow. I liked ‘A Walk to Remember’ because it seems to have a deeper meaning.”
Those who aren’t bothered by shallow laughs would probably like “Clueless,” “Mean Girls” and “Bring It On.” Less shallow, but girly nonetheless, are “Bride Wars,” “Raising Helen” and “Uptown Girls.” The latter two are more meaningful and tear-jerking. Other newer hits include “Sunshine Cleaning” and “Lars and the Real Girl.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Anna McIntosh at anna.mcintosh@colorado.edu.
