--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans have always been excellent at…" description: "\"Americans have always been excellent at making romantic comedies - but dramatically, we don't really try to do it.\" — James Gray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg" --- # Americans have always been excellent at making romantic… ![“Americans have always been excellent at making romantic comedies - but dramatically, we don't really try to do it.” quote by James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg) > “Americans have always been excellent at making romantic comedies - but dramatically, we don't really try to do it.” [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America excels at romantic comedies but lacks ambition in drama. **In simple terms:** America is good at romance, not drama. Key Takeaway Aim for higher artistic ambition. Themes cinema genre artistic ambition Mood critical inquisitive Type observational analytical When to use this quote - film production - screenwriting - genre blending - audience expectations Key Concepts cultural trends industry expectations Questions to Reflect On - Why do we settle for familiar genres? - What would happen if we pursued drama seriously? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures may limit artistic risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Americans Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-excellent-2992030/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Comedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedies/) [Comedies Dramatically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedies-dramatically-2992029/) [Dramatically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatically/) [Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making/) [Making Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-romantic-656409/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic/) [Romantic comedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic-comedies/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) ## Related quotes > [I had to trick people into giving me money for my first film. Making a romantic comedy is easier and more expected from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/i-had-to-trick-people-into-giving-me-money-for-my-first-film-making-a/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [Acting can be pretty challenging. I can't say making a romantic comedy is challenging, but to do anything well, you have to put yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/acting-can-be-pretty-challenging-i-can-t-say-making-a-romantic-comedy/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [I am definitely romantic, and I love romantic stories - that's why I keep making romantic movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-am-definitely-romantic-and-i-love-romantic-stories-that-s-why-i/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [Melodrama is one of the most stunning art forms. These are stories where the emotions are big, and the situations are big, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/melodrama-is-one-of-the-most-stunning-art-forms-these-are-stories/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I think people try to jam a lot of artificial plot devices into a lot of romantic comedies, and they don't treat it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/i-think-people-try-to-jam-a-lot-of-artificial-plot-devices-into-a-lot/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [My favorite movies are all romantic comedies. I love the romantic comedies. I'd still have to say Pretty Woman. I still think that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teryl-rothery/my-favorite-movies-are-all-romantic-comedies-i-love-the-romantic/) [Teryl Rothery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teryl-rothery/) > [I'm a really huge fan of the old romantic comedies from the '30s and '40s... Huge fan. I love all that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jane/i-m-a-really-huge-fan-of-the-old-romantic-comedies-from-the-30s-and/) [Thomas Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jane/) > [But no, I don't really like romantic comedies, so I don't really care. I never go see 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/but-no-i-don-t-really-like-romantic-comedies-so-i-don-t-really-care-i/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-regard-romantic-comedies-as-a-subgenre-of-sci-fi-in-which-the-world/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [ I think that's very important for romantic comedies, that they do deal with \[modern\]issues. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-think-that-s-very-important-for-romantic-comedies-that-they-do-deal/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies, believe it or not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hudson/i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-romantic-comedies-believe-it-or-not/) [Kate Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hudson/) > [I think a lot of the romantic comedies need to catch up with what's actually kind of happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-meriwether/i-think-a-lot-of-the-romantic-comedies-need-to-catch-up-with-what-s/) [Elizabeth Meriwether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-meriwether/) > [It's the contemporary woman that movies don't know what to do with, other than bathe her in a bridal glow in romantic comedies where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/it-s-the-contemporary-woman-that-movies-don-t-know-what-to-do-with/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [If you look at romantic comedies as pieces of commerce, the audience is looking for wish fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/if-you-look-at-romantic-comedies-as-pieces-of-commerce-the-audience/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [I'd played a lot of best friends, and/or bad guys, which seems to be my lot in life. In romantic comedies there's always a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-corddry/i-d-played-a-lot-of-best-friends-and-or-bad-guys-which-seems-to-be-my/) [Rob Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-corddry/) ## More by James Gray > [The key to acting - from what little I know about that wonderful craft - is listening, and interacting with the other person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/the-key-to-acting-from-what-little-i-know-about-that-wonderful-craft/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I've learned that you can never predict what will happen to a film. You can never predict if people will love it, if they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-never-predict-what-will-happen-to-a-film/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I don't envy the job of people who have to watch five movies a day - that's insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-don-t-envy-the-job-of-people-who-have-to-watch-five-movies-a-day/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Most people don't watch a movie four or five times; they watch it once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/most-people-don-t-watch-a-movie-four-or-five-times-they-watch-it-once/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I'm just not willing to give up on myself. If I'm going to fail, then I want to fail to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-m-just-not-willing-to-give-up-on-myself-if-i-m-going-to-fail-then-i/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I am an Ashkenazi Jew, and there are a whole host of genetic disorders that only Ashkenazi Jews have. I don't know if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-am-an-ashkenazi-jew-and-there-are-a-whole-host-of-genetic-disorders/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [All I can say is sometimes home gets burned into your occipital lobe, and it can't leave you, and there's always that longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/all-i-can-say-is-sometimes-home-gets-burned-into-your-occipital-lobe/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [William Atherton has a very different acting style to Bonnie Bedelia; she has a very different style than Bruce Willis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/william-atherton-has-a-very-different-acting-style-to-bonnie-bedelia/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [There are very few movies in English about romantic obsession told with a seriousness of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/there-are-very-few-movies-in-english-about-romantic-obsession-told/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I would love it if my films made a lot of money, and may I say that 'The Yards' is the only one that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-would-love-it-if-my-films-made-a-lot-of-money-and-may-i-say-that/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [My wife thinks I have an obsession with social class. So I guess I have an obsession with social class. It probably stems from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/my-wife-thinks-i-have-an-obsession-with-social-class-so-i-guess-i/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I remember as a little kid, I would always feel comfortable if the light in the crack of my parents' door was on at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-remember-as-a-little-kid-i-would-always-feel-comfortable-if-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [If we continue as we have for the past 20 years in California, in the year 2020, everybody in the State will either be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/if-we-continue-as-we-have-for-the-past-20-years-in-california-in-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Really, what I'm doing is an attempt to continue the best work of the people I adore: Francis Coppola and Scorsese and Robert Altman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/really-what-i-m-doing-is-an-attempt-to-continue-the-best-work-of-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I think to be a movie critic is troubling from one major respect. If you are forced to watch ten movies a week, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-think-to-be-a-movie-critic-is-troubling-from-one-major-respect-if/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) [Explore all 93 James Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Americans have always been excellent at making romantic comedies - but dramatically, we don't really try to do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Gray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/americans-have-always-been-excellent-at-making-romantic-comedies-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/americans-have-always-been-excellent-at-making-romantic-comedies-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cab/james-gray-7197_always_americans-have-always-been-excellent-at_2736191.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Americans have always been excellent at making romantic comedies - but dramatically, we don't really try to…” — James Gray", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Gray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Americans have always been excellent at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/americans-have-always-been-excellent-at-making-romantic-comedies-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/americans-have-always-been-excellent-at-making-romantic-comedies-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```