Entertainment
Anne Hathaway & James Corden Parody Rom-Coms
Who doesn't like movies about two humans falling head over heels in love with each other? Sure, they're dizzyingly predictable, but that's part of the fun. However, it also makes them sitting ducks for satire, so, if you watched Anne Hathaway and James Corden's rom-com skit on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday, April 20, you might be asking yourself which rom-coms, specifically, it was taking aim at.
The five minute short featured all the love-themed bangers, from Bonnie Tyler's "I Need A Hero" to Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" to "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie. But, more than that, it was a smorgasbord of incredibly familiar moments. So was the skit referencing one movie in particular (as with the toothbrushing moment), or just recycling tropes so tired you can think of five rom-coms that use them just off the top of your head (as with the airport sequence)? Let's explore.
Warning: the below will be full of schmalzy moments. If you have a low tolerance for excessive displays of romance, then please make sure you take regular breaks for eye-rolling and texting your best friend "Like that would ever happen in real life :/".
The Clumsy Meet-Cute
Corden and Hathaway's characters meet by stumbling into each other. Physical clumsiness sometimes feels like a prerequisite for true love in this genre. You've got Will Thacker (Hugh Grant) spilling his orange juice down movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) when he runs into her on a street; you've got Sara and John in Serendipity both reaching for the last pair of black cashmere gloves; and, of course, never forget Lelaina Pierce from Reality Bites flicking the ash from her cigarette into Michael Grates' convertible, causing him to crash.
The Steamy Elevator Make-Out Session
Because whether you're on the big screen, as with 50 Shades of Grey, or the small screen (as with the recent elevator kiss in My Crazy Ex Girlfriend), you know that, as soon as you put two attractive people in an elevator together, all bets are off.
Kissing In The Rain
The only thing more arousing to rom-com protagonists than the gentle up-down motion of an elevator is getting caught in the rain. Whether you're Allie and Noah from The Notebook or Staff Sergeant John Tyree puckering up with college student Savannah Curtis from Dear John, you know you're going to get hot and heavy with that special someone the moment you spot clouds on the horizon.
Brushing Teeth As A Twosome
Is anything cuter than this epically weird teeth-brushing scene from Bring It On? This has to be what they're referencing with the unnecessary teeth brushing singing scene.
The Heroine Gets Drunk Alone
AKA Hathaway doing her best messy-drunk Bridget.
Love Grows Stronger At The Airport
Oh man, how do you reference all the romantic movies that structure their ending around airports? Casablanca was the first (but, weirdly, ducks the obvious romantic ending), while Sleepless In Seattle, The Mexican, and Garden State all use the airports to overcome the obstacles posed to the main couple's love (respectively: Tom Hanks' character not being convinced the crazy letter writing lady is the one for him; Julia Roberts' character not boarding the plane; Zach Braff swerving his flight to stay with Natalie Portman).
You guys, use this skit as inspiration for your next rom-com marathon. As Hathaway and Corden prove, there's a rom-com moment out there for everyone.
