Romantic Comedy Opening Sequence - 'There's Something About Mary'

The first romantic comedy/farce opening sequence I will be looking at and analysing is, There's Something About Mary.

The opening credits are presented in an animated display of nature, which suggests that the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The cartoon scene is very bright and colourful, which relates to the high-key lighting which is typical of romantic comedies.

The actors who star in the film, include Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller, both of whom frequently appear in films from the genre. Ben Stiller isn't the typical "tall, dark and handsome" main protagonist, and his appearance creates expectations for the audience regarding the farcical nature of the film.

When the title of the film is presented, it appears in lower case letters, which is a common convention for a romantic comedy. The title is also carved into a tree, which is a typical, clichéd 'token of love'. There are then four arrows which get shot into the heart where "Mary" is carved. This foreshadows the four men who fall for Mary during the course of the narrative.

The camera pans down to a cherub, representing Cupid, the angel of love. The use of this angel, parodies the ways in which the genre is often over-romanticised.

The music is very calming and tells a story in song, much like a fairytale. The title of the film, There's Something About Mary, is also sung in the song. After the main credits, the two men singing the song appear as clay models, before everything in the frame turns to real life; this breaks the fourth wall which is arguably more common in romantic comedies than most other genres.

We are then introduced to Ben Stiller's character, Tim. He starts a conversation with a girl he is attracted to, however it is very uncomfortable and we learn that Tim is an awkward character. This shows connotations of farces and rom-coms as it shows potential for the audience to cringe, but also to love the character Tim as his social awkwardness is endearing.

Once he asks the girl to the prom with him, she says  "If everything else falls apart, maybe". This is very farcical as we start to see Tim's bad luck in life; though, amusingly, he takes this as a potential "yes".