The secret life of romantic comedy offers a new approach to one of the most popular and resilient genres in the history of Hollywood. Steering away from the rigidity and ideological determinism of traditional accounts of the genre, this book advocates a more flexible theory, which allows the student to explore the presence of the genre in unexpected places, extending the concept to encompass films that are not usually considered romantic comedies. Combining theory with detailed analyses of a selection of films, including To Be or Not to Be (1942), Rear Window (1954), Kiss Me Stupid (1964), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Before Sunset (2004), the book aims to provide a practical framework for the exploration of a key area of contemporary experience - intimate matters - through one of its most powerful filmic representations: the genre of romantic comedy.Original and entertaining, The secret life of romantic comedy is perfect for students and academics of film and film genre.

List of illustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. The theory of romantic comedyRomantic comedy and laughterHappy endings, forgotten middles and the ideology of romantic comedyThe space of romantic comedyThe Sydney issueGenres and films2. Comic negotiationsI. Laughter, love and World War II: *To be or not to be*Love and the invasion of PolandA table for three: the love triangleLubitsch meets screwball royaltyThat great, great Polish actorPerforming love, performing warII. Romantic comedy in no man's land: Kiss me, stupidRomantic comedy in the 1950sSatire and comedyMoral standards and character identificationClimaxing in ClimaxBang, bangComic combinations3. Romantic comedy on the dark sideI. The other thrills of *Rear window*Look at meSociety callingIt started with a kissThe neverending storyII. The space of comedy and beyond: *Crimes and misdemeanors*Love, faith and the comic spaceInside the Statue of Liberty or love in the time of choleraSplitting genresThe fisher king and the future generations4. Contemporary romantic comedy and the discourse of independenceLove in real time: *Before sunset*The realities of loveWalking and talkingSex and the cityBibliographyIndex