Re: Dualing protags
"Rom-coms don't work because they have two protagonists, which they don't, they work because the story is sufficiently romantic and comedic to make the coupling desirable and entertain for the audience. In most conventional rom-coms, the love interest is the antagonist, making the goals and actions of the hero intertwined with that of the antagonist."
I beg to difer. In the traditional sense the antagonist works against the protagonist. You're correct in saying that the "love interest" is the antagonist in the sense of providing the conflicts but in romantic comedies our dual protagonists want the same thing... they want to be together.
"In Splash, Hanks wants a normal predictable life, the mermaid wants a wild crazy free spirited life.
In Pretty Woman Gere wants a girl on his arm who he can control and use to prevent any distractions and interference with his plans. Roberts wants more than to be treated as a rented piece of meat and wants to engage Gere emotionally which causes distractions and interference with his plans."
You kind of made my argument for me. In each of those breakdowns you clearly described the dual protagonists arcs. Yes they have different points of view but in the end want the same thing. If all we did was understand Gere's or Hank's character then the story wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. I agree there will always be one characer doing more of the "heavy lifting" of the story but that doesn't lessen the impact of the love interest at all.
Go to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Even the title says it. The story begins when HARRY meets Sally. But we wouldn't care as much if we didn't get to know who Sally was.
"Rom-coms don't work because they have two protagonists, which they don't, they work because the story is sufficiently romantic and comedic to make the coupling desirable and entertain for the audience. In most conventional rom-coms, the love interest is the antagonist, making the goals and actions of the hero intertwined with that of the antagonist."
I beg to difer. In the traditional sense the antagonist works against the protagonist. You're correct in saying that the "love interest" is the antagonist in the sense of providing the conflicts but in romantic comedies our dual protagonists want the same thing... they want to be together.
"In Splash, Hanks wants a normal predictable life, the mermaid wants a wild crazy free spirited life.
In Pretty Woman Gere wants a girl on his arm who he can control and use to prevent any distractions and interference with his plans. Roberts wants more than to be treated as a rented piece of meat and wants to engage Gere emotionally which causes distractions and interference with his plans."
You kind of made my argument for me. In each of those breakdowns you clearly described the dual protagonists arcs. Yes they have different points of view but in the end want the same thing. If all we did was understand Gere's or Hank's character then the story wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. I agree there will always be one characer doing more of the "heavy lifting" of the story but that doesn't lessen the impact of the love interest at all.
Go to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Even the title says it. The story begins when HARRY meets Sally. But we wouldn't care as much if we didn't get to know who Sally was.
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