The 1970s and 1980s saw a shift in romantic dramas, with films addressing socially conscious themes like interracial relationships ( Guess Who's Coming to Dinner , 1967), marital infidelity ( Kramer vs. Kramer , 1979), and disability ( The Elephant Man , 1980). This era also witnessed the emergence of blockbuster romances like The English Patient (1986) and Dirty Dancing (1987), which combined epic love stories with memorable soundtracks and memorable performances.
How Pride and Prejudice or Anna Karenina set the template for the genre.
Today’s romantic dramas are messy, realistic, and deeply flawed. We are seeing stories about: