ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that there is a pervasive Carpe Diem thematic within Hollywood romantic comedies, and this theme suggests a relational script in which dramatic gestures are upheld as the primary means of navigating important turning points in romantic relationships. A second Carpe Diem theme involves the sudden transformation of one character in the eyes of another. As with all of the Carpe Diem themes presented in the chapter, this sudden sacrificial gesture presents a dramatic 'seizing of the moment' at the expense of a more realistic portrayal of ongoing compromises and negotiations typical of most romantic relationships. In the case of some scripts, however, it is likely that romance movies do play a role in helping us develop our more generalized, schematic notions of the ideal relationship. And this may be particularly the case for adolescents and preteens, who have not had substantial relational experiences to challenge these more idealized notions.
