Nick Waters loves his wife very much.
The Oklahoma man endured a month of chick flicks to better himself as a husband - and enhance his understanding of the female psyche.
Every night from Jan. 15 to Feb. 13, Mr. Waters, 28, and his wife, Nicci, a 29-year-old teacher, settled in for a sappy movie, from wedding and baby fare ( 27 Dresses; Labor Pains) and period pieces ( Atonement), to estrogen-heavy duds ( Cairo Time) and painful Meg Ryan vehicles ( The Women).
The masochistic experiment - 30 Chick Flicks in 30 Days: One Guy's Exploration of Romance Through Movies Loved by Women - has mystified men and women alike, and also landed the couple an agent and a shot at spinning their tale into a book and a movie.
"I'm not some professional film critic. I live in a small town in southern Oklahoma. I work in communications," Mr. Waters wrote on his blog, 30chickflicks.com, where he tracked his tearful, mushy progress and had readers weigh in on his movie picks.
Along the way, Mr. Waters learned that not all women can stand a chick flick and also perfected the art of torrid film kissing. He spoke with The Globe and Mail.
Why did you decide to do this?
I wanted to do this to become a better husband and a better person while doing something different and fun.
Were you making amends for something you did at home?
No. If the only time that a husband or a spouse does something to better understand their significant other is when they're in trouble, then they'll have trouble. It was my wife's birthday and we can't remember what the chick flick was, but we were at home and I turned to her and asked, 'Wouldn't it be cool to watch 30 flicks in 30 days?'
You're kind of like the men in chick flicks - too good to be true.
If anything, I would say there are still more guys like us out there, and I don't think we're all married yet. I remember growing up with guys like me and I even know guys now like me who honestly want to be genuine, faithful people.
Bright Star was your favourite. Why?
It was by far the most sensual movie we watched. The love that was portrayed in that movie was so tender. One of the things that I saw so clearly is that there is a difference between sensuality and just sexuality.
You didn't like He's Just Not That Into You.
In both this film and Waitress, almost all the guys were absolute jerks toward women. It made me uncomfortable watching it. I could only imagine how that would feel if it were someone's life, if they had to interact with males that were just punks.
Which ones made you cry?
The first movie that I almost cried during was My Life in Ruins. I didn't cry because of my pride. I remember thinking as the credits rolled on the film, if I'm going to fight my emotions throughout this challenge, I'm not going to benefit from it. Conveniently enough, the very next night we watched Nights in Rodanthe and I cried, and I mean tears down my cheeks. I wasn't embarrassed.
What did your family make of all this?
I know that my mother is extremely proud. I know my wife has been shocked by the response of other people. My wife has had fun. My mother-in-law, I know she is just, if you'll allow me to use the term 'tickled,' she's just amused and beside herself. They're all pleased.
What did your wife notice after you finished the challenge?
She told me that I've improved in how I read her non-verbal messages, her body language. She's also told me that I'm a better kisser. She's told me that if nothing else, I have learned a lot about what not to do in our relationship.
Why do you think men hate chick flicks so much?
I don't think it's that men lack emotion or lack the desire to experience their emotions. We as a society prop men up as these abrasive, insensitive, robo-humans, these barbaric beings. If we feel our emotions, that means we're weak and vulnerable, which is where the conflict is because as I learned through the challenge, that's what love is - it makes you vulnerable.
Did your buddies razz you?
Between men and women, the guys in my life were the most supportive. The biggest backlash initially had been the women.
What didn't they like about what you were doing?
This was a comment I got quite frequently: 'If you want to know how your wife feels, just ask her. Don't watch a movie.'
Scanning the list I realized I haven't seen any of the films. Does that make me a great girlfriend or what?
I don't know what it makes you. For me personally, maybe I was sheltered or unplugged, because half or even two-thirds of these films, I had never even heard of them.
Are you still watching chick flicks?
I am taking a breather.
What's next?
We have a literary agent who is working with us on developing a manuscript for a potential book. If it's picked up by a publisher, our literary agent has told us that they would then pursue the possibility of a studio purchasing movie rights.
You could become a chick flick!
Yeah, absolutely.
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