Interestingly, there is an alternative scenario that would yield the same net outcome of togetherness. Leopold could travel back to this time and take advantage of Kate's no doubt generous benefits package. Sure, that would mean Stuart ceases to exist, but as he spent much of the movie in traction we probably wouldn't miss him. But no, we're told that Leopold's work is much more important than Kate's. Apparently, he invented the elevator and without him we'd all have to take the stairs because no one else in history would be suitably inconvenienced by this to invent a faster means of ascent. No, the lesson here is that it's not only better for women to give over their meaningless jobs; it's actually desirable.

A similar thing happens in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. After chirpy, irritating New York magazine writer Andie (Kate Hudson) and oily, irritating New York ad executive Ben (Matthew McConaughy) have a loud public breakup, Andie realizes that her current column is vacuous and petty. Nobly, she turns down her boss' offer of a promotion in order to pursue more meaningful writing work. Ben, meanwhile, learns nothing about the empty, demoralizing nature of his work. Once he reads Andie's last column, he resolves to win her back. She is on her way to a job interview in Washington when he tracks her down and begs her not to go. Because there's no way an able-bodied man with independent means of transportation could get from Manhattan to Washington to visit his girlfriend in this day and age. Amazingly, Andie accepts and seals the deal with a nauseatingly swirly camera kiss.

In You've Got Mail, Joe (Tom Hanks) drives Kathleen (Meg Ryan) out of business in the first two acts before successfully wooing her in the third. Even in Serendipity the character of Sara (Kate Beckinsale), a therapist, complains constantly to her wacky fiance about being away from her patients. Once she reunites with her true love Jonathan (John Cusack), however, all thought of those patients is melted away by, you guessed it, a swirly camera kiss. Time and again we're told that this desertion of career and dereliction of professional duty is a great thing.
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