Definition of a chick flick (1 Viewer)

[Ryan L B]

is there one. I thought that Moulin Rouge and Sleepless in Seatle were supposed to be chick flicks that men have to go to please the girls, but they aren't. I enjoyed them and I hate My best friends wedding pretty woman ect, so is there a true def.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Much like with most over-simplified genre labels, "chick flicks" vary from person to person. I generally avoid this label, but it seems evident that movies that focus mainly on romance (particularly the unrequited sort), "female bonding" (a la Thelma & Louise), sticky emotional issues(The Other Sister or Stepmom), or female empowerment can often be classified as 'chick flicks'.
It irritates me that nearly ANY film that deals with emotions is generally dismissed as a "chick flick', as if men have no interest in seeing a film like this.
Terms of Endearment is one such example. Since the movie deals mainly with a relaltionship between mother and daughter, it's generally relegated to 'chick flick' status. A movie that focuses almost exclusively on women (such as Now and Then) could undoubtedly be considered a "chick flick" much like any film that deals mainly with vampires could be considered a "horror flick". Swingers seems like a "guy flick", but I have yet to meet a woman who didn't enjoy it. Is Moulin Rouge a chick flick? It's my favorite movie of 2001. Does that make me feminine?
While the "chick flick" is normally dismissed as low-minded pandering, there are several that I'd consider damn good movies. The only way to figure out which ones you'll enjoy is to see them for yourself.
Pretty Woman
Ghost
Dirty Dancing
When Harry Met Sally...
Sleepless in Seattle
You've Got Mail
Steel Magnolias
Notting Hill
What Women Want
Circle of Friends
The Bridge of Madison County
Beaches
Waiting to Exhale
My Best Friend's Wedding
Stepmom
Flashdance
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Terms of Endearment
Thelma & Louise
Now and Then
An Affair to Remember

 

[Ryan L B]

guy flicks are con air, the rock or any thing with action go around 1/2 hours up is where most guys will start titanic or pearl harbor (that is where the good parts start) or sick comedies like any thing from the Farrelies, scary movie, american pie

 

[JohnRice]

I have to admit I use this term often, though I am using it sarcastically most of the time. Meaning that I also don't like the belief that men aren't interested in seeing any movies involving emotions. The problem for me is that I do feel that a lot of the movies that get this moniker are pretty bad.
Scott,
since you offered up the list, I'll pick on you. The truth is, I consider most of the movies you listed pretty bad. This is not because they involve relationships and emotions. There are a couple I really like, though, like:
When Harry Met Sally...
Beaches
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Ghost makes me sick. I think Always, which came out at the same time and deals with a similar theme is vastly better.
Thelma and Louise is a favorite, but way too macho to be considered a "Chick Flick."
Terms of Endearment I like, even though I think it fails miserably at depicting the passage of time. It also annoys me that the hubby has absolutely no redeeming qualities.
At Scott's expense, I'm trying to demonstrate the ambiguity of the term.
I mean, I heard some guy spend days analyzing the photography in some stupid chick flick hardly no one has ever heard of.
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ

 

[Scott Weinberg]

John -
I dislike most of those movies too! I realize that my wording was a little off, but those are NOT all films that I'd recommend. Of the titles I mentioned, the ones I think are quality films are:
Terms of Endearment
When Harry Met Sally...
Ghost
Circle of Friends
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Thelma and Louise
An Affair to Remember
...and OK - I'll admit two guilty pleasures: I enjoyed both Notting Hill and Steel Magnolias! :b

 

[Shane Gralaw]

I tend to think of chick flicks as formulaic crap aimed at women that has little or no appeal to men (as others have noted, the polar opposite of, say, the latest Dolph Lundgren straight-to-video action opus that is formulaic crap aimed at men with little or no appeal to women).

Something like Terms of Endearment, while having many chick flick trappings, wouldn't count because it has enough elements to appeal to movie lovers of both sexes. Female protagonists and female bonding themes are not enough.

Hmmm...I'd say something like Hanging Up would qualify- extremely vacuous cine-poop that only a woman could really love. I think it's safe to say no man has ever bought a copy of that film for himself because he enjoyed it so much that he had to watch it over and over.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'd say the lines are blurring now. Since Hollywood seems unwilling or unable to produce new ideas and take risks on new concepts, it presents old stuff in new ways by mixing different genres together.
Moulin Rouge is an example. It has chick-flicky elements, but isn't in fact a chick flick. Then you get films like Chasing Amy, which also has chick flicky elements but is really more of a crude comedy.
Sleepless in Seatle, however, is most defineately a chick flick. And a damn good one at that. Don't be embarrased to have enjoyed it.

 

[Shawn C]

When Harry Met Sally is one of the 'chick' movies that I really like. I like it because it's not 'overly chicky'. They 'younger' Billy Crystal character was pretty funny.

I can stomach 'You`ve got mail' in a pinch.

Sleepless in Seattle? Eh...If I have to.

Sixteen Candles - Love it. Why doesn't anybody make this kind of 'teen-chick' movie anymore?

"Where's Sam?"

"She getting married"

"Married?"

"Married...to greasy BO-Hunk"

"Married?"

"Ya, Married! Geeze"

(not exact)

 

[Eric Walsh]

Sorry Shane but I can not let some things you said go....

I'd say something like Hanging Up would qualify- extremely vacuous cine-poop that only a woman could really love

These three lines are highly stereotypical and also I feel degrading to women, especially the last of the three. What you are saying is that bad movies that are formulaic are something that woman enjoy and men do not. This seems to lead to the conclusion that men are better because they enjoy movies that are not formulaic and do not watch "cine-poop" like women do. I think both of these concepts are not at all accurate. Men and women can and should not be seperated about such issues as movie preferences because really it is more of an individual thing.

-Eric

 

[Raymond Johnson]

I find the 'chick flick' label,pretty irritating & offensive in away.

Not only does it show the complete shallowness & stupidity of men...it's just a dumb label used by un-educted people who feel they are better than so & so.

I've seen guys act all macho,talk about 'awsome' films & 'guy movies'.....yet anything remotely'sappy' gets the chick flick treatment & avoid at all costs mindset.

You wonder why women complain about men so much! It's simple(allot of) guys live in the so called 'real' world of what a man is 'supposed to be like & thus put on show thinking they're all that,when they're just irritating & dumb & unable to truly be themselves.

Thank god i am not like that & not afraid to treat women with respect & let them choose a film sometimes or i choose one they may like rather than "how about let's see Scary Movie!" & being rather unromatic & obnoxious like most who would drag there girlfirend against her will to some same old cliched action film...meanwhile whine & refuse to go to some romantic film she wants to see & so on.

As for actual 'sappy' films....it all depends on how good the movie is..if they try something new with an old-cliched story,has a flare & style to it & pulls me in. Then the movie succeeded.

If it turns out to be dull..cliched without any style,100+% predictable then i rarely make it through the whole film or don't ejoy it as much.

A great example would be Jersey girl from 1991 with Jamie Gertz. ever see or hear of it?

This movie was SO predictable & cliched that i just knew what was going to happen long before & it became somewhat funny that they didn't even try to do something new with it,just same old Cinderella type story seen millions of times before.

Theres some arguement near the end...quickly break up,,,,cue corny 'love' song playing over the soundtrack as the main charecter's look off into the distance,think about things,cry there eyes out & realize they were perfect together & just made a mistake & get back together again..all within 10mn btw!

Anyway....thats my idea of a bad 'chick' flick if thats what you want to call it. A good movie should be for everyone regardless of gender,though one may like it more than the other....that should'nt matter as long as YOU like it....but most guys are to afraid to admit to liking certain films because they may feel they're not 'manly' enough when all that BS is just in there head,snap out of it!

 

[JohnRice]

I find the 'chick flick' label,pretty irritating & offensive in away.
Not only does it show the complete shallowness & stupidity of men

I love double standards.

 

[Nigel McN]

a chick flick usually has 1 death or less, and no guns

 

[Vickie_M]

What about "guy flicks"?

I tend to think of guy flicks as formulaic crap aimed at men that has little or no appeal to women.

I'd say something like Armageddon would qualify- extremely vacuous cine-poop that only a man could really love.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Actually Vickie, I've known as many women who liked Armageddon as men. A better example for your valid point would be a Steven Seagal flick.

From Mating Habbits of the Earth-bound Human:

"Women enjoy films where one person dies slowly.

Men enjoy films where many people die quickly."

 

[Ches Campbell]

Sleepless in Seatle, however, is most defineately a chick flick. And a damn good one at that. Don't be embarrased to have enjoyed it.

Good call. I thought it was a good movie, and don't mind admitting it.
Notting Hill is great too. Its the funniest Romantic Comedy I have ever seen.
Later

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Scott Weinberg said:

It irritates me that nearly ANY film that deals with emotions is generally dismissed as a "chick flick', as if men have no interest in seeing a film like this.

I concur. Aside from implying men won't have any interest in seeing those films, there's also a negative connotation associated with the movie's quality. Certainly there are plenty of bad examples of so-called "chick flicks", but there are just as many, if not more, "guy movies" that are rotten. (I'd probably say that more bad "guy movies" see the light of day if we're looking at percentages.)

I get really tired of hearing "chick flick" bashing, usually from people who have no idea what they're talking about. I heard one guy on the radio (and this was even NPR, mind you) who was dismissing Amelie as a silly women's movie that he didn't want to go see. Are men, in general, so afraid to admit liking a female-oriented or emotion-oriented film because it makes them less masculine, and why is that?

 

[Ernesto Santos]

I'll admit I don't mind watching what some people would catagorize as chick-flicks, but I have one single test to define chick-flickyness. If there is a scene where the characters sing along to some hip sixties or seventies R&B tune. Geeez!!! That sends chills up mine spine every time.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Usually "chick-flick" is all I need to know to stay away.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Ernesto said:

but I have one single test to define chick-flickyness. If there is a scene where the characters sing along to some hip sixties or seventies R&B tune.

You just described Remember the Titans and The Replacements, two movies I doubt people would describe as "chick flicks". Regardless, it's a cliche I wouldn't miss if I never saw it again.

 

[Ryan L B]

You just described Remember the Titans and The Replacements, two movies I doubt people would describe as "chick flicks". Regardless, it's a cliche I wouldn't miss if I never saw it again.

Those are mens movies, like dumb and dumber.