Scott: the debilitation of the rom-com

This will be a Tony Scott weekend on the blog. We'll start with the film critic Tony Scott, aka A.O. Scott, of The New York Times, who wonders about the state of the romantic comedy. His take is something that I wrote about in a review of a film he mentions from last year about this time, Because I Said So. That the rom-com age of Myrna Loy and Katherine Hepburn seeking or operating in a marriage with a witty beau has transformed into an age of the Jessica Albas and Mandy Moores of the world choosing their favorite doormats. He's right, the genre has devolved into conformity, after being originated by some of Hollywood's best writers of the Golden Age. That's why whatever gripes I have with Knocked Up, it at least shows Apatow's promise for reaching a higher level.