Romantic Comedy Director: Ken Kwapis

Ken Kwapis is a director that started off directing in Television in 1983. However, recently he has started directing mainstream films. Ken Kwapis tends to direct romantic comedy movies such as License to Wed and He's Just Not That Into You. However, in his television career, he directed everything from “CBS Afternoon Playhouse” to “ER” to “The Office”. Through directing these television shows, he was able to establish both credibility and control and therefore made it easier for him to transition into making films as well. Ken Kwapis did direct a movie in 1991 called He Said, She Said. Similar to his more recent movies, this also was a romantic comedy. But for most of the beginning of his career, he directed television episodes.

Throughout these romantic comedies that he directs, there tends to be the same types of themes. One theme that seems to occur in his films is a flawed relationship needing perfection. In his movies, there always is a couple that needs to overcome something in order to find itself. For example, in License to Wed, the main couple needs to get through with the marriage prep course and understand each other better. Another movie that he directed was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In this movie, Lena and Kostas must overcome the differences in their families to be together. Because of these two movies, it is not a shock that after these two movies he made He's Just Not That Into You. In this movie there is anything and everything that is wrong with the couples and people and all of the characters have a comedic romantic problem to get over by the end of the movie.

Although Ken Kwapis started his career in Television, his transition into a film director seems to have gone very smoothly. He still directs episodes from current seasons of shows such as “The Office”. This ability to be able to transfer from television to film shows how he has become a well respected director in Hollywood. It also shows that as a director, you do not have to choose between television and film. Ken Kwapis is a great example of being able to work well in many environments.