Take a Chance on Me

So, tonight, I saw Mamma Mia!, a musical based on ABBA songs starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. In our group were five girls and one guy. I wasn't surprised by the gender mismatch, but it got me thinking about things that make a movie a chick flick, and the things that make a movie geared toward men.

Things in a man's movie (here come the bullet points). None of these were present in Mamma Mia:

• Stuff getting blown up.


• Cars driving really fast.


• Jason Bourne. In fact, if you are watching a movie, and the male lead is doing something, and you ask yourself if it is something Jason Bourne would do, and the answer is no, you are probably not watching a film made with men in mind.


• Killer special effects.


• Pierce Brosnan saving the world from the villain of all villains.

Things in a woman's movie that were present in Mamma Mia:

• People dancing about and periodically bursting into songs.


• Costumes replete with feathers, sequins, and jewels.


• Couples on the beach.


• Colin Firth. I think he's great, but let's be honest, I have never watched a movie where Colin Firth has done something that Jason Bourne would do.


• Sentimental moments, like a daughter getting married. I guess that happens in the Godfather, which is mostly a guys' movie, but I'm pretty sure it didn't involve Marlon Brando singing an ABBA song with James Caan singing backup to commemorate the moment.


• Pierce Brosnan attempting to dance about and periodically burst into songs (I'm pretty sure this has only happened in this one movie).
  

Now, I recognize that I am making some sweeping generalizations. I think most women enjoy action films in moderation, particularly if the leading man looks like Jason Bourne. There are men, like the man who watched Mamma Mia with is tonight, who enjoy a Broadway musical/movie, particularly if they are the lone man with five women. But I hope this helps those whose movie tastes follow strict gender lines and somehow manage to miss Hollywood marketing ploys that target specific genders.