A romantic comedy will feed its viewers many things: the belief that love is out there, right around the corner, even, and its out there for all of us, even the clumsy gals. They will tell you that magazine jobs are glamorous and that weddings are very important and that the man you least expect to fall in love with is in fact your soul mate. But perhaps most of all, these films will remind us that we truly are what we eat.
A film has a limited amount of time and dialogue and silly scenarios to be able to paint the picture of who a leading lady really is. And what better way to demonstrate everything that a gal is than by her diet? A quick glance at a dinner plate or the reciting of a take out order or the snack a woman chooses to shove into her face says it all: shes alone, shes busy, and she gets hungry sometimes.
You might think to yourself, Hmm, this lady seems pretty and nice, doesnt she go on dates? With the juggling of a coffee cup and a pastry that she must bite as she walks, it becomes very clear that this woman is BUSY. She doesnt even have time to eat that croissant at the Starbucks counter, she is on the move. If she cant find the time to eat, how on Earth will she find the time to meet a stranger for an evening of small talk? We see this in Eva Mendes character in Hitch that gal was always snacking on the go. Gossip reporters are very busy and can only make time to sit down for a real meal if its actually for a story shes researching. Otherwise its grab and go, all day every day.
And speaking of grab and go, lets remember Sandra Bullocks Gracie in Miss Congeniality. That lady never came across a donut she couldnt shove down her ball gown for later. In fact, donut eating is a great way to let people know Oh, she doesnt give a F, she will eat a high-fat, high-calorie snack like a champ. Its a way of letting the audience know, shes not like other girls, but YOU eat donuts, so youre special like she is too! This also sends a message that our on-screen pal has been blessed with a fantastic metabolism.
Which seems to be the case quite often, actually. In Two Weeks Notice, Bullocks Lucy is such a busy lawyer that she frequently calls (this was pre-Seamless) her local Chinese restaurant to place her comically large dinner order which she is forced to confirm, Yes its for one. Come on, who asks that? She knows the entire menu by heart and she happily accepts multiple bags of take out that she eats, of course, all alone. This ladys love life might be empty, but her belly damn sure is not.
Theres an appropriate amount of comfort eating present in rom-coms, we can all agree on that. We watch it, we relate, and we get hungry. Lake Bells Nancy has her silent sandwich session ruined by her perky seatmate on the train in Man Up. This chick only wants to talk about finding the one, but Nancy doesnt let a bestselling book get in the way of her deli meat sandwich and all the glory, calm and satisfaction it brings to her disheveled life. She cant write a speech for her parents anniversary party, but she can chomp down on a Pret A Manger sandwich with the best of them.
Oh and who could forget when Kristen Wiigs Annie constructed a single, gorgeous cupcake, frosting flower and all in Bridesmaids. Our mouths dripped with drool as we watched her stare it down until she takes a bite, although truly unable to enjoy the sugar rush due to the failure of her former bakery (and relationship). No cupcake should come with that much baggage, girl.
Then we have those ladies who live what appear to be full, organized, successful lives. We first meet our heroine Mary (Jennifer Lopez) in action in The Wedding Planner: making sure a wedding goes off with laser precision: every person and (almost) every plate in its perfect place. And when she goes home? Well, its the same deal. This is not a gal that has time to cook, but she perfectly arranges her foil containers on a tray and plops it down on a TV dinner stand, her only company provided by the glow of the television. Again, weve got a busy lady here. So busy she could never sneak a snack when shes working. She enjoys her meals, but the bottom line is that they are purely utilitarian to her. Please, do not get me started on the only eating brown M&Ms garbage theory this film put out into the world though.
Films use food to tell us about the characters were about to connect with in a variety of ways. Sure, its for comfort to fill the hole of not having a significant other. But it also sends the message loud and clear that these ladies do what they want and eat what they want: they dont have to share, they dont have anyone critiquing their intake, and they quite honestly cant be bothered to cook a full meal for themselves. The variety and the amount of food is used to portray just how sad, lonely, busy, and even aloof these women can be. But theyve got good jobs, and ones that they work hard at. After a long day, its nice to have someone else cook for you, whether its being presented by someone youre sleeping with or a delivery person from the restaurant in your neighborhood. Dig in ladies: donuts are always better than dudes.
Where to watch Man Up
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Don't Worry, A Rom-Com Leading Lady's Diet Will Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Her - Decider
