Romantic-Comedy Controversies That Broke Our Hearts

The Movie: Moonrise KingdomThis coming-of-age film shows an orphaned boy flee to a scouting camp to meet his pen pal and love interest. The young couple faces peer backlash, so they run to an isolated beach while adults search for the young lovers.

The Controversy:Because the film’s main players are children,an uncomfortable moment occurs by a lake. The boy realizes he has an erection and touches the girl's breasts, which are covered by a training bra. The children are about twelve years old. Many viewers found seeing this on screen disturbing.(for the audience) by a lake. The two kids have a mutual sexual awakening when the boy touches the girl's breasts, covered by a training bra. The children are around 12 years old. Seeing this on screen disturbed many viewers.

The Movie:InShallow Hal, a shallow man (Jack Black) interested in women far above his league gets tricked into seeing inner beauty. He then dates an obese woman and falls in love with her after seeing past her outward appearance.

The Controversy:Gwyneth Paltrow played Jack Black’s desire, and she wore a fat suit throughout the film for other characters. The production used a body double, Ivy Snitzer, who developed an eating disorder after the movie succeeded. Snitzer shared her struggles after release, tellingEntertainment Weekly:

The film didn't occur to me. Millions saw it. The worst parts about being fat got magnified.

Snitzer later had gastric band surgery and lost weight, but complications arose. She got a torsion (twisted stomach), making it hard to keep food down. She said:

I was so thin you could see my teeth through my face; my skin was all grey.

The Movie:InA Rainy Day in New York, two college students visit New York City for a romantic weekend. They develop their relationship and interview a film director for their newspaper. Bad weather and unexpected events turn their weekend into something neither expected.

The Controversy:Woody Allen, who directed the film,sued Amazon Studios for $68 million,claiming the company broke its deal with him. Allen negotiated a four-picture deal with the studio, but they backed out over old sexual allegations against Allen. The film waited for release until things settled, andAmazon Studios eventually released it to the director.

The Movie:InThe Love Guru, Mike Myers plays the guru. He must fix the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team after they lose badly and their star player faces marital problems. Guru Pitka works to help the team win the Stanley Cup.

The Controversy:Most people see the film’s poster and instantly notice the controversy.Mike Myers plays an Indian guru. Myers, who is white, gives the role his all, but cheap jokes target Indian words, names, and culture. Many people were offended by Myers’s portrayal of an Indian man and how the film mocked the culture. This was arguably Myers’s worst work.Mike Myers plays an Indian guru, which looks bad. Myers gives the role his all, but cheap jokes mock Indian words, names, and culture. Many people felt offended by Myers’s portrayal of an Indian man and how the film made fun of the culture; this was arguably Myers’s worst work.

A 2023 controversy involved a radio DJ who worked on the film. Jay Brody said he acted as Myers’s bodyguard on set but only stayed one day.Mike Myers fired me from the set of "The Love Guru" because I made eye contact with him.Myers fired him because he looked the actor in the eye.

Mike Myers fired me off the set ofThe Love GuruBreakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic film, but it has controversy. Mickey Rooney’s depiction of Mr. I.Y. Yunioshi is a racist example of "yellowface".

yellowface", a Hollywood practice where a white actor plays an East Asian character. Rooney faced much criticism for this portrayal, damaging an otherwise great career. Breakfast at Tiffany’sA New York socialite falls for a new man who moves into her building. Many things block her path as she faces continuous misunderstandings.

The Controversy: Breakfast at Tiffany’sThis film is a classic but has controversy. Mickey Rooney’s depiction of Mr. I.Y. Yunioshi is a racist example of “NBCUniversal has no rule against ads with the word ‘abortion.’ An online ad sought digital placement, and feedback mistakenly asked to remove 'abortion.' This is not company policy; we are now reviewing ad standards to keep them consistent across all platforms. Our digital platforms will accept the ad as submitted.a practice Hollywood used then, where a white actor played an East Asian character. Rooney faced heavy criticism for his portrayal, harming an otherwise great career.

The Big Sick shows the love story between a Pakistan-born man and an American grad student. Their romance faces challenges from their different cultures. When Emily (Zoe Kazan) gets sick, Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) confronts her parents and their expectations.The Controversy:Obvious ChildA stand-up comic has a drunken one-night stand after breaking up with her boyfriend. Her fling results in a pregnancy, and she chooses abortion. The film shows her independence and her struggle making that choice.

The Controversy:The film deals with abortion, a topic arguably one of the most controversial in American society. However, when NBC promoted it, they cut the word “abortion” from the broadcast. NBC faced this choice and quickly admitted their error.The network issued a statementfollowing a petition by Planned Parenthood:

NBCUniversal has no rule against ads with the word ‘abortion.’ An online ad went for digital placement, and feedback mistakenly told them to remove 'abortion.' That is not company policy; we are now checking ad standards to keep them consistent everywhere. Our digital platforms will accept the ad as it was first sent.

The Movie: The Big SickThis film shows the love story between a Pakistan-born man and an American grad student who fall in love. Their romance is hard because of their different cultures. Still, when Emily (Zoe Kazan) gets sick, Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) meets her parents, running into their expectations.

The Controversy:Controversy struck how Pakistani women appear in the film. Nanjiani spoke with Vulture.Vulturehe said he “completely regrets” how he portrayed these women.

I hate when they write a whole thing where they say ‘Kumail doesn’t see brown women as real people.’ Our movie was the first in a long time with multiple Desi female characters. The first few you see get reduced. People wanted to see themselves. I regret that. I would not do it that way now.

The Movie: Show Me Loveis a Swedish rom-com released under a title not suitable for international markets.F**king ÅmålThe film shows two teenage girls starting a whirlwind romance, though one likes the other more (romantically) than the person she likes.

The Controversy:The overall controversy ofShow Me Loveconcerned the film’s depiction of teenage lesbian love.the film’s depiction of teenage lesbian love.The title was blocked for international markets, forcing the filmmaker to change it for wider release. Another issue involved the town name (Åmål). Since the movie succeeded and people liked the real location, the town's residents had issues with how they and their place were shown in the film.

The Movie:InThe American President, the world leader, a widower, develops feelings for a lobbyist trying to pass gun control. The President dates the lobbyist despite the political damage it causes, creating conflicts that mirror the American political scene as their romance struggles.

The Controversy:The controversy surroundingThe American Presidentinvolved its writer, Aaron Sorkin. Another writer, William Richert,William Richert, sued Sorkin, claiming he wrote a script that Sorkin adapted intoThe West WingAdditionally, Richert objected to his name being removed from the writing credits forThe American Presidentandlashed out via his personal websiteat the film’s director, Rob Reiner, Sorkin, and others on the project.

Richert claimed he helped with the film and went to the premiere, but he stated, “It’s opening under the wrong name.” Richert said he came up with the story but did not write the whole script, so he tried to fix the error through the Writer’s Guild. This never happened, and IMDb does not list Richert on the film’s page, nor have later releases added his name to the credits.

The Movie: Brosfeatures two gay men in Manhattan with commitment issues. They start a relationship anyway, and the film tracks their romance as it grows.

The Controversy:The controversy surroundingBrosdoes not concern its content; it concerns the film’s writer and star, Billy Eichner.the film’s writer and star, Billy EichnerWhen the film bombed, he went to X, formerly Twitter, to vent. He blamed "straight people" for the movie's failure, which drew more negative attention to him and his film. Eichner kept posting, refusing to stop, promoting his movie and criticizing "the haters" for hurting his work. All he did was bring more negative attention.Bros.

The Movie: Emily in ParisThis Netflix series follows a young Midwestern American woman who moves to Paris to fill a role at her marketing firm. The series shows her relationships and cultural differences as the main character explores the City of Lights.

The Controversy: Emily in ParisEmily in Paris ran into trouble over its portrayal of Petra (Daria Panchenko), a Ukrainian woman who shoplifts on a trip with Emily (Lily Collins). Ukrainians did not like seeing a person from their country shown negatively. Petra also has bad style and fears deportation from France to Ukraine. Angry Ukrainians posted on Telegram showing how offended they were:

In Emily in Paris, we see a caricature of a Ukrainian woman that is unacceptable. It is insulting. Is that how Ukrainians are viewed abroad?

Another member posted a similar comment on Instagram:

The way you treated the image of Ukrainians in your second season, 4th episode is a low-cost trick, an absolute scandal, and a shame.

The Movie: YesterdayThis film tells the story of a musician who is hit by a bus and wakes up in a world with small changes. The biggest change is the Beatles never existed. So, he releases recordings of their music and instantly becomes famous, all while hoping to reconcile with his lifelong friend and manager whom he loves.

The Controversy:The controversy surrounding Yesterdaydid not involve the plot. Instead, it focused on the film's trailer. Ana de Armas appeared in it, even though she was cut from the final movie. This angered Peter Rosza and Conor Woulfe, whosued Universal over false advertising. They claimed they were cheated out of the $3.99 they paid to watch the film, and first persuaded a judge. Later, setbacks cost over $125,000 in legal fees, leading to a settlement that ended the case.

The Movie: Midnight in ParisA man visits the city with his fiancée's family but yearns for an earlier time. His wishes come true when he finds a path to 1920s Paris, which he visits nightly. He falls in love with a woman who shares a love for the past, longing for Paris in the 19th century.

The Controversy: The film misquoted a line from William FaulknerThe line, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past,” was misquoted as “The past is not dead. Actually, it’s not even past.” Faulkner’s estate sued Sony Pictures Classics for copyright infringement over the film's distribution. Sony claimed “fair use,” but Faulkner’s estate disagreed. The courts sided with Sony, finding the line did not infringe copyright.The courts sided with Sony.The courts found the line did not amount to copyright infringement.

The Movie: Nobody Wants ThisThis Netflix series follows a rabbi and an agnostic woman's relationship. This relationship is taboo; it is unusual for a rabbi to date outside their faith, and many find it culturally unacceptable. The series centers on their differing beliefs and the woman's choice regarding conversion to Judaism to stay with the man she loves.

The Controversy:The controversy surroundsNobody Wants ThisThe controversy involves showing Jewish stereotypes, specifically depicting Jewish women as “villainesses” in a way that casts a negative light on the faith. Series creator Erin Foster, who based the show on her personal love story, discussed this issue with the LA Times.LA Times:

We need positive Jewish stories now. People focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jewish people,’ when the lead is a rabbi. A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That opposes how people view a Jewish rabbi. If I made the Jewish parents two granola hippies on a farm, someone would write, ‘I’ve never met a Jewish person like that before. You clearly don’t know how to write Jewish people, you don’t know what you’re doing, and that doesn’t represent us well.’

The Movie: Father of the Bride Part IIThis film continues the first movie's story, showing the Banks family and their interactions with the in-laws. This film focuses on two impending births—for both mother and daughter—changing everyone's lives for the better, not just an upcoming wedding.

The Controversy: The film courted controversy.The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee objected to the depiction of what they called “a grotesque Arab character.” Eugene Levy’s Mr. Habib was the character in question.Mr. HabibA developer, Mr. Habib, tries to tear down the Banks’s house after it sells. Mr. Habib plans two new homes, so Mr. Banks (Steve Martin) tries to stop him. Mr. Banks succeeds, but only by buying his home back at a huge price.

The Movie:In Couples RetreatFour couples visit a tropical island resort for vacation, but they actually work on their marriages. Not everyone gets the idea that the resort’s therapy is not optional; it is required.

The Controversy:The film shows Jon Favreau pleasuring himself to a photo of a swimsuit model. Nobody asked the model, Irina Krupnik, if she approved the scene. She then...She filed a $10 million defamation suit.She sued NBC Universal for misusing her image. The picture belonged to a stock image company, but Krupnik never expected it to be used this way.

The suit claimed the image was used as a “prop for an overweight, unhappily married male character to masturbate while his wife is in the washroom,” and it was the "ongoing, unauthorized and defamatory use of her likeness in a derogatory and humiliating context." This hurt the model.The court dismissed her lawsuit.

Description of 'Crazy Rich Asians' in the list 'Romantic-Comedy Controversies That Broke Our Hearts' Crazy Rich AsiansA New York woman gets engaged only to find her fiancé is very wealthy. She travels to Singapore to meet his family and sees how rich they are. This romantic comedy explores clashing cultures and finances while finding love.

The Controversy:When casting news spread, Henry Golding got Nick Young's role. Golding acts well and is a strong romantic lead, but...Casting him caused controversy.The production stressed that everyone hired for the film had Asian ancestry, though...Golding is Eurasian.He has Malaysian and English roots. The issue involved him being half-Caucasian, and some felt he looked that way, so casting one of the co-leads who was not entirely Asian upset some people.