Remember these two lovebirds frolicking about in minor league baseball back in the 80s? Gotta be Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner a la "Bull Durham" (1988). Ever see that hit? It's been over 15 years since I saw "Bull Durham", but I wanted to start this post with it because it is one of the most memorable sports oriented rom-coms of all-time.
What I remember of "Bull Durham" is sketchy at best. I remember their is a seen where Crash Davis is giving Annie Savoy "the business" in the bathtub and motion of the ocean during "the business" in process accidentally puts out some the of the candles in Annie's bathtub. Those poor candles what did they ever do to get pre-maturely stuffed out. Hope that's all that was premature in that scene. He-he-he: E.C. Henry momentary juevinlle slip back into the 6th grade.
But really was "Bull Durham" the 1st sports orientated rom-com? Well their is Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" (1976). And in this movie their is a budding romance between Rocky Balboa and Adrienne Pennino (Tali Shire). But honestly, did ANYONE go to any of the Rocky movies to see how Rocky and Adrienne's their romance progressed through the years? The magic of Rocky is all in the under-dog who wills himself to take on challengers badder than himself. The Adrienne, b-storyline is more of a breather. Much like the Indiana Jones and Miriam interludes are in "Raiders of the Lost Arc."
Okay, so I just through ya a little misdirection. All in the great goal of engauging your mind and getting you to think, because the place I'm going to take you is a little off the beaten path.
I suggest to you, that most all sports rom-coms are really not sports rom-com's at all. Rather they are sports comedies or dramas with a significant romantic comedy b storyline, and if it's in Wikepedia ya know it's gotta be true ;)
Probably my favorite sports comedy of all-time is "Happy Gilmore" (1996: Adam Sandler). I love that movie. It's funny. It has a great antagonist; Shooter McGavin, who is played by Christopher McDonald. How he missed my Best Villains in the History of Cinema originally posted on April 1, 2012 was an oversight on behalf of yours truly, Shooter McGavin should have been on my top 40 villains of all-time's list.
BUT there is also a b storyline in "Happy Gilmore" that is all rom-com; Happy Gilmore's pursuit of the golf publicistVirgina Venit played by Julie Bowen. YES, I realize that MOST people completely gloss over that rom-com subcomponet, once again there's that term again the dreaded "b storyline", but it's there. Happy Gilmore does pursue a love interest while in the mist of going on the PGA tour to save his mother's house from foreclosure. It's Happy Gillmore's arc from angry ex-hockey player to motivated, professional golfer which is the main story.
Get what I'm talking about now? In the realm of sports comedy, it can be considered a sports rom-com IF a romantic storyline is developed. And it can't be just a throw-in story. It has to have some ups and downs. Yes, it's a bending of the rules, but I'm doing so with the finest of intentions; I want the sports arena represented as a sub genre in the romantic comedy field of movies. Now Billy Mernit did not include "sports" under his rom-com cross hybrid grouping in his "Writing the Romantic Comedy" book, but I think he should have. If "Crime" can have it's own subgenre in the world of all thing rom-com with enty's like "Prizzi's Honor" (1985), "Married to the Mob" (1988) and "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992) why can't the sports romantic comedy be considered a valid subgenre with entry's like: "Happy Gilmore," "Bull Durham" and Tin Cup (1996: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo). Yes, I did exclude "Rocky". Why? Because I consider it main attraction Rocky taking on foes trumps and snuff out the romantic b-storyline, which is used a breather. And under the same rationale that's why I would exclude "Raiders of the Lost Arc" as ever being considered a romantic comedy. Again, Indiana and Miriam's tumultuous romance is more of a breather in between high-flying action set pieces.
And it just doesn't hafta be a players journey in a given sport with a strong romantic sub component that rings the bell as belonging in the sports rom-com subgenre. Consider James L. Brooks' 2010 release "How Do You Know": Reece Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson). What's that story about? A woman finding her way AFTER she gets dropped by her baseball team. Now this movie has a very story romantic subcomponent: Reece has to choose between Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson. Hint honey, either way you go you win! AND it's got some roots in sports to boot: Reece's character is baseball player, and Owen Wilson's character is an active athelete.
Rolling on with this vibe. One could also make the argument that "Jerry McGuire" (1996: Tom Cruise, Cuba Golding Jr., Rene Zelwegger) is a sports rom-com, as Tom Cruise's character is an agent who is representing professional sports players. Remember Cuba Golding Jr.'s character was a diva wide receiver who wants Jerry McGuirre to score him a big contract. "Show me the money."
All that said, I would caution against including "Jerry McGuirre" as being a sports romantic comedy. Tom Cruise doesn't do rom-coms. He's too serious. Great actor, don't missread me, but Tom Cruise doesn't do rom-coms. "Jerry McGuirre" is as close as he gets.
To date I've written two sports rom-coms: "Hometown Professional Football" (2007) and "After the Glory" (2010). Both are in the world of football. Both have significant love stories that take place in a sports comedy arena. "Hometown Professional Football" has 3 love story-lines that take place in it, as the characters interact as a newly formed professional football league plays its first season. I wrote the staring role in "Hometown Professional Football" for Owen Wilson. "After the Glory" was written in leau of the Brett Favre fiasco; how every year he seamed to hint at retirement then comeback for another year with the Packers... the Jets... the Vikings... Is he gone yet? Anywho, his saga got me thinking about ex-athletes and their lives after they do finally retire. And I wrote the staring role in "After the Glory" with Will Farrell in mind.
So does writing 2 UNSOLD sports rom-coms entitle me to be expert in the field? No, it doesn't. I'm sure there's a lot more people out there better qualified to articulate this subgenre I'm blogging about. BUT I listen to sports radio regularly, and I've got a creative bend. AND I think I really understand how this sub genre works. Lemme explain...
When you write a sports rom-com one of the basic tenants is you have to get inside the main character. It can't be all about the games, and the drama of the sport as a whole. You have to get personal. It speaks to the interest of curiosity: the audience wants to know what the star is like in their personal life. Go beyond the stats and show what the athelete is like beyond what is seen in a normal game broadcast. Touch on the player in game experience, yeah sure, you betchya. But be sure to go beyond that.
And don't forget the comedy. I think that in a sports rom-com it is more important to be funny then it is to be romantic. Why? Because if it's really funny it will reel in a bigger audience, than if it's known as a rom-com. Realize a basic truth: romance makes many people feel uncomfortable. Whereas comedy is all about breaking down walls through the power of laughter. My advice: come in early with the comedy, then end with the romance. Makes for a more satisfying story.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
P.S. Much to my chagrin, I haven't been writing much lately. Going to spend the next two weeks or so honing the outline to my latest teen comedy spec. script I'm working on. Goal: get back to writing a least 1 hour a day, evey day. The progress will come, if I put in the time. Just need to put in the time.