Aiken Standard
December 25, 1998
Not every chick flick has all these elements. In fact most of them just have a couple. But with that in mind, at least one of the following attributes must be present in order for a flick to be deemed “chick.”
Terminal illness – at least mom or an apple-cheeked daughter is dying – and they must get progressively beautiful as they do.
Failed romance – “There’s not a lot of mileage in a love story if all goes smoothly,” say NYU film prof Toby Miller.
Wistful disappointment – Â what could be more wistfully disappointing than “Ghost” in which Patrick Swayze comes back from the dead to romance his wife, Demi Moore, and then goes back to wherever he came from, breaking her heart a second time?
Family Focus – Four Chinese women and their four American daughters tell their heart-twisting family tales in “The Joy Luck Club.”
Women against the world – In “First Wive’s Club” three fifty something women discarded by callous, dirtbag husbands don’t get mad; they bond and then they get even.
10. The Way We Were – a failed romance, wistful disappointmnet – and a Barbra Streisand song,
9. Waiting To Exhale - Lots of failed romances, plenty of women against the world – and a Whitney Houston song doesn’t hurt either.
8. Sleepless In Seattle-Â wistful disappointments up the wazoo, happy ending non withstanding.
7. Beaches –Â Women against the world, a terminal illness, oh and a Bette Midler song that doesn’t disappoint doesn’t hurt either.
6. Four Weddings And A Funeral –Â Just dare a man to sit through this. Just dare him.
5. Steel Magnolias -Â Women against the world, family focus, terminal illness, failed romance, and all in cute southern accents.
4. Little Women -Â Women against the world, Family focus, a failed romance or two, a near terminal illness, and a couple of cute boys thrown in for good measure.
3. Thelma And Louise -Â a ground-breaking women against the world chick flick. A classic example of the quest movie where feelings count more than resolution.
2. Ghost -Â Ditto. Four Weddings And A Funeral.
1.Terms Of Endearment – A chick flick jackpot. All the essential elements sans Bette Midler. A two kleenex boxer,
