Diversity Through the Times: The Past 30 Years of Romance

Though many have declared that love is blind, the diversity of Hollywood romances begs to differ. Historically, the representation showcased within the most critically acclaimed romance movies has been limited, especially in terms of race and gender. But in recent years, the recognition and creation of more diverse romance films has begun to rise, showcasing the many forms that love can take on. Even in the past 30 years, a trend towards more diverse love stories has begun to take shape, making the declaration of blind love truer than ever.  

For each film included, the cast/crew roles in the data analysis contains the director, writer, lead actors, producers, and executive producers. The data is formatted into racial categories (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern) and gender categories (Male and Female). For each analyzed film, this was sorted into 2 separate pie charts. 

Though centered on its romantic narrative, Sense & Sensibility (1995) follows the tradition of Jane Austen (writer of the 1811 novel of the same name) by diving deep into the interior thoughts of women and reaching astounding acclaim. The tale of competing love and bonds of sisterhood between characters Elinor and Marianne drew a 97% rating from critics and a 90% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Within its leadership, 86% of the cast/crew roles of Sense & Sensibility were occupied by White members and 14% were occupied by Asian members, with Ang Lee serving as director. Even in its gender diversity, there is greater distribution than would be expected for a historically based film. Approximately 57% of the cast/crew is made up of female members, a rarity in films today let alone 1995.

One of the few romances to feature sports, Love & Basketball (2000) remains director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s crowning achievement. It features two young athletes and the world they navigate together in the sports realm amid their respective identities. The film received an 83% rating from critics and a 95% rating from viewers, a high approval rating to go alongside its high diversity statistics. Though released 5 years after Sense & Sensibility, Love & Basketball displays a far different racial makeup from the previous film; 63% of its leadership roles went to Black individuals, while only 37% went to White individuals. Though this number demonstrates a great step towards diversity, the film does display a more skewed gender distribution, as 38% of its cast/crew are made up of female members and 62% are made up of male members.

There are few stories as lasting as that of Pride & Prejudice (2005), whose adaptation of Jane Austen’s most famous novel has drawn large audiences over the years. The tale of romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy gained an 86% rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics and an 89% rating from viewers, securing it as the best rated romance film of 2005. Since the film is based upon the historical period of Elizabethan England, its racial diversity does not display great distribution: 100% of the film’s cast/crew members are White. But another picture presents itself in its gender diversity: 46% of its cast/crew are female while 54% are male, an almost completely balanced cast/crew for arguably the best work of Jane Austen, one of the greatest female authors of all time.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010) is a romantic comedy that takes place in the unexpected setting of a mental health clinic. It proves to be enjoyable in a different way: it is one of the few plot-driven romantic comedies that avoids the common tropes and pitfalls of its characters. The film received a 58% rating from critics and a 65% rating from viewers, a rating uncommonly high for the nature of the film. The leadership of the film is made of 100% White individuals with similar numbers within its gender composition: 90% of the cast/crew are male, with only 10% being female. Though there is no firm link between rating and diversity statistics, the picture here leaves many to wonder if there is some truth to the idea.

Carol (2015) marks the change in not just character diversity in film, but also love. The film portrays how a passionate relationship between Therese and Carol envelops the lives of both women, earning it a 94% rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics and a 74% rating from viewers. Though the film marks a shift in the representation of LGBTQ+ romance within film, it lacks diversity in other areas: 100% of the film’s leadership is White. Even in its historic setting within 1950’s Manhattan, the film does manage to recover some diversity in gender: 47% of the cast/crew of Carol is female, with a remaining 53% male cast/crew, a distribution that might have made a difference in the film’s success. 

One of the most recent and recognized romance films released, 2020’s The Half of It demonstrates this ongoing trend towards both telling and recognizing diverse stories. The film, which received a 97% rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics and a 81% rating from viewers, focuses on the beginnings of romance within teenage adolescence with nerdy student Ellie falling for her classmate Aster. The film has a racial distribution of 13% Hispanic cast/crew members, 25% Asian cast/crew members, and 62% White cast/crew members, a significant shift from the majority of romance films. The Half of It’s gender makeup of 63% female cast/crew also demonstrates a more solid change towards stories told by minorities, no matter what race, gender, or love. 

Love is many things, including strange, but it is within this strangeness that some of the best stories have been told. In the last 30 years of romance in film, the most critically acclaimed films display their own story: one that strives for diversity in love. No matter the race, gender, or sexual orientation, diverse romance stories have come to fruition and shown everyone what love looks like and what it can truly be. Although the face of romance has changed within film, it remains the same in the world: unique, but identical in its elements. For love is only love.

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