
The joy of movies. For a form of entertainment, escapism and culture, Hollywood sure can cause a lot of problems, at least where your relationship is concerned. And I'm not referring to the fights you have with your girlfriend at the video store over what film to rent: will it be Meg or Mel?
When you do give in and watch the latest tearjerker (your girlfriend has learned that bribery works wonders), there's something you'll likely notice other than the token bubbly blonde and the hapless man, who of course, end up together: your girlfriend sighing, crying, or even worse, the "why don't you ever do that?"
So why is she crying? Is it because you don't look like Tom Cruise? Her tears might have more to do with your relationship, and not the kissing close-up that just tugged at her heartstrings.
Even though she has a great guy (that would be you), she's probably comparing you to the leading man in the film, and feeling that she got short-changed in the relationship department. You don't need to serenade her to make her happy, but you can take cues from the particular movies and make some magical moments of your own.
And we're rolling...There are five cinematic themes that women want to bring into their own relationships:
1- The dream date
2- The number one priority
3- The "player" that changes his ways
4- The grand apology
5- The great lover
While men compare the models in magazines to their girlfriends, women use the aforementioned romantic themes as a benchmark by which they compare their love lives. And what's the end result? Disappointment, envy and disdain. The same way you've accepted that your girlfriend will never look like Gisele Bundchen, your woman must accept that her life won't be a Cinderella story. But, you can take her whimpers as hints of what she does want, and bring some of that Hollywood magic into your relationship.
1- The dream dateYou've seen it in Pretty Woman and countless other romantic films. Edward (Richard Gere) flies Vivian (Julia Roberts) to another city on a private jet, for a night at the opera. Women long for that kind of spontaneity; men long for a hooker-turned-girlfriend in the form of Julia Roberts. Life just isn't fair.
What's missing in your relationship?Perhaps your so-called dates with your leading lady have fizzled into the same routine, and she craves to be swept off her feet every now and then.
What can you do?You don't need to take her to the opera to solve the problem, so don't be intimidated by such a grandiose date; a great way to put the spark back into your dates is to send her an invitation via e-mail or snail mail (more personal) informing her to reserve a particular date and time, without disclosing where you're going. Take her to a local play or musical, or treat her to a home-cooked dinner and bring the opera to her with sensuous tunes to help you make some music of your own. All it takes is some originality, effort and spontaneity to make your girlfriend feel like a princess.
What if she wants you to drop everything for her, or be a Casanova in bed?
2- The number one priorityWhether or not you've seen Serendipity or Sweet November , you're surely familiar with the premise. The male character is ambitious or is about to marry someone else, but he is so enamored with a woman he has spent a minute amount of time with, that he drops his career and or/future so he can prove his love to this "lucky" woman.
What's missing in your relationship?It's possible that you're not spending enough time with your girlfriend to begin with, which is why her emotions are triggered by a man who goes all out for his woman at the drop of a hat.
What can you do?While it's important to spend time apart and have your own life, it's also crucial that you set aside "bonding" time with your girlfriend. If you find it hard to coordinate each other's social circles and still spend time with each other, make Friday or Saturday night "boyfriend/girlfriend night." She can't expect you to drop your friends and everything else that is important to you, but you can show her that she is high on your list of priorities by skipping one week of "boy's night out" and showing her a good time.
3- The "player" that changes his waysOne of the reasons why women are attracted to jerks, stems from their need to change the men they are with. Women get satisfaction from the ability to turn the player they meet into a one-woman man; and knowing she's the one who did it makes her feel like she achieved the ultimate, as accomplished in the Eddie Murphy comedy, Boomerang . Okay, the woman in question was Halle Berry, so it wasn't all that hard.
What's missing in your relationship?You may not realize it, but perhaps you give other women a lot of attention when you're out with your sweetheart, or maybe you simply don't give her enough attention.
What can you do?Don't be afraid to publicly display your affection while you're out with your honey, and if you're not an exclusive couple yet but want to be, show her how you feel with words and actions.
Get down on one knee, boy...
4- The grand apologyNothing beats an admission of guilt than a full-blown apology, like the one John Cusack's character gives his girlfriend in Say Anything . He serenades her by blaring "their song" outside her window in the middle of the night. And if you mention Jerry Maguire to any woman, she will recall the apology scene, in which Jerry apologizes to Renee Zellweger's Dorothy in front of a group of man-hating women and tells her that she "completes him."
What's missing in your relationship?Don't assume that what she needs is a theatrical apology -- no need to broadcast it on the local radio or write it in the sky. Sincerity goes a long way in an apology, so next time you say "I'm sorry," don't mutter it under your breath and repeat the same mistake the following day.
What can you do?Say sorry because you mean it and show your sincerity by trying to improve. Even something as simple as asking your girlfriend to point out what it is that makes her angry might reflect a sincere attempt to change.
5- The great loverWith classic erotic scenes in movies like 9 ½ Weeks or Ghost , it's hard for a woman not to compare her lover to the ones she sees on the screen. What she doesn't realize, of course, is that the realism involved in a scene as rehearsed and polished as 9 ½ Weeks is close to zero. The logistics of using food in sex and turning pottery making into foreplay are not as easy as they look onscreen, and conveniently, you don't see the actors cleaning up the sticky mess.
What's missing in your relationship?If your sex life has become more of a chore than a thrilling ride, it's likely that she will long for the loving she sees on film, even if it's just to quench her desire with visuals.
What can you do?Your sex life with your lady is an area that requires communication. Encourage her to talk about your sexual relationship, so that you know what she would like more and less of. If you want to surprise her and knock her off her feet, throw a different element into your usual lovemaking; prolong foreplay, incorporate dirty talk, or mix things up by experimenting. She might even want to make a little movie with you, who knows?
...and cut!
Movies might be fiction, but they can speak volumes when it comes to a person's feelings. Your girlfriend may compare you to the male characters in the movies, but as long as she understands that her life will never mirror that of a scripted and airbrushed fairytale, you consistently nurture your relationship, and you encourage communication, you'll be the main actor in her life. Encore!