Tamara Hart Heiner's last posting has inspired this post. Check out her blog, she's amazing: tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com. She read a book and felt the romantic element in the story was contrived. So this begs the question, what makes a romance not feel contrived. She suggested a tactic that doesn't work: if the only reason the male and female can't seem to get together is because of weird things going on in their minds then the romantic tension feels forced, not believable.
A few months back I made a list of all the movies and book I could think of where the hero and heroine had a beautiful romantic story. And from that list I tried to determine the obstacles the hero and heroine worked to move past.
I came up with four key obstacles, and actually emailed LDSP and asked if she knew more. She mistook my question for romantic plotlines but that's not what I'm asking here. There's probably something written somewhere on the subject on successful obstacles, but as of yet, I'm going on my own experiences.
My obstacles thus far:
1. The hero and heroine are from different spheres.
Wonderful examples of this are Wuthering Heights, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pride and Prejudice, Twilight, Shiver (what I'm currently reading), V for Vendetta, Enchantment, and Shrek.
2. The love is forbidden.
Think Romeo and Juliet or The Island (the government forbids romantic interests between the clones).
3. There's someone else.
Casablanca, Remember Me, Recovering Charles (just finished this one), Sense and Sensibility, The Way we Live Now, Bleak House, and Rebecca.
4. The relationship was built on a lie.
My little sister nailed this when she said this is the obstacle for pretty much every chick flick. You've Got Mail, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Confessions of a Shopaholic...
I have more examples for each category but didn't want to exhaust my readers. Does someone else have a legitimate category they'd like to share that truly differentiates from my list? I would love to hear it and your examples! Or else, what is your favorite obstacle and why? I'm partial to the different spheres obstacle and also love an intricate combination.
Well, in the movie Serendipity, I think the problem was basically that the lovers were too dumb to get together unless they thought that fate had willed it or something (in case you couldn't tell, I didn't like the movie). And in Mormon culture, we have the favorite "still waiting for angels to come down and tell me that this person is the one for me" conflict, but I'm not sure I've seen any movies with this particular plot... And I think in the movie Gross Point Blank the conflict has to do with forgiveness, both for the past and for what's going on in the present, although that one is difficult to really nail down.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea, though. I've never tried to nail down romance like that!
So then would you say those obstacles don't work so well for you? Or would you say they were okay?
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, the movie Duplicity was kind of like the differing spheres obstacle turned on its head. They were too much alike (both spies, so could never trust each other) and I loved that!
I just watched the Lakehouse yesterday, and very much enjoyed it...how about being from two different times??? that keeps people apart.
ReplyDeleteTamara posted my favorite obstacle, the time. Other great examples are "Somewhere In Time" or "Benjamin Button". The "Based on a Lie" I think could be broadened to a "Misunderstanding". The character misinterprets something they've seen or heard about the love interest. Something left unsaid. I'm thinking of "Love Affair" when she doesn't meet the man on the Empire State Building.
ReplyDeleteI still feel like the time separation can fall into the different spheres category, but that's just my selfish, biased opinion. I like your suggestion, Chris, that "based on a lie" can be broadened to misunderstanding. Ah, we will pan this out yet!
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