by Bruno Somerset

Created on: July 13, 2008

For most guys, nothing causes more dread on a Friday night that the prospect of having to sit through a film that falls into the genre of "Chick Flick." Often women will use this at the beginning of a relationship to gauge a man's sensitivity and, by extension, what type of life-partner he might make. Many relationships have been broken by a man not crying (or worse, laughing) during a particularly emotional scene.

I think this is horribly unfair. If you want to see a man cry during a film, then sit with him during the scene in Old Yeller where Old Yeller gets shot, or when Sonny Corleone dies on the causeway in The Godfather. And no man can avoid getting a little misty-eyed at the end of Rudy or Remember the Titans.

I can only judge chick flicks from the perspective of a guy, and what films from this category I've been forced to watch over the years that may or may not have produced a tear or two (I still maintain that there was something in my eye). In the end, this isn't so much a guide to the best chick flicks for guys as a guide to what you're likely to endure. With that disclaimer, and in no particular order, here is a guy's survival guide to some well-known chick flicks:

1. Titanic. The ultimate chick flick. Leonardo DeCaprio, fancy dresses, and the guy dies at the end. What more could a girl want?

2. Terms of Endearment. Had to watch this one as punishment for forgetting some significant event in a relationship, like the anniversary of the first time we ate curried shrimp together on an outdoor patio. I now keep a calendar of every possible significant event.

3. The Color Purple. There was crying and I didn't like it much, so I guess that means it was a chick flick.

4. 300. Not a normal choice as a chick flick, but all the women I know flocked to it so they could see Gerard Butler run around with no shirt on. The only one on this list that a guy can tell his friends he saw.

5. Before Sunrise/Before Sunset. Two films that go together. They were good, but the entire time was spent talking about their feelings. A good car crash or bank robbery would have made them more commercially successful.

6. Any film with "Wedding" in the title. This includes movies like Four Weddings and a Funeral,The Wedding Planner, and My Best Friend's Wedding; The Wedding Crashers is the only exception I can think of. These must be avoided at all costs, as all they will do is cause your date to leave the theater wondering why you haven't proposed or if you are good husband material.

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