Best rom com movie?

We had a tough weekend here in our house–a family member with a crisis–and last night my husband said, “Let’s watch a light rom com.” So I looked up best rom-coms and there was one we’d never seen before that was highly rated: The Spectacular Now. Here’s the trailer:

 

Spoiler: there was no com in this rom com. It is a serious downer of a movie. Good, but nothing that would cheer up anyone let alone someone looking for joy.

And I adore rom-coms so I’ve seen all the well-known ones. But surely, there’s a few I’ve missed.

So what are your suggestions? And why? And I’m looking for movies, not TV shows or miniseries.

Go! (And Happy Monday!)

guest

95 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
RAS
RAS
Guest
03/25/2020 1:49 pm

Rom-com favorites in no particular order. . .Plus One, Man-Up, Sweet Home Alabama, New in Town, The Proposal, The Wedding Date, When in Rome, Leap Year, Doc Hollywood, The Ugly Truth, Friends with Benefits, The Holiday, What’s Your Number?, What Happens in Vegas. . .to name a few. . .;)

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
03/14/2020 10:48 am

Ooh! I can’t believe I forgot to mention “The Devil and Miss Jones,” a cute black and white movie starring Charles Coburn as a wealthy miser who goes undercover in his department store to discover why there is discontent among his employees. Along the way, he meets a kindly older woman who works there, they bond over her delicious tuna popovers, and eventually have a delightful HEA.

Eddie
Eddie
Guest
03/13/2020 4:09 am

I’m very, very, VERY late to the game but I didn’t see “Catch and Release” with Jennifer Garner, Tom Olyphant, and a few other well known actors listed here. I watch that at least once a year. Also the best movie of all time, “Persuasion”—the one with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds and a BUNCH of amazing Brit actors. Both I owned as DVD and the purchased so I could stream.

Tiffany
Tiffany
Guest
03/11/2020 12:28 am

One recent RomCom I haven’t seen listed here is Man Up. It’s a perfect homage to the 90s romcoms but with the misunderstanding happening at the midpoint. It’s so good.
I second The Goodbye Girl. My hubs likes to watch both with me.
I wasn’t sure anyone mentioned The Proposal when I was scrolling through. I love that one.
Quirky off beat ones: Sleeping with Other People, Two Night Stand, Plus One, Austenland, Emma 2020, She’s the Man, French Kiss.

Ellie
Ellie
Guest
03/11/2020 12:20 am

There are so many great suggestions here! Some more recent movies I really enjoyed are Love, Simon and Set It Up (a Netflix movie).

Todd
Todd
Guest
03/10/2020 12:11 pm

I also loved Moonstruck (“Snap out of it!”). I took my DVD of Bride and Prejudice up to show my mother once; at first, she kept correcting me, saying it was PRIDE and Prejudice. Then, watching it, she laughed every time they started singing and dancing (also, the deleted scene of the whole town singing and dancing alone was worth buying the DVD). Strictly Ballroom is a delight. There’s also Choose Me – Genevieve Bujold, Lesley Ann Warren, one of the Carradines. It has its moments ….

An older one is The Rainmaker – Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster. Not exactly a comedy, but he makes the “unattractive” spinster feel beautiful. He, of course, is sex on the hoof.

They’re going to be showing Clueless in theaters in May. I don’t have details – it’s going to be very limited – but it’s going to be on the big screen.

And the most romantic, but not a comedic, movie I’ve seen is Truly, Madly Deeply. Alan Rickman … sigh ….

mel burns
mel burns
Guest
Reply to  Todd
03/10/2020 4:27 pm

Truly Madly Deeply is a gem of a film!

nblibgirl
nblibgirl
Guest
Reply to  mel burns
03/11/2020 3:39 pm

But you can’t find this one anywhere! I’ve never seen it but cannot find a copy anywhere. :-(

Usha
Usha
Guest
03/10/2020 1:39 am

I can go months without watching television and prefer to read over video and audio. I love romantic novels but not romantic movies. For me the sensuousness is much better captured in words than in film. I PVR Billl Maher, Fareed Zakaria and John Oliver and binge watch them when the mood strikes me. Last time, I watched anything with any level of commitment was Breaking Bad. I love reading movie reviews but watching them at home and in a theatre is an effort and the noise excruciating. Seriously, I am getting old and ornery way before my time.

Blackjack
Blackjack
Guest
Reply to  Usha
03/10/2020 6:59 pm

I do love films, but like you I find romance better captured in books. I enjoy doing the creative and imaginative work of interpreting written ideas and bringing them to life in my mind.

You just reminded me too of how much I love John Oliver and miss watching him.

Sandra Antonelli
Sandra Antonelli
Guest
03/09/2020 11:38 pm

You can’t beat Sugarpuss and Professor Bertram in Ball of Fire,, Susan and David in Bringing Up Baby, Judy and Howard in What’s Up Doc, Sally and Harry in When Harry Met Sally, Loretta and Ronny in Moonstruck, Kenya and Brian in Something New and Harry & Josephine and Wayne and Miss Doreen in Happy Texas.
I quite like The Cooler, a rather quirky and violent (and I mean violent) black comedy with a HEA you don’t see coming. It’s William H Macy and Maria Bello. I have far too many fave rom coms to list.

Tina
Tina
Guest
Reply to  Sandra Antonelli
03/10/2020 12:29 am

I can’t believe I forgot What’s Up, Doc — especially because I seize on any excuse to finagle “There’s a person… called Eunice!?!” into everyday speech.

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
03/09/2020 11:23 pm

A few more recommendations I’ve thought of since this morning:

1) My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2: This is one of those sequels I actually liked better than the original, maybe because it’s more about repairing or brushing up on relationships (second chance romance?) than finding “the one.”

2) Rhinestone: This isn’t a great rom com by any means. Heck, I wouldn’t even call it “good.” The fact the pairing is Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton should tell you something about the believability of this Golden Raspberry winner. But it was cute, made me laugh quite a bit (for one viewing anyway), and cheered me up one day when I had a cold.

3) The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: Not a rom com exactly, but it is a cute musical. Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds have a surprisingly adorable chemistry as a brothel madam and local sheriff “Ed Earl” who have a secret relationship. I love their little duet “Sneakin’ around with You.”

4) Frankie & Johnny: Again, this is kind of a “one viewing was enough, thank you” for me, but I’m glad I saw it. I would have to say the best part of this movie is the believably awkward sex scenes.

Tina
Tina
Guest
Reply to  Nan De Plume
03/10/2020 12:27 am

I so wanted to love Frankie & Johnny, but found myself wanting to smack Al Pacino’s character (and his inability to understand boundaries) so many times, which sadly killed my ability to appreciate the romance. I find myself feeling similarly about You’ve Got Mail: I like a lot of things about it, but Tom Hanks’ character is a big no for me as well.

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
Reply to  Tina
03/10/2020 12:44 am

I wanted to love it too! But Johnny was just way too clingy- borderline stalker, if you ask me. So, yeah. That’s why it bombed for me too.

I haven’t seen “You’ve Got Mail,” but I saw one of the earlier versions of it “In the Good Old Summertime” with Judy Garland. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I remember it being cute.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  Nan De Plume
03/10/2020 1:08 pm

I LOVE Rhinestone and I love Dolly’s Jake! Also Frankie and Johnny is amazing.

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
Reply to  Lisa Fernandes
03/10/2020 1:46 pm

Yeah, those are two movies I’m glad I saw but am a bit on the fence about them. Yes, I do like both Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone. Come to think of it, they were actually a pretty cute couple. :) Maybe I’ll have to watch it sometime when I don’t have a cold to really enjoy it more. I would say I enjoyed it more than Frankie & Johnny though, for the reason I mentioned above.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  Nan De Plume
03/10/2020 2:12 pm

I’m a ginormous Dolly fan, so I admit it’s a weak spot for me. I also love Mutt and Jeff pairings, so her plus Stallone did it for me.

KarenG
KarenG
Guest
03/09/2020 11:20 pm

My Favorite Wife with Cary Grant and Irene Dunn is one of my favorite classic movies (really anything with Cary Grant is). It’s been remade a couple times, including one version with Doris Day. But Cary Grant has my heart.

Someone else mentioned Batchelor Mother with Ginger Rogers and David Niven. Top Hat with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is fun.

Romancing the Stone and it’s sequel (can’t think of the name right now), as well as Overboard, Love Potion Number 9, and almost all of the others already mentioned.

I heard that one of the streaming channels is producing a series based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books. I’m looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

Em Wittmann
Em Wittmann
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/10/2020 7:26 am

OMG I LOVE OVERBOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Eat your checkers!”

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/10/2020 1:49 pm

“Romancing the Stone and it’s sequel (can’t think of the name right now),”

Jewel of the Nile! Which I actually like better than Romancing the Stone.

Renee
Renee
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/14/2020 10:05 pm

Cary Grant has my heart, too. I love Bringing Up Baby and the Philadelphia Story with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. I may have to watch those tonight!

nblibgirl
nblibgirl
Guest
03/09/2020 11:15 pm

So many great suggestions – especially Moonlighting and Love Actually.

A couple more that we like:

Easy A – ya story but so funny (Emma Stone and a truly stellar cast)
and almost anything with Katharine Hepburn but especially Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (with both Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier), and Adam’s Rib (with Spencer Tracy and Judy Holiday).

Gina
Gina
Guest
03/09/2020 8:55 pm

Barefoot in the Park, wonderfully funny and romantic,
one of my favourites

seantheaussie
seantheaussie
Guest
Reply to  Gina
03/12/2020 6:03 am

I just watched it… delightful.

Suzette Lowe
Suzette Lowe
Guest
03/09/2020 8:48 pm

Murphy’s Romance….James Garner and Sally Fields…’nuff said

Sarah
Sarah
Guest
03/09/2020 8:28 pm

I really love some of the movies that have already been mentioned. Here are a few more I would add to the list:
The Goodbye Girl
So I Married an Axe Murderer
The Wedding Singer
Fever Pitch
Two Weeks Notice
Music and Lyrics

Tiffany
Tiffany
Guest
Reply to  Sarah
03/11/2020 12:16 am

I 2nd The Goodbye Girl, Fever Pitch, Two Weeks Notice, and Music and Lyrics (Pop! Goes My Heart).

Lynda X
Lynda X
Guest
03/09/2020 8:25 pm

A great future column would be what romance books (and who would you cast?) would you make into a movie. I am amazed that OUTLANDER does so well, but nobody is producing great movies of romance books.

Actually, I think my all-time favorite romance is SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. If you like Shakespeare at all (you don’t have to be an expert), history, or ROMEO AND JULIET, this is a lovely, funny, romantic, colorful, great movie. Everybody goes on and ON about how the Best Picture Oscar should have gone to PRIVATE RYAN, but they are wrong, wrong, wrong. SIL won it, as it should have.

I’m the odd woman out. I don’t like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE because I want to SEE the romance, I felt robbed at the end. Although this is inspired by AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (which is a very good movie, although not my favorite Cary Grant), I like the much earlier one that came before AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER–THE LOVE AFFAIR with Charles Boyer and I can’t remember the woman, but she was excellent.

Not a rom com, but NOTORIOUS is a great romantic movie by Hitchcock–again, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It’s a series of misunderstandings, set with dastardly Nazis and the spy (Ingrid) whose father is a convicted traitor to the US. Great fun.

stl reader
stl reader
Guest
Reply to  Lynda X
03/10/2020 9:09 am

1. “I’m the odd woman out. I don’t like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE because I want to SEE the romance, I felt robbed at the end.” Same. Reminds me that I was also not a fan of One Fine Day (George Clooney/Michelle Pfeiffer). That was billed as a Rom Com, but the “rom” part was mostly MIA for me.

2. NOTORIOUS is a terrific movie. And as long as we’re recommending that one, can I throw in CHARADE? Audrey Hepburn/Cary Grant. Yes, please.

LeeF
LeeF
Guest
03/09/2020 8:15 pm

All of the above! My favorite – Love, Actually and (guilty pleasure from the 60’s)- Gidget Goes Hawaiian.

Elaine s
Elaine s
Guest
Reply to  LeeF
03/10/2020 6:47 am

OMG!!! I saw all of the Gidget films and read all of the books. Completely forgot about them. And what about the original Parent Trap??

stl reader
stl reader
Guest
Reply to  LeeF
03/10/2020 8:58 am

I had such a crush on James Darren back then. Such a crush.

mel burns
mel burns
Guest
03/09/2020 7:53 pm

I grew up on Doris Day movies. There was a local independent channel that had movies from 5-7pm, just before The Wonderful World of Disney aired on Sundays. These are some of my faves:
Mother Goose with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron
Move Over Darling and the funniest DD film ever The Thrill of it All both with James Garner. When he drives his car into the pool, my sister and I laughed our insides out. It’s a very good Rom-Com.
Man’s Favorite Sport with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss
My Man Godfrey with William Powell and the incomparable Carole Lombard. There is a remake with David Niven and June Allyson
The Tammy films with Debbie Reynolds
Sabrina with Hepburn, Bogart and the dishy William Holden.
Born Yesterday with Holden and Judy Holliday
The Grass is Greener with Grant, Greer Garson and Robert Mitchum
The Quiet Man and McClintock with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara were hilarious when I was a kid, but I won’t watch them now for the blatant misogyny. It’s the same with most of Doris Day films too, but the fashion was exquisite! Doris Day best dressed actress award!
Goldie Hawn made some great comedies and Private Benjamin has really held up well.
I liked Bridget Jones and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Notting Hill and Love Actually. British Rom-Coms are definitely my cuppa
Monsoon Wedding is an oldy but a goody
The Wedding Planner is good mostly for the fashions and locations, it gets pretty silly, but Jennifer Lopez is gorgeous.
I think if I had to choose one it would be Shakespeare in Love which isn’t really a “Rom-Com”, but it has romance and a “bit with a dog” .
Sandra Bullock and Meg Ryan are funny ladies and they are always enjoyable. My Mom and I recently watched Sleepless in Seattle and it it was fun for the locations and Meg’s fashions.
I wish someone smart would adapt Julie James to film her books are great material for Rom-Com.

stl reader
stl reader
Guest
Reply to  mel burns
03/10/2020 9:19 am

I really like the original SABRINA, too. Black and white version (no colorization, please). PRIVATE BENJAMIN is excellent, but I would not classify it as a rom-com.

Off Topic: OMG, the Wonderful World of Color/Disney: I had such a crush on Patrick McGoohan in The Three Lives of Thomasina (which is charming but not a rom-com). Such an underrated hottie.

stl reader
stl reader
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/10/2020 3:06 pm

Yes! She belonged to little Mary McDhui. I still remember the song (yet fail to recall what I had for breakfast this morning).

mel burns
mel burns
Guest
Reply to  stl reader
03/10/2020 4:31 pm

OMG! Thomasina was our beloved! We also loved Pollyanna with Haley Mills.

Lynda X
Lynda X
Guest
03/09/2020 7:02 pm

To me, the MOST romantic movie (but I’m warning you, it will make you cry) is Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman’s FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. He’s an American, fighting in the Spanish Civil War in the late ‘30s. She is a young woman who has been raped by the Nationalists. He is tender and heroic; she is brave and vulnerable in their isolated time and place.

I loved Greer Garson and Ronald Coleman in RANDOM HARVEST, but you have to leave your incredulity at the door and not say, “Oh, she wouldn’t have picked him up and stuck by him” in the early part of the movie, etc.

I love tons of old movies, just because they are so different from our stanch beliefs, especially about men’s and women’s roles, but for some people, such movies just irritate. I love Cary Grant and Doris Day and my secret vice is THAT TOUCH OF MINK. I fast forward the icky parts of her going to a motel with a creep to make Grant jealous, but I have to confess I love her clothes and the set up. It’s VERY dated, but I think a lot of fun and interesting to see the values of the mid-60’s.

If you like SOME LIKE IT HOT, you would also like Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland by William Wyler’s prequel (kind of) of THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR. Ginger plays an adult woman trying to pass as a 12 year old girl for half fare on the train. There is not a hint of any sex or creepiness between 12 year old Ginger and Ray Milland as he takes her into his compartment to sleep.

I also love Preston Sturges’ (the writer and director) THE LADY EVE with a glorious Barbara Stanwyck and a clueless Henry Fonda. The first couple of times I saw it (it’s very funny), I didn’t like Stanwyck’s treatment of Fonda in the second half of the movie, but then, I came to adore it when I realized that I had to just go with the movie as the farce that it is.

More modern, WORKING GIRL has a great cast as it comments about business and the differences in class, etc. The imagery by the great Mike Nichols in the final 5 minutes is unforgettable, as is the romance between Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford, with Sigourney Weaver as the villain.

What does NOT hold up well, IMO, is ANNIE HALL. It’s teeth-gritting sexist.
Somehow, I don’t find the difference in values in this movie to be bearable, but if you’ve seen it lately, I’d be interested in your opinion and whether you still liked/loved it

Tina
Tina
Guest
03/09/2020 5:32 pm

Two oldies that haven’t been mentioned yet: the original Shop Around The Corner with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan (any fan of enemies to lovers romances who hasn’t seen it yet would adore this, plus it’s another one where the supporting characters elevate it into something truly special; and a more obscure pick, The More The Merrier with Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea (a forced proximity romance – due to a WWII housing shortage, the h rents out a room in her apartment but due to some screwball mishaps ends up with two male roommates instead of the female roommate she intended. One’s young and handsome, and the other is a nosy-but-well-meaning older fellow who directs his energies to bringing the couple together. It’s a tad dated but super, super cute.)

Blackjack
Blackjack
Guest
03/09/2020 5:26 pm

The Big Sick! I’m pretty critical of rom coms and don’t like the mainstream ones like When Harry Met Sally or You’ve Got Mail much. The Big Sick though is romantic, funny, and poignant and one of my favorite recent films.

KesterGayle
KesterGayle
Guest
03/09/2020 5:13 pm

It’s sooo misogynistic seen through today’s values, but The Quiet Man with John Wayne and the stunning Maureen O’Hara is hilarious. Those two burned up the silver screen with their chemistry, and this love letter to a bygone Ireland is just lovely. It’s probably easy to find on tv these days too, because St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner.

Ball of Fire with the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper is another genuinely funny screwball comedy. He’s a diffident and probably virginal scholar and she’s a showgirl with on the run from her mobbed-up boyfriend. She is decidedly NOT virginal. Love and hilarity ensue! It has a Seven Dwarfs theme thrown in for extra charm (as if it’s needed!).

seantheaussie
seantheaussie
Guest
03/09/2020 3:28 pm

I will go with most underrated, rather than best. The Decoy Bride, Laws of Attraction, Man Up and Wimbledon.

I take my romcoms seriously https://www.imdb.com/list/ls020993747/

Eggletina
Eggletina
Guest
03/09/2020 2:38 pm

My husband’s fave would be Better Off Dead. He quotes lines from that movie to me all the time.

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Eggletina
03/09/2020 3:28 pm

Two dollars!

Tina
Tina
Guest
03/09/2020 1:47 pm

I have to add to the While You Were Sleeping love. Probably my all-time favourite movie. It’s such an absolute jewel and my whole family (including my boyfriend) can quote enormous sections of the script on command.

KarenG
KarenG
Guest
Reply to  Tina
03/09/2020 11:03 pm

Another good early Sandra Bullock movie is Love Potion Number 9. A friends to lovers romance and lots of fun.

Sara
Sara
Guest
03/09/2020 1:40 pm

Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell….also very fun to see that 80s attire.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  Sara
03/10/2020 1:12 pm

Overboard was such a staple of my childhood.

“What could I give you that you don’t already have?”

“A little girl.”

Maggie Boyd
Maggie Boyd
Guest
03/09/2020 1:28 pm

Tea House of the August Moon Oddly, this movie is the opposite of racist except in one particular.- they dress Marlon Brando up as a Japanese man! But the love story between an American captain and a very respectfully treated Geisha girl is wonderful and funny.

Maggie Boyd
Maggie Boyd
Guest
03/09/2020 1:11 pm

If you haven’t seen Yesterday with Himesh Patel and Lily James, I would consider that a must see. That one is fairly recent and has an amazing romance as well as being a complete love letter to soft rock. Simply Irresistible starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery is absolutely charming. Bachelor Mother with Ginger Rogers and David Nivens is a must. . I really liked Something New with Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker. Wonderful story about a mixed race coup[e. Bride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies ever. About Time with Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams is one of the sweetest love story movies ever and is also very funny. Strictly Ballroom is a hilarious movie about competitive dance centered around a very unlikely couple falling in love. Pillow Talk with Rock Hudson and Doris Day has some truly hilarious moments and a great HEA. , 13 going on 30 is lovely. The Princess Bride can be seen over and over, it’s that good. His Girl Friday with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell is fabulous. I’m typically not wild about Eddie Murphy but opposite Halle Berry in Boomerang he was gold and she was perfect. If you don’t mind YA movies my favorites are 10 Things I Hate About You, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Clueless, She’s All That and

Penny Watson
Penny Watson
Guest
Reply to  Maggie Boyd
03/09/2020 9:38 pm

STRICTLY BALLROOM is the best. Quirky, so romantic. Swoony! I watch it multiple times a year.

Susan/DC
Susan/DC
Guest
Reply to  Maggie Boyd
03/09/2020 10:05 pm

While I totally agree with the inclusion of Yesterday on this list, I don’t agree that it’s a love letter to soft rock — it’s a love letter to the Beatles, which is rather a different thing. After I saw it I told people it wasn’t a musical, though it had lots of music in it, and it wasn’t a romance, though there was a love story. It was just a lovely, funny film. I also concur with Princess Bride, as that is probably the most quoted movie in my house. His Girl Friday is also great, and I liked 500 Days of Summer too.

Judy
Judy
Guest
03/09/2020 1:11 pm

I loved Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. Have seen it four times!

stl reader
stl reader
Guest
03/09/2020 12:03 pm

I concur with When Harry Met Sally. Still love it.
Also delightful: While You Were Sleeping (starring Sandra Bullock)

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/09/2020 12:30 pm

While You Were Sleeping is the best! You will love it! I can’t believe I forgot it on my list.

I think it’s one of the most believable representations of a family (and their home) I have seen in a movie. It’s an absolute delight and Bullock and Pullman have amazing chemistry.

Elaine s
Elaine s
Guest
03/09/2020 11:46 am

Telling my age here but my sister and I loved (ages 11 and 9) Blue Hawaii and loads of the old Elvis movies. And in those days there was a TV channel in LA that showed lots of old 1940s B&W rom com films with Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, etc that we watched with my mom. And one I also loved from the 1960s was Tom Jones wIth Albert Finney.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
03/09/2020 11:46 am

…When Harry Met Sally! Friends to lovers is my jam, and so is loving a person even with all of their faults.

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Lisa Fernandes
03/09/2020 11:50 am

I will watch that movie every time it comes on TV. I saw it at the movies when it came out and I never get sick of it.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/09/2020 2:33 pm

“They did it!”

“…How was it?”

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
03/09/2020 11:39 am

I love Rom Coms and I have seen an inordinate number of them. I love all the usual ones like “When Harry Met Sally”, “50 First Dates”, “You’ve Got Mail”, “The Holiday”, “Somethings Gotta Give”, “She’s The Man”.

One that you may not have seen that makes me chuckle and involves Romance Novels goes by two different names. I’ve seen it called “Don’t Tell Her It’s Me” and “The Boyfriend School” (which I think is the book it’s based on).

It’s “older” from 1990 with Jami Gertz and Steve Gutenberg as the leads. A lot of the laughs come from Shelly Long as Guttenberg’s older sister who is a romance novelist who gives him a male makeover to win the girl of his dreams. It’s a nice twist on the female making herself over for the guy and Gertz is cute as a journalist sent to cover a romance convention (with a lot of preconceived ideas) who meets up with novelist Long. It’s silly and fun and it always makes me smile.

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/09/2020 12:32 pm

I’ve been afraid to read the book because I know it will differ from the movie but maybe I should give it a try.

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/09/2020 3:29 pm

I’ve never heard of that one, I will check it out.

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
03/09/2020 11:17 am

I don’t know if these count as rom coms, but they are cute overlooked movies:

1) The Intern: Robert De Niro plays a widower who doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he signs up to be a senior intern at an online clothing company run by Anne Hathaway. It’s a very sweet story that some people call the reverse of “The Devil Wears Prada.” De Niro’s character starts up a second romance with a masseuse and Hathaway’s character is mending a relationship with her stay-at-home husband.

2) Poms: Diane Keaton moves to a snooty retirement community and starts a cheerleading club to the chagrin of the old guard. Not really a romance, but definitely falls into lighthearted comedy.

3) Mambo Italiano (2003): Really fun m/m film that some reviewers have called an Italian version of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” but it’s really its own thing. Paul Sorvino is a riot as the dad.

Lil
Lil
Guest
03/09/2020 10:00 am

Try some real oldies like the Preston Sturges comedies. One of my favorites is Palm Beach Story with Joel Macrae and Claudette Colbert.

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  Lil
03/09/2020 11:42 am

Captain McGlue! What a fun movie! I quote it all the time. It’s a classic for a reason.

CarolineAAR
CarolineAAR
Guest
03/09/2020 9:55 am

In the all-Austen category:
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bride and Prejudice
Clueless

chrisreader
chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  CarolineAAR
03/09/2020 11:44 am

I love all those and Bride and Prejudice is an overlooked gem. The music alone is wonderful and Ashwarya Rai is probably her most stunning.

KarenG
KarenG
Guest
03/09/2020 9:16 am

Moonstruck. Turner Classic Movies has played it a couple times lately and I’ve been loving it.

Nan De Plume
Nan De Plume
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/09/2020 11:20 am

That whole “Okay, we’re going to the bed” scene in “Moonstruck” LOL! You might also enjoy “Mambo Italiano,” (2003) which I mentioned below.

DiscoDollyDeb
DiscoDollyDeb
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/09/2020 10:36 am

Came here to say the same thing: MOONSTRUCK for the win. I also enjoy the lesser-known SOAPDISH with Sally Field and Kevin Kline as soap opera actors who were once romantically involved many years before. It’s both funny and touching…but there is a transgendered character who receives less than enlightened treatment.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/09/2020 11:37 am

Moonstruck is one of my favorite movies of all time period, and as a romance it’s stellar and perfect.

“Do you love him, Loretta?”

“Ma, I love him awful.”

“Oh God, that’s too bad.”

Chrisreader
Chrisreader
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/09/2020 11:49 am

I love Moonstruck so much. “Yes Mrs. Castorini I would LOVE some oatmeal.”
Has Nicolas Cage ever been more attractive and funny? I also love how he falls for Cher BEFORE she gets her makeover.

It’s always bittersweet for me because I do feel bad for Olympia Dukakis and wish she would at least smack her husband once and not be quite such a good wife. But her scenes with Frazier’s dad are gold.

Lisa Fernandes
Lisa Fernandes
Guest
Reply to  Chrisreader
03/09/2020 2:34 pm

Moonstruck is definitely why I had a formative Nic Cage crush at like, 8.

Em Wittmann
Em Wittmann
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/09/2020 12:31 pm

I own this on VHS! I like to pair it with Romancing the Stone. Also fabulous. And I also own it on VHS! I mean, I know I’m never watching these tapes…but they’ve somehow avoided the goodwill pile for decades. :)

Em Wittmann
Em Wittmann
Guest
Reply to  Dabney Grinnan
03/10/2020 7:48 am

Romancing the Stone:

Wimp. Wimp. Loser. Loser. Major loser. Too angry. Too vague. Too desperate. God, too happy. Oh, look at this guy. Mr. Mondo Dismo. I actually used to date him. Total sleaze bucket. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hold everything. Get a load of this character. What about him?

LeeF
LeeF
Guest
Reply to  KarenG
03/09/2020 8:10 pm

Favorite line- “Snap out of it!”