Aristotle Lives In Brooklyn

According to Aristotle´s definition of a comedy, having a good laugh is not the end goal. Instead, a comedy must simply portray the rise of a sympathetic character, typically of an ordinary person. Although the 2015 film, Brooklyn, elicited quite a few laughs from me, in its essence, it is an Aristotelian comedy. More specifically, it has all the characteristics of a romantic comedy. Although I am often embarrassed to admit that I find romantic comedies enjoyable, fearing the stereotype of a typical teenage girl, I can proudly declare that Brooklyn is one of my favorite movies.     

The movie follows Eilis and her immigration to America, specifically to Brooklyn, from a tiny town in Ireland during the 1950s. Although after watching the whole movie, it is clear to see that it is a comedy, in the first several minutes, I was convinced everybody was going to die. I did not really know what the movie was about, and the somber music that soared while the camera panned over a quiet Irish town screamed tragedy to me. However, I could not have been more wrong. Eilis is sponsored by an Irish priest in Brooklyn, who sets her up with a job and a home. After Eilis settles into her new life, the movie falls into the traditional plot of a romantic comedy. Eilis meets Tony, an Italian plumber, and form an instant connection that translates into what appears to be a genuine romance on screen. However, the movie reveals itself as a vessel for enhancing our understanding of the world when tragedy changes the tone of the film. 

As it turns out, I was not completely wrong when I assumed there would be death in the movie. Eilis´s sister suddenly dies and she goes back to Ireland, leaving Tony, now her new husband, behind in Brooklyn. Now, this may seem like a traditional rom-com roadblock, but the way Eilis handles herself in reveals the adaptability human spirit and what it means to have two homes. When she arrives in Ireland, she is overcome with guilt and recognizes that her mother needs her to stay, so she cuts ties with Tony. It seems like the movie will end with her staying in Ireland, and I have a very distinct memory of giving my sister my phone so I would not look up the end. In my opinion, this does not make her less of a sympathetic character, in fact it transforms what would have been a very good romantic comedy into a movie that works on many levels. In many romantic comedies, the end goal is clear: get the guy, get the girl, get the job etc. In Brooklyn, however, Eilis faces innumerable gray areas and she often stumbles. 

Although (spoiler) Eilis does go back to America, the movie does not end with her meeting Tony again. Instead, it ends with her on a boat, the same way the movie began. Reducing the emphasis on the romantic aspect of this romantic-comedy and focusing on the rise of a sympathetic character is what truly elevates it to a level of comedy that makes you see the world differently, at least for two hours.