The Manifestation of Reaganism in 1980’s Romantic Comedies

It is imperative to delve into the context of the 1980’s and its cinematic products in order to fully fathom the significance of the Reagan Administration’s sovereignty. Prior to the 1980’s, a general mistrust of the government had developed due to scandals, like the Nixon Watergate Scandal. After Carter only served one term, he lost to Reagan by a landslide. Ronald Reagan was president for nearly an entire decade (1981-1989) and his campaign and general mantra paraded around old conservatism—more specifically blue collar conservatism. This was divergent to the liberal-activist demeanor that the US had held in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also noted for his genial personality: the president's sunny disposition and optimistic outlook did much to deflect liberal charges that conservatism was a philosophy of callous meanness and reckless militarism. As a politician, he used the skills he'd developed in his earlier career as an actor to great effect. At the end of his presidency, Reagan even confided to an interviewer that "there have been times in this office when I've wondered how you could do the job if you hadn't been an actor." Arguably with Reagan, the 1980’s was a time of the reinsertion of masculinity, old conservatism, and materialism. Americans were bombarded with virile films like Top Gun, the Rocky series, and Die Hard. These all contributed to the rebirth of the “new male action hero”—an archetype that “saved” everyone (especially women) and closely resembled the presence of Reagan, himself. 

Films like Pretty in Pink (1986), Overboard (1987), and When Harry Met Sally (1989) follow such conventions of genre as a result of the culture at the time. Like most Romantic Comedies, these films have lighthearted humor, carry the meet-separate-unite narrative, and hold the general belief that “love” can conquer most obstacles. Although recognized as a combination of the Romance genre and the Comedy genre, some Romantic Comedies are noted to have elements of the Screwball Comedy sub-genre. This ideal, however, may not ring true to the ever-masculine 1980s Romantic Comedy. Screwball comedies by definition, give female leads power—women dominate the relationship and the man’s masculinity it challenged. This sense of female empowerment in these romantic narratives are seemingly taken away when Reagan becomes President in the 1980s. 

In 1986, teen audiences across the US were dazzled with a film called Pretty in Pink—a film that mimicked Ronald Reagan’s advocacy for traditionalism. Director Howard Deutch made his directorial debut with this film, which acclaimed writer John Hughes, wrote. Pretty in Pink is a fictional story that follows a lower middle class girl named Andie, who must choose to pursue a romantic relationship with her devoted childhood best friend, or a rich but sensitive player. After a series of events, Andie ultimately chooses the rich player, named Blaine. Among watching, viewers encounter themes such as social stratification, relationships between men and women, and platonic versus romantic relationships. Before studying the film, it is imperative to recognize the “behind the scenes” context. Howard Deutch had signed on as the director after John Hughes had written the film. Lacking experience, Deutch developed a close relationship with Hughes, since he had extensive knowledge in the filmmaking process. In an interview with ET online, Deutch recalls the first day of shooting, and how his lack of experience made it a bit more disastrous. After frantically calling Hughes for help, Hughes rewrote the scene over the phone. Undoubtedly, Hughes had continued to have a great deal of control over the film, even after the writing process. His writing alone reveals a lot about his beliefs and values, such as his high regard for teenagers. In a quote, he has said “I don't think of kids as a lower form of the human species”. This belief is clearly reflected in his films, as most of his films took place during the protagonist’s teenage years, and dealt with the complexities of adolescence. Pretty in Pink is no exception, for it presents most of its characters in a sympathetic manner, rather than presenting them as wild, “punkish” teenagers. 

To start, one of the most meaningful relationships in the film is Andie and her father’s, as it covers the portrayal of maternal figures and father/daughter relationships. As shown in the film, Andie and her father have a close relationship, since her mother had left. Although Andie’s father cannot hold a steady job, viewers sympathize with him, since he is able to provide emotional support for Andie that her mother lacks. Arguably, the film indirectly sends a message that berates mothers, especially absent mothers. In a scene with Andie and her father, Andie expresses her disdain for her mother. Conversely, the film may also indirectly send a message that put men, especially “good” fathers on a pedestals. As a whole the film, although it may not be intentional, indirectly holds men at a higher regard than women. One could argue that this somewhat relates to one of the mantras of Reaganism. Reagan undoubtedly pushed for traditionalism and critiqued anyone who did not follow that. Andie’s mother is representative of someone who doesn’t follow traditionalism - she abandons her role as a mother and leaves her husband to watch over her daughter. Consequently, the film, in true Reagan nature, critiques her.

Another significant relationship in the film is Duckie and Andie’s relationship. For context, Duckie and Andie are best friends - Duckie is one of the men Andie is choosing between. Coming both from similar class backgrounds, Duckie and Andie have a close relationship and bond over their thrift store fashion. As mentioned before, Duckie has enamored Andie since childhood, and that is reflected in the film. Viewers sympathize with Duckie because he is a relatable character - he stands for anyone who has ever expressed deeping caring for someone, when the same feelings aren’t reciprocated. Next, it is crucial to explore the messages being sent about “the rich” through the actions of Steff. The character, Steff, is Blaine’s barbaric best friend who is supposed to encapsulate everything about “the rich”: entitled, careless, arrogant, and mean. Throughout the film, Steff makes numerous advances on Andie and is resentful when she declines. He believes that she is stuck up trailer-trash because she isn’t giddy over his rich-boy advances. Viewers tend to sympathize with people like Andie and Duckie because they are common folk - they are relatable characters who are not entitled and arrogant. Arguably, this relates to another mantra of Reagan’s. Reagan was a man who lobbied blue collar conservatism - he was a President for the common folk who “worked” for their assets. Perhaps this film, again in true Reagan nature, is critiquing the rich - or more specifically, those who do not work for what they have. Citizens saw critiques similar to this with Reagan’s famous commentary on “welfare queens”. 

Generally, the film uses the high school setting as a metaphor for the “real world” at that time period: the rich, white collar folks versus the poor, blue collar folks. Obviously, Blaine and Steff represent the white collars of society, while Andie and Duckie represent the blue collars of society. Through the film’s portrayal of each group, viewers feel compassion for blue collar Andie and Duckie, and feel disdain for white collar Blaine and Steff. The film sends negative messages about white collar folk generally, and more positive messages about blue collar folk. Lastly, the most crucial piece of the film is the ending, where Andie chooses Blaine. Originally, John Hughes had written for Andie to choose Duckie - he perhaps wanted to send a message that those who are humble and patient are triumphant. To the reluctance of Hughes and Deutch, test audiences despised this ending, and wanted Andie to end up with the handsome, popular, and sensitive Blaine. The original ending was then changed to suit the likes of the general public. With this new, unintended ending, a new message is sent to audience - one that Hughes and Deutch wanted to avoid. The revised ending implies that rich, entitled, white collar folks who treat women poorly, ultimately get the girl. With the exception of the revised ending, one could argue that Pretty in Pink was truly a movie of its a time - one that indirectly, and perhaps unintentionally, followed the principles set forth by President Reagan. Viewers fall victim to the viewing experience thinking that they are being influenced by the writer/director’s ideas, when the writer/director may actually be influenced by the ideas of the President. 

A year after Pretty in Pink’s release, another Romantic Comedy film titled Overboard was made public. Like Pretty in Pink, this film showed clear bias toward blue collar conservatism and effectively subdued women. Directed by the benevolent, seedy Garry Marshall, the film garnered attention, but not nearly as much acclaim as, Pretty Woman, which was famously directed by Marshall as well. A characteristic that distinguishes Overboard from Pretty in Pink is the indistinct relationship between Marshall, and writer Leslie Dixon. From this, one might assume that Marshall had a little bit more creative control than Howard Deutch did. Marshall also did have more experience under his belt as well, so he did not need the guidance that Deutch did. For some background on Marshall, he was one who enjoyed when actors improvised: he relished giving actors their creative freedom. Marshall also was a firm believer in capturing “real” moments. In an Entertainment Weekly article, he expressed the importance of authenticity. Depending on its contribution to the film, Marshall was open to featuring “off-camera” bits into the final cut, to make the film feel more real. Such a stress on authenticity would likely make a film that is not only true to its story and audience, but to its time period.

Overboard is a film about a rich, snobby heiress named Joanna who ridicules and cheats over a carpenter she hired, named Dean. After she falls overboard from her yacht and gets amnesia, Dean decides to get his compensation by convincing her that she is his working-class housewife. To no surprise, Joanna has trouble adjusting to her new lifestyle. After a series of events, Joanna, who is convinced that her name is Annie, begins to fall in love with Dean, and he reciprocates the feeling. Eventually, she finds out about the truth but chooses to stay with him because of their love for each other. In short, the film explores themes such as classism, relationships between men and women, and blue collar conservatism. To be frank, the film itself encapsulates traditionalism. To start, the film has a rather old-fashioned take on gender roles. For example, when Joanna/Annie begins living with Dean, she is assigned the role of housekeeper and mom. She is expected to pack lunches, clean the house, do laundry, and provide emotional support for her “sons”. Meanwhile Dean, manipulates the situation completely by kidnapping her, deceiving her, and forcing her to do the assigned tasks. With such a dynamic, it is to no surprise that Dean’s “family” reinforces the traditional American family. Throughout the film, viewers see Joanna accept her “role” - she sits around and waits for her husband while he works and provides for the family. A number of times throughout, Dean comes home late much to Joanna/Annie’s disdain - a traditional narrative that has been seen too many times in film. Joanna/Annie is made out to be submissive to Dean’s antics and manipulation. In the third quarter of the film, Dean even has a chance to come clean of his deception -- a common theme of early romantic comedies -- but chooses not to, as he would risk “losing” Joanna/Annie. With this, viewers may speculate the double entendre of the title “Overboard”: Joanna/Annie literally fell overboard and Dean went overboard with the situation. Next, viewers may take note of the mother-daughter relationship in the film. Like Pretty in Pink, the relationship is strained; however in this case, the mother is present. The mother is portrayed rather absurdly due to her heavy reliance on a psychiatrist for her relationship with her daughter. Stereotypically, those that are affluent have been known to use “science based” information from “experts” as a basis for raising their children. In contrast, those that are less affluent/working class, tend to rely on actual experience. This reliance on “book” information rather than actual experience is perhaps a critique on the rich. Holistically, this film has tackled blue collar conservatism and white collar materialism. Through Joanna’s transition from snobby, rich socialite to caring, blue collar housewife, viewers develop a bias. As a rich socialite, Joanna simply exists -- she does not contribute to society, does not lift a finger, and treats her “servants” as lesser. In contrast, as a blue collar housewife, she serves meaning, works hard for what she has, and does not treat anyone as lesser. Generally, one might argue that this film truly reinforces and promotes blue collar conservatism. Mutually, Ronald Reagan’s entire campaign relied on the praise of people who work hard for what they have - and the contempt of “lazy” people. Symbiotically, the film and Reagan’s rhetoric promoted and praised blue collar conservatism, which arguably is not coincidental. Seemingly so, Reagan’s ideals had an indirect influence on romantic comedy, Overboard. 

In the homestretch of the 1980s, 1989 to be exact, Rob Reiner directed a film called When Harry Met Sally—a film that closely mirrors Reiner’s life, exhibits the subjugation of women in the 1980s, and shows the depreciation of Reaganism toward the end of his presidency. With good friend Nora Ephron writing, they collaboratively put out what would become an acclaimed Romantic Comedy film. In a documentary about him, Reiner stated his difficulty in creating “traditional” films. Arguably, such a statement contradicts the rhetoric put forth by the Reagan Administration. This is a stark contrast from both Pretty in Pink and Overboard. What perhaps differentiates Reiner further is his value of collaboration - When Harry Met Sally, of course, is no exception. Initially called “Scenes from a Friendship”, Reiner called to Ephron to assist him in creating a film that was “born out of my own life experience”. As stated on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Reiner stated that the film essentially mirrored his life - he based it on his experience of being married for ten years and then single for ten years. 

As a result of being released in the late 1980s and for being so inventive, When Harry Met Sally is considered as part of the “New Romance” category in Romantic Comedy films. The name of this category is seemingly accurate, due to Reiner’s resistance to “traditional films” and the film’s stated reflection of his life. In more ways than not, this 1989 classic reinforces a plethora of conventions of the Romantic Comedy genre. One of the first reinforcements includes “parallel scenes”, as shown with Harry and Sally’s phone calls. A side by side shot of both characters, although separate, seemingly connects the characters more, especially in a situation as intimate as a phone call. When two converse over a phone, it is arguably more intimate because it holds more privacy than in-person interactions - phone conversations restrict unwanted listeners to only one side of the conversation, which can only reveal so much. Next, like Overboard, the film follows “insults as a mating ritual” between Sally and Harry. Sally often insults Harry, creating sexual tension between the two - which is arguably something that is not “traditional”. Although contemporary, the film does have it share of traditional “touches”. The film explores sex so casually, yet one of the lead characters, Sally, still yearns for the white picket fence. Another traditional element of the film lies in the Male Gaze - a phenomena that claims that most films cannot avoid speaking about men even in their absence in a scene. Such a phenomena could not be more true in a film like When Harry Met Sally: in nearly every scene, Sally talks about her love life, her former relationship, or sex with a man. The patriarchy, although absent for passive viewers, is evident for viewers watching with a feminist scope. Next, it is important to look at Sally and Harry’s relationship holistically. In a Makers.com interview, Nora Ephron revealed that Sally’s personality was based on her, while Harry’s personality was based on Rob Reiner. Sally may give off the impression of someone who is pretentious, picky, sassy, and unrealistic - all characteristics that are typically, and negatively, associated with women. Harry on the other hand, is portrayed as someone who is funny, relatable, and realistic - who is more likeable. Arguably, one might say that Harry and Sally could be representative of men and women in society - a society where men have more preferable traits than women. Lastly, viewers, who are aware of this, may question how much of a grasp Reagan really had over the classic Rob Reiner film. On The Late Late Show with James Corden, Reiner revealed that the original ending of the film was changed. In the theatrical release that people have come to love, Sally and Harry end up together romantically. However, in the originally planned script, Harry and Sally go their separate ways. Reiner admitted that he met his soon to be wife in the midst of filming and since the film was based on his life experiences, the ending was changed to what it is now. In this case, art imitated life. Reagan’s influence began to diminish as his term ended, thus creating the New Romance comedies, for which When Harry Met Sally resides.