"Nothing makes a woman feel more like a girl than a man who sings like a boy."
For some reason, there are people out there who do not believe this is a rom com. Stick around if you'd like to be educated.
Pitch Perfect follows main character Beca (Anna Kendrick) as she braves the battlefield that is the Barden University a capella scene. As she climbs the ranks of the Barden Bellas and sings her heart out on stage, she finds love along the way in a member of the rival group: Jesse of the Treblemakers (Skylar Astin).
Now that I made this film sound like something my 15 year old sister wrote on her Wattpad account, let me explain why this needs to be recognized as not only a rom com, but a staple in pop culture history.
After this film came out, the world did not know what to make of it. Every new meme had something to do with Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) saying some funny shit. Everyone was singing the Pitch Perfect version of Since You've Been Gone instead of the original. Life was good.
This was a cultural reset, to say the least.
In terms of this film being a rom com, I am sure you all know that it doesn't lack in the comedy department at all. It's true, some of the jokes just aren't the same 10 years later, but some of them will live forever in infamy. The sexual innuendos, the one-liners, and the sheer absurdity of most of these characters' actions is what makes this film so hilarious. I know when I saw this for the first time, I would not shut up about the "mermaid dancing" bit. Even now, sometimes my friend will turn to me and tell me she can see my toner through my jeans, to which I loyally reply: (everyone say it with me) that's my dick.
Now comes the part where I convince you there is romance in this film. Is there not a dramatic buildup of tension between Beca and Jesse that spans the duration of the film, eventually becoming resolved during the epic final performance? That's what I thought. But really, we watch Jesse come onto Beca to no avail, he eventually gets under her skin, they watch The Breakfast Club, and then during their epic tension release at the end, she makes a reference to The Breakfast Club. What's that? A full circle? Darn tootin it is.
Now that I've convinced you, let me discuss how unique this film is and why that's important. There is truly no other movie out there like this. Also, it has many many top tier musical numbers, which solidifies it as a rom com without the cliches that make you want to roll your eyes into the next dimension. There is also the slight star-crossed lovers trope here, which I haven't run across in this manner quite yet.
I admit, the romance is lacking in this movie, but as long as you all acknowledge that it's there, I've done my job. The jokes were never lacking, the musical numbers were slapping, and everyone acted super horny the whole time. For these reasons, this film is #4 on my list. Do not watch the sequels, they suck.
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