Over the three-day weekend, I went home and watched Rebel Wilson’s rom-com, “Isn’t It Romantic.” I am a huge fan of Rebel Wilson and found the movie to be a runaway success.

Wilson’s character, Natalie, grew up watching Julia Roberts’ “Pretty Woman” and her mom would repeatedly tell her that “women like them don’t get men.” Fast-forward to her present-day life– she’s living in a sh*ty neighborhood in the slums of New York and is working as an architect that is under-appreciated. Her assistant, Whitney, loves watching romantic comedies and spends most of her workday watching them. Whitney is played by the brilliant actress Betty Gilpin. Natalie goes on a multi-hour-long rampage about how rom-coms are flawed and the worst. She is on her way home one day, riding the subway when a man tries to steal her purse and mugs her. She fights back but hits her head and eventually wakes up in the hospital.

Everything about the next scene is straight out of a rom-com; soft lighting, a hot doctor, and her full face of makeup. The flaws she pointed out about rom-com movies start to unfold. She walks out of the hospital in a “Pretty Woman” inspired white dress and accessories. She then realizes that New York doesn’t smell anymore and everything is “beautified.” After a while, Natalie realizes she has to get Blake, played by Liam Hemsworth, the stunningly handsome billionaire, to fall in love with her to revert her life to how it was before she hit her head. After some
time, Blake tells her he loves her but she’s still stuck in the rom-com.

Josh, played by Adam Devine, saves a beautiful model from choking and they fall in love very quickly. They announce they’re getting married after only a couple days of knowing each other.

The day of the wedding Natalie realizes what she has to do to get out of this romantic comedy.

She has to run to stop the wedding and tell Josh how she feels about him, that she loves him and not Blake.

When she stops the wedding and professes her loves she grasps that she loves herself more.

Ultimately that’s the moral of being stuck in an alternate universe where everything is pretty, colorful, and everyone is happy-go-lucky.

After realizing she loves herself and doesn’t need Josh to complete her, she takes the sports car that reads “Just Married” and drives off into the sunset.

Until she wrecks the car and hits her head again.

The ending of this movie is where it differs from the traditional rom-com and that’s the best part. This movie showcases the many aspects of romantic comedies that are stereotypical.

For example how it portrays women, shallow men, and the flamboyant gay best friend whose solitary purpose in the movie is to keep the lead woman’s spirit up and not let her give up on the man she truly loves.

These characters are used to show the cliché characterization in the genre. I personally rate “Isn’t It Romantic” 4.5/5 stars.