He’s All That: 10 Things That Happen In Every Romantic Comedy Movie

From quirky meet-cutes, grand declarations of love, and snarky best friends, He’s All That ticked all the boxes for tropes found in every rom-com.

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The release of He’s All That has sparked interest in the romantic comedy genre once again like its predecessor She’s All That had done decades prior. There have been many other teen rom-coms that deserve a remake, although the formula for these movies is such that they’re all pretty much the same.

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise since the premise of Padgett falling for Cameron while helping him to become a popular kid is a simple setting for a general rom-com. Overall, the tropes and traits that go into a romantic comedy are present from one film to another and all of these can be found in He’s All That.

10 A Meet Cute Between The Love Interests

This is the first meeting where the love interests have a combination of humorously awkward, quirky, and cute interactions that sets the stage for their relationship. It isn’t supposed to be overly romantic and generally sees the characters engage in a humorous conversation that will contrast their later, more amorous dynamic.

He’s All That showed Padgett approaching Cameron to befriend him as part of her bet, where her attempts to flirt with him were rebuffed as he made a number of snarky comments. However, there was still an underlying romantic theme as Cameron was intrigued by Padgett and this led to their eventual relationship.

9 The Presence Of A Snarky Friend Character

It doesn’t matter if the movie in question is well received or it is one of Netflix’s so-bad-it’s-good rom-coms, there’s always the presence of a friend character. This person is there largely to deliver well-timed quips and behave in an over-the-top manner, often providing much of the comedy in the movie.

Nisha filled this role in He’s All That as the best friend of Cameron, with almost all of the sarcastic lines in the movie uttered by her. She also brought a significant level of spirit by being protective of Cameron and lightly threatening to make Padgett pay if she were to hurt his feelings.

8 A Wise Character Pushes The Protagonists Into Accepting Responsibility

Romantic comedy protagonists never seem to get to the point or make their feelings known, which means they have to rely on others to get them to confront them. This is done usually through an older figure who can see through the protagonists’ insecurities and their encouragement leads to the characters overcoming their issues.

Padgett’s mother Anna played this role in the movie, with her part largely mainly helping her daughter reflect on her choices. It was by seeing how her mother wasn’t afraid to speak her mind that Padgett found the will to do the same and let everyone know of the fact that she wasn’t rich and that she was in love with Cameron.

7 A Misunderstanding Causes Significant Friction Between Characters

Romantic comedies don’t conform with real-life practices of simply talking things out, with conflicts arising due to lack of communication. These misunderstandings arise near the climax as a way of separating the characters to give them a challenge to overcome before the ending.

The bet between Padgett and Alden was revealed to Cameron as part of this trope, with the latter feeling hurt that Padgett had used him. Of course, the misunderstanding was that Padgett genuinely did grow to love Cameron but was unable to tell him this as he left her hanging.

6 Big Contrasts In The Love Interests’ Personalities

Part of the charm of a romantic comedy is that the lead pair have an attraction that can’t really be explained. This comes down to their contrasting personalities, with one generally being the upbeat, happy-go-lucky type while the other is of the shy, reserved, and responsible variety.

Padgett played the role of the quirky love interest, being very talkative, sociable, and upfront of the two, with Cameron serving as the character who has mellowed down through Padgett’s influence. The purpose of this trope is to provide viewers with both kinds of personalities and make things interesting by having characters react to the other’s mannerisms.

5 Feelings Increase After One Character Reveals A Deep Secret

The turn toward the love interests giving into their feelings arrives when they reveal something important about themselves that they haven’t shared with anyone else. This is usually related to a personality trait others don’t know about or is a secret about their past.

He’s All That brought this about when Cameron showed Padgett the collection of pictures he’d taken, which he hadn’t shown to any other person his entire life. Padgett also revealed that her father had left to start a different family. With this kind of vulnerability, they both ended up sharing their first kiss.

4 A Major Change In Life Choices By The Ending

This is an aspect most apparent in teen rom-coms that teased sequels, as the characters make major life decisions that can potentially open up another story. This happens as a result of learning from their love interests that their earlier goals weren’t worth it and they change their minds to accommodate their romance.

He’s All That ended with Padgett changing her social media from one that centered around superficial, high-class content to things like travel vlogs after realizing how shallow she’d become. Meanwhile, Cameron decided to go out exploring the world, with Padgett igniting the sense of adventure in him.

3 Dancing Scenes Are Easily Coordinated

The romantic comedies that feature dancing sequences always feature synchronized dance moves, no matter how many people engage in them. These are usually off-the-cuff moments with no prior setup that still manage to have perfect choreography.

He’s All That emulated She’s All That’s prom scene where a big dance-off took place between the rivals, which ended up including just about every character. It happened right after Padgett entered the room, with there being no indication that she’d ever practiced with anyone else before.

2 A Sequence Where No One Speaks And Only The Soundtrack Is Heard

This is an aspect that has always remained in the genre, whether it’s a classic film or a rom-com released in recent years. The sequence usually plays out either during a love montage or after a falling out between the main leads.

During this time, a soundtrack or score is always heard in an extended play that seeks to deliver the emotions the characters are feeling at the time. It took place in He’s All That near the end when the pair were at odds, during which they were shown lamenting their situations individually. It was also shown during Cameron’s makeover, where Padgett was left speechless.

1 A Grand Reunion Of The Love Interests

This is a staple of the romantic comedy genre and every movie ends with a grand declaration of love. It almost always has a big entry on the main characters’ parts, with the love interests generally running into the scene of the climax after realizing they want to be together.

He’s All That was no exception to this rule, as Cameron rode into the prom ballroom on a horse just when Padgett thought he wasn’t coming. This was a grand gesture on his part since Cameron had been unwilling to attend the prom, with Padgett getting her big romantic moment that she never experienced before.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/hes-all-that-romantic-comedy-moments-best-tropes-elements/