TRUE ROMANCE

Re “What Happened to Adorable?” (by David Kronke, Feb. 12):

The answer to the article’s sub-headline, “Then why does Hollywood have so much trouble making a modern romantic comedy?,” can be found in Amy Heckerling’s quote. She doesn’t believe in eternal love, and she’s not alone. Many producers, writers, and directors don’t understand or believe in love. They don’t understand that love means caring, sharing, working together, respecting each other. They are cynical, distrusting, contemptuous thinkers who see being in love as a state of despair rather than joy. They see marriage as one long argument. Many are products of the “I/Me Generation” who are happy to take but unwilling to give love.

The average moviegoer wants love to triumph over ambiguity and despair. Exit polls show this time and time again. And even the jaded moviemakers know this. It wasn’t an accident that movies like “Sleepless in Seattle,” “When Harry Met Sally . . .” and “Pretty Woman” were successes. They are about true love, and true love is what Hollywood needs to believe in.

JOHN K. POTTER

Los Angeles

The problem with modern romantic comedies is not that audiences are too cynical, but that Hollywood is. That, plus the fact that many of the recent attempts lack internal consistency. In “I.Q.,” for example, Meg Ryan is supposed to be a highly intelligent mathematician, but she never comes across as one. Tim Robbins’ character is supposed to be a warm, decent family man. Despite the sentiments he expresses, he never seems to be more than someone who wants to get into Meg’s pants.

The filmmakers failed, probably because (1) they have a hard time depicting a truly intelligent woman and (2) they have no idea what it’s like to be a truly decent guy.

MARILYN L. MELZIAN

Rancho Palos Verdes

To answer David Frankel’s question why no one makes movies like Woody Allen’s romantic comedies, it’s because other self-respecting filmmakers aren’t willing to imitate Allen to the degree Frankel has.

After suffering through his rip-off “Miami Rhapsody,” Frankel has crossed the line from homage to plagiarism. It’s a wonder Sarah Jessica Parker doesn’t wear horn-rimmed glasses and phone Tony Roberts in the movie.

I now expect to hear that Frankel plans to marry Mia Farrow and adopt dozens of children.

ALAN HOCHMAN

Sherman Oaks

All any genre needs for a resurrection is a bona fide hit. All one needs to disappear is a series of flops. After “Wyatt Earp” and depending on the success of “The Quick and the Dead,” the Western may be forced out to pasture again. And if every major release this year that can be characterized as a romantic comedy absolutely positively sucks, get ready for Jim Carrey in “Dumb Dee Dumb Dumb.”

T. BENNETT

Toluca Lake