Ah, love! Though it is expressed in many different ways, it doesn’t always equal a happy ending. Truth is, love hurts and sometimes it leads to heartbreak. In tough times, one movie genre can swoop in to save the day to restore faith in love. This is where romantic comedies come into play.
Even though all rom-coms have the same formula and share similar storylines, characters, and plots, they’re one of the most addictive movie genres to watch. Why? The answer is simple. They make people feel good! So kick-off those slippers, snuggle a warm blanket, and enjoy a story about two people who are meant to be. These 10 romantic comedies are bound to restore all faith in the most complicated human emotion known to mankind: love.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Starring Jason Segel and other comedic geniuses including, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jonah Hill, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a rom-com for the books. When a heartbroken musician (Jason Segel) is suddenly dumped by his famous girlfriend (Kristen Bell), he’s devastated. In his depressed state, he decides to take a vacation to sunny O‘ahu, Hawaii. But when he arrives, there are a couple (literally a couple) of surprises awaiting him when he spots his ex with the man she dumped him for.
This is the perfect movie to watch after a breakup. It’s not sappy, so it won’t make anyone cry while in a sensitive state. Better yet, it teaches rom-com fans how to forget about an ex. The movie may be titled Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but it’s definitely a romantic comedy to remember.
What’s Your Number
Anna Faris takes the lead in What’s Your Number, a hilarious rom-com about the woes of dating and life. When Ally Darling gets fired from her job, she realizes her life is a mess. On her way home, she reads an article claiming that women who sleep with twenty men or more don’t have a shot at marriage. Being a promiscuous serial dater, Ally reconnects with her past partners and decides that number twenty will be ’the one.'
Not only is What’s Your Number funny and sweet, but has a handful of heartthrobs in it, including a sizeable portion of the Avengers. Yes, that’s right, the Avengers. Chris Pratt and Anthony Mackie, known to Marvel fans as Star-Lord and Falcon, take the screen as Ally’s past lovers. Saving the best for last, Chris Evans AKA Captain America stars alongside Anna as Ally’s flirty playboy neighbor, who turns out to be a very important character in the movie.
The Proposal
Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal is funny in a romantically non-sappy way. This unexpected love story begins when a power-hungry book editor (Sandra Bullock) blackmails her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) into marrying her to avoid being deported back to Canada.
Together, they learn to work their way through their “fake” engagement, which turns out to be more real than they expected. Filled with hilarious moments, The Proposal comes with valuable life lessons and encourages finding the courage to be yourself in a relationship.
50 First Dates
Imagine going on 50 First Dates with the same woman. Now imagine Adam Sandler go on 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore and BAM! A romantic comedy is born. When the sweet and innocent Lucy (Drew Barrymore) loses her long-term memory in a freak accident, she re-lives the same day every day. This changes when ladies man Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) comes along.
Henry falls for Lucy the first time he sees her and gives up his playboy ways to do whatever it takes to date Lucy. Even if that means going on 50 First Dates. Though this rom-com is based on a silly premise, it demonstrates the meaning of true love and acceptance. Its hidden mantra: for better or for worse in sickness and in health. It’s truly a classic.
13 Going On 30
Jennifer Garner is the leading lady in 13 Going On 30, a movie that makes adulting seem more fun than it is. While this romantic comedy has all the trappings of a fairy tale, it’s full of hidden truths about what it’s like to be in junior high. When Jenna is humiliated at her thirteenth birthday, she wishes she could grow up. To her surprise, she wakes up as her thirty-year-old self, a successful magazine editor.
Dealing with popular kids is hard and this flick captures the challenge. But more importantly, it highlights the fact that finding love when you’re a successful working woman, isn’t as easy as it seems. 13 Going On 30 is a feel-good film with some important values including being yourself, having compassion, and not treating life like a popularity contest.
What Happens In Vegas
What Happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas, especially if marriage is involved. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, this energy-packed film is about an accidental Las Vegas wedding between an ambitious career woman (Cameron Diaz) and a go-with-the-flow playboy (Ashton Kutcher) who despise each other.
Follow their journey and watch as it transforms from spiteful hate into something a little sweeter. What Happens in Vegas is the romantic comedy that will give audiences warm and fuzzy feels every time and will keep people coming back for more.
Music And Lyrics
Moving into the sappier genre of rom-coms, Music and Lyrics star romantic comedy veterans Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Though this rom-com is slightly musical, it has the perfect blend of classic romantic comedy tropes.
When a washed-up ’80s superstar Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is commissioned to write a hit single for a Britney Spears-like popstar Cora Corman, he realizes he can’t write anything worthwhile. This is where Sophie (Drew Barrymore), Alex’s caretaker, steps in. As soon as Alex notices Sophie’s music-writing abilities, he asks her to help him write a song. Together, they create something beautiful, with a few obstacles along the way.
Definitely, Maybe
Another Ryan Reynolds classic (pre-Deadpool of course) that will hit some soft spots. This movie has the potential to make the least sensitive people cry, so grab some tissue before hitting play.
More than just a romantic comedy, this movie is about the journey one goes through to find ’the one.’ It uses flashbacks between the past and present to recount Will Hayes’s (Ryan Reynolds) past romances with three women. Not only does it highlight how complicated and flawed relationships can be but it points out that the journey to finding love doesn’t always lead to what or who is expected. Definitely, Maybe is the romantic comedy that isn’t like the other romantic comedies.
Made Of Honor
The handsome man who’s afraid of commitment falls for his best friend but it’s too late, she’s engaged to someone else. This is a tale as old as time and it’s precisely what happens in Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey.
Though other romantic comedies share similar plots, this story is one that always keeps viewers coming back for more. It’s all about cheering for the underdog, something that appeals to most people. Will he get the girl? Or will his mission to stop his best friend from marrying the wrong man fail? Oh, the thrill of it all! This flick is a must-watch and it’s bound to hit all the feels. If anything is certain, it will keep any romantic comedy fan on the edge of their seat with wonder.
Love And Other Drugs
Love and Other Drugs will always deliver as the go-to romantic comedy about a no-strings-attached relationship turned love story. When a handsome pharmaceutical rep, Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal), meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway) he falls head over heels for her fiery personality. Little does he know, Maggie has a secret about her health that brings the future of their relationship into question.
This movie has all the elements of a romantic tear-jerker that will make anyone out of love believe in love again. It’s about loving one another with compassion, selflessness, and tolerance. Above all, this movie does not depict a toxic relationship but rather teaches viewers how love should be.
