She said

I can hardly think of an image that makes me swoon more than that of a young John Cusack holding up a dated boom box blasting Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”

I’m talking about Say Anything, of course, one of the top 10 best chick flicks of all time, and – trench coat or no trench coat – Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) is the love of my life.

It’s true, I love chick flicks. No matter how ridiculous the story line, how cheesy the dialogue or how over-the-top the romance is (and when isn’t it?), I love them. Honestly, I have watched Pretty in Pink countless times and still get goosebumps when Molly Ringwald shows up to her prom in the dress she had to make herself and OMD’s “If You Leave” is playing in the background.

Even more recently, how many times did you nod your head in agreement to Vince Vaughn or Jennifer Aniston’s sides of the arguments in The Break-Up? Don’t try to deny it, guys: I overheard more of you talking about the movie than the ladies, though it was probably due to Vaughn’s wisecracks.

Now, I’m going to expain exactly why chick flicks are so good. The guys in chick flicks are absolutely adorable. Their characters are often awkwardly cute, know the right thing to say, or the wrong, but cute, thing to say, or pay just the right amount of attention to detail to sweep a girl off of her feet.

Reality check? I would probably laugh uncontrollably if I was on the receiving end of those efforts. However, take a few notes, guys: If you toned down some of their attempts, you’d have enough to make a girl absolutely smitten.

As for the ladies, they’re tragically slighted in one way or another (dysfunctional family, bad break-up baggage, etc.), yet they still have enough gumption to get the guy.

All specifics aside, there is an undeniable feel-good quality in every chick flick. Even the brainless, ridiculous ones (Mean Girls) are intriguing enough to hold your attention for the 110-minute time slot.

From a somewhat historical perspective, director John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles) made an art of chick flicks in the ’80s. He changed the image of teenagers from gory victims in horror movies and sex-charged maniacs to normal kids with normal problems and insecurities. He even used actual teenagers to play teenagers, something rarely done at the time. Some of the best chick flicks that emerged from this time are often the basis for more modern ones.

Above all else – and I mean this in the least-corny way possible – almost every chick flick has a happy ending. The girl gets the guy, the guy gets the girl, the best friend who liked the girl still wants to be friends, even though she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, and parents forgive any faults, no matter how big. No matter how many times happy endings are criticized for being too perfect, everyone really enjoys a good, happy ending.