In the closing scenes of A Cinderella Story, the star quarterback, who’s only one touchdown away from victory and a college scholarship, leaves the game to go after a girl he’s known for roughly six months. This act of spontaneity leaves every teenage girl in the theatre asking the same thing: “When will a boy do that for me?”
But, as we watch Prince Charming in a football jersey, are we really just setting ourselves up for disappointment?
Hollywood feeds off of the naïve hope every teenage girl secretly harbors of being swept away in an amazing high school romance.
According to an article in TIME Magazine, “Problems typically reported by couples in relationship counseling… reflect misconceptions about love and romance depicted in Hollywood films.”
Dr. Bjarne Holmes, of Heriot-Watt University, said in a BBC article, “The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we [realize.]”
The truth is, the star quarterback would have finished that game. There is no girl on this planet that he would have allowed to come between him and his future as the next NFL star. Leesville students agree. “My boyfriend wasn’t as romantic as [they are in] the movies,” said an anonymous LRHS student.
Romantic teenage movies and novels are a great thing on a Friday night. But, these same books or movies should not be a girl’s guide and basis of romance. “The movies are unrealistic…” the LRHS student went on to say. “There’s really no happily ever after [in high school].”
