"we met at starbucks. not the same one. they were cater-corner from one another. we just noticed each other from across the street." what confounds me (in movies) is this concept of love happening in a split second. i'm not talking about love at first sight -- optimists and romantics will fight to the death over that quaint notion, so i'll leave it alone -- but rather the situation in movies where you see a couple sharing coffee and then suddenly they're declaring undying love and devotion to one another. what? you met each other five minutes ago, where did all of this cloying sentiment come from? i didn't even get a musical montage of shared moments and experiences to partially explain why the characters are in love. i'm so confused.

i don't need my movie romances spelled out for me step by step, or even a rational reason for love, but give me something to cling to. give me a reason, a whim, a montage set to uplifting music. give me something.

it's a true wonder that people accept this. i think it's a very subversive way to pander to the audience's ideals about love. "look, you too can have coffee and then instantly fall in love. see how easy it is?" i think it's the fault of the filmmakers' for being lazy with the concept of love. filmmakers' have run out of good reasons for two people to fall in love so instead they throw in a "coffee scene" and expect that that's reason enough to woo the audience.

this works until discerning viewers are left to exclaim later in the movie, "wait, they just met over coffee! why are they doing this?" "this" being anything from eloping with one another to jointly saving the world.

somewhere along the way, romantic comedies decided to disregard the relationship part of love and to skip right to the "i'll love you forever part." and we, as the audience, eat it up. what does that say about us as a society? what does this say about us as a nation of romantic comedy watching fools? we've been had but we keep going back for more. the depth and power of building and understanding a relationship has been reduced to a three second meet and greet. we won't stand for this as single americans, we deserve better.

then again, come to think of it, this cliff's notes version of love isn't all bad. one can over-emphasize and over-think love actually. love is like faith, it's a decision. just leap and find out what happens. and if you're lucky enough to be watching the right movie, then what happens is a hokey, cheesy, but ultimately happy ending. if it's all a matter of faith, why not let five minutes over coffee be the substitute for a building a relationship? you may wonder how you got there in the end, but hey, at least you got there right?