7 Romantic Comedy Films Impressed By Shakespeare Performs
Do you ever sit down to observe a film and suppose, “Wait. I’ve seen this plot earlier than”?
You’re not flawed—loads of movies borrow inspiration from others and comply with comparable character arcs and plot factors (suppose the “Hero’s Journey”). However, do you know that a number of your favorite romantic comedies are literally primarily based on Shakespeare performs?
When you might not have been on the Globe Theatre to see a manufacturing of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, you’ll have been in a theater for a viewing of Gnomeo and Juliet, which has a virtually an identical plot. I suppose Shakespeare does stand the take a look at of time in any case. (By the best way, it’s not a romantic comedy, however The Lion King is Hamlet.)
I’m breaking down seven romantic comedies which might be instantly impressed by or primarily based on Shakespeare’s works, plus another films impressed by classics.
10 Issues I Hate About You (1999)
For the obvious instance on the record, we will flip to Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s 10 Issues I Hate About You, which is predicated on Shakespeare’s The Taming of The Shrew. The plot follows the unique play fairly intently: a person is paid to attempt to flip an unruly, “tempestuous” lady into a decent housewife (or on this case, girlfriend).
10 Issues I Hate About You took its Shakespeare inspiration a step additional with the characters’ final names: Stratford (referencing Stratford-Upon-Avon, the place Shakespeare was born) and Verona (a typical Italian setting in a lot of Shakespeare’s works). The characters additionally examine iambic pentameter in English class.
Ship Us From Eva (2003)
Additionally impressed by The Taming of The Shrew is the 2003 movie, Ship Us From Eva. Starring Gabrielle Union (who was additionally a part of the 10 Things I Hate About You cast) as Eva, the movie equally facilities round a person who’s paid so far an “undateable” lady.
Not like high-schooler Kat in 10 Issues I Hate About You, Eva is a bossy well being inspector who raised her three youthful sisters. The remainder of the plot stays fairly comparable although: Eva and her suitor, Ray (LL Cool J) start to truly fall in love till she finds out he was getting paid, however all of them work it out ultimately.
She’s The Man (2006)
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night time is a play about two twins, Viola and Sebastian. Viola (disguised as a person) should assist her new employer, the Duke, win the love of Olivia, however Olivia as a substitute begins to fall for Viola (considering she’s a person).
If that sounds acquainted, that’s as a result of it’s additionally the plot of the movie She’s The Man. The 2006 adaptation of Twelfth Night time takes place at a boarding faculty the place Viola (Amanda Bynes) joins the boys soccer workforce disguised as her brother, Sebastian. She develops emotions for her teammate Duke (Channing Tatum), who’s in love with Olivia, however Olivia has emotions for Sebastian (who’s truly Viola.)
She’s The Man incorporates all of the confusion and misunderstanding of Twelfth Night time whereas making the story accessible for a contemporary viewers. It additionally featured a breakout role for Channing Tatum, who hadn’t but climbed the ranks of Hollywood’s elite.
Simply One Of The Guys (1985)
This 1980’s teen romance film is a extra unfastened adaptation of Twelfth Night time, the place a younger woman, Terri, enrolls in a rival highschool to check her idea that her academics don’t take her significantly due to her gender.
There may be a gender-bending aspect of Simply One of many Guys, in fact, since Terri must be disguised as a boy, however this movie doesn’t comply with Twelfth Night time as intently as She’s The Man does.
Get Over It (2001)
Following the “play inside a play” format of A Midsummer Night time’s Dream, Get Over It is the story of a excessive schooler who makes an attempt to win his girlfriend back by joining the school play. You guessed it—the play is A Midsummer Night time’s Dream (it’s very meta), but it surely’s an up to date musical model known as A Midsummer Night time’s Rockin’ Eve.
Get Over It contains thematic parts from A Midsummer Night time’s Dream like love, identification, and celebration, however leaves out different points from the unique like the marriage, fairies, and ties to Greek mythology (although a few of these nonetheless come up within the A Midsummer Night time’s Rockin’ Eve).
Heat Our bodies (2013)
The latest Shakespearean adaptation on our record is Heat Our bodies, a 2013 movie that performed on the cultural craze of Twilight and forbidden love between mortals and the undead. It’s Romeo and Juliet, however with a twist.
Twilight has a number of similarities to Romeo and Juliet as properly—creator Stephanie Meyer even mentions Romeo and Juliet in her description of New Moon’s plot on her website—however Heat Our bodies replaces the vampire love curiosity with a zombie.
The zombie boy, R, falls in love with a human woman, Julie. When R meets Julie, his coronary heart beats for the primary time since changing into a zombie, and he saves her slightly than consuming her brains.
That theme of feeling one thing for the primary time is central to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s play about two younger lovers from enemy households who’re forbidden to see one another after assembly at a celebration. Along with apparent connections (R and Julie sounds so much like Romeo and Juliet), Heat Our bodies additionally incorporates the rivalry between zombies and people, very similar to the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets.
Love Is All There Is (1996)
One other Romeo and Juliet adaptation is the 1996 romantic comedy Love Is All There Is. Set within the Bronx, this movie tells the love story of Rosario and Gina (once more, similar to Romeo and Juliet), two younger lovers from rival Italian households. When you haven’t heard of this movie, you is likely to be shocked to seek out out that Gina is performed by a younger Angelina Jolie.
Love Is All There Is additionally will get somewhat meta by having the characters carry out in an area manufacturing of Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare isn’t the one literary genius whose works have been made into modern-day diversifications—it’s possible you’ll not have heard of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, however you positively know the premise in the event you’ve seen My Truthful Girl, The Duff, Buying and selling Locations, Can’t Purchase Me Love, Love Don’t Price A Factor, She’s All That, or Addison Rae’s 2021 Netflix Original remake, He’s All That.
For information on new rom-coms, take a look at our record of 2022 movie releases.
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