Romantic Comedies for the Romantically Impared

People have problems in romantic comedies, but they're usually cute problems. A case of mistaken identity here, a lost bet there... Are they fun to watch? Of course. Are they realistic? Not generally. In real life, relationships are often a lot tougher and scarier than they are on the screen. So where are all the love stories for those of us whose fears and hardships can't be so easily soothed by a makeover montage or a whirlwind weekend at the beach? Well, two of them are right here.

Silver Linings Playbook 
Recently released from a psychiatric hospital, Pat returns to live with his parents and cope with the dissolution of his marriage and career. During this time of rebuilding, he meets Tiffany, a manic but alluring woman who offers to help him in exchange for a somewhat unusual favor. One of the things I like most about this movie is how raw and humanly fractured both of its main characters are. These aren't shiny happy people holding hands here. They're simply damaged and painfully lovable. 

The Fault In Our Stars 
While this incredible adaptation of John Green's YA novel is less about emotional scarring and more about dealing with physical illness, its poignant love story and gripping examinations of several faces of the human condition are positively haunting. The relationship between teen cancer patients Hazel and Augustus is at once heartbreaking and deeply uplifting. 

Photo courtesy of dianedrake.com.