Wednesday, February 10, 2010

30 Chick Flicks in 30 Days

A regular guy named Nick from Pauls Valley in southern Oklahoma posed the question "How far would you go to understand the opposite sex?"

He answered with “30 Chick Flicks in 30 Days: One Guy’s Exploration of Romance Through Movies Loved by Women”.

His goal? To better understand women, in particular his wife of seven years, Nicci. (Nick and Nic, how cute is that?)

The plan? To watch a different chick flick each night for 30 days then write a review the next day.

The rules? The movies have to have been released after 2007 (why, I don't know, because there are some awesome chick flicks issued before that) and the films have to be available on DVD and ones that he hasn't seen. Five
of the films were chosen by Nick, ten by a pre-selected “panel” of women—his wife, mother-in-law, and mother - and fifteen by his readers.



The list is as follows (in no specific order):

1. Atonement
2. My Life In Ruins
3. Whip It
4. Georgia Rule
5. Its Complicated
6. Leap Year
7. Mamma Mia!
8. Bright Star
9. The Secret Life of Bees
10. 27 Dresses
11. The Women
12. (500) Days of Summer
13. Cairo Time
14. I Could Never Be Your Woman
15. Sex & The City
16. Waitress
17. Couples Retreat
18. Labor Pains
19. Music and Lyrics
20. Becoming Jane
21. The Other End Of The Line
22. The Accidental Husband
23. The Time Travelers Wife
24. Dear John
25. Nights In Rodanthe
26. Australia
27. Made of Honor
28. Evening
29. Valentines Day
30. The Ramen Girl


He's at day 27. A big party is planned for Friday. The movie VALENTINE'S DAY is opening and his local theatre is hosting a party:



“I have relearned so many things during this as it pertains to trust, communication, love and what it means to work for a marriage versus just being in a marriage,” he said. “Life is an adventure and if you can pursue that adventure with someone you love, it makes it even more memorable.”

Atonement is his favourite so far. The most popular most recommended chick flick was 27 DRESSES. I've seen twelve of the films on the list and can't say I'd recommend any of them except for ATONEMENT or WAITRESS. Some of them, like MY LIFE IN RUINS, are cringe-worthy. Still, I love the sentiment behind the gesture. And I'll bet the party on Friday is going to be a blast.

If you want to read the reviews and learn more, go check out Nick's website HERE.

6 comments:

Tara said...

Interesting. I'm not a huge chick flick kinda gal--as evidenced by the fact I've seen none of the movies on the list. I do wonder why they were all post 2007? Seems to me that there's a better selection if you go back.

Hard to imagine (as different as every person truly is) that there's a whole lotta good/real stuff for a man to learn about women from these--other than be romantic, really.

A Novel Woman said...

I know. There are a ton of good ones if you go back a bit, still entertaining but perhaps less puerile - When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Something's Gotta Give, Enchanted April, and even Bridget Jones.

Then there's Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice (any version will do), Fried Green Tomatoes, Little Women (any version), Four Weddings and a Funeral (despite Andy McDowell), Love Actually, oh there are so many...

IF you go way back, then have a look at Casablanca, All About Eve, The Shop Around the Corner, His Girl Friday, An Affair to Remember, The Philadelphia Story...

Anyway, I think the point was for him to make a romantic gesture for his wife. I know my husband would not do 30 nights of chick flicks. I'm lucky to get him to do one.

BB said...

Good Lord - they don't make 'em like that in Australia. Even Hug Jackman wouldn't go THAT far (and is AUSTRALIA a chick flick? Hmmmm).

I agree about the pre-2007 thing. When Harry Met Sally is close to being my favourite movie of all time - Thelma and Louise is right up there too!
:-)
BB

A Novel Woman said...

BB, I agree about Harry and Sally, but when I think back to Thelma and Louise, all I remember is the bad shrimp I ate before the movie and having to pull over the car on the way home and...well...I did the Great Technicolour Yawn all over someone's driveway. I do, however, remember Brad Pitt.

Debby said...

Actually I'd recommend The Secret Life of Bees. I did like that one. I also liked Atonement, and Waitress.

The other movies on the list, gotta say, I'm not real interested in seeing them. Most of those movies don't have many 'teachable moments' in my book.

A Novel Woman said...

Haven't seen Secret Life of Bees, so maybe I will. Nights in Rodents (Rodanth? forget the name) was so bad I wanted to hurl something, like my lunch.