My 60 Favorite Rom Coms

First of all, making this list was much more daunting than I originally thought. If it gives you an idea this list started as just a top 30. Anyway, I love romantic comedies especially the made-for-tv movies. One of the best parts is that most of these movies have women as the lead. Also, trying to decide the order between my top 3 was one of the hardest choices I've ever made.

Okay here we go. (Potential spoilers below) I've listed my favorite rom coms in order starting with number 60...

60. My Best Friend's Wedding

60. My Best Friend's Wedding - Even though this is Julia Roberts I find this sometimes hard to watch due to how difficult it is for her to let go of him.

59. Two Weeks Notice - Do-gooder tries to (and does) change a rich selfish Hugh Grant? I'm there. Plus, he's good during a bathroom emergency or if you're super drunk.

58. Dirty Dancing - Swoon. I still listen to this soundtrack all the time. This movie is great. Nobody leaves baby... well you know how it goes.

57. Miss Congeniality - My second Sandra Bullock of the list. This one is lower down because he dumps her over the phone in the sequel. Lame. But, props for him falling for a badass lady.

56. My Big Fat Greek Wedding - I do love this movie but only the first 30- 40 mins are about them actually falling for each other and that's what I like best about these movies. If that's news to you with this one, re-read the title.

55. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

55. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - Cute, fun and charming. It's super relatable. I think about this movie every time I trim my eyebrows honestly.

54. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days - They have good chemistry but when she's in the process of trying to "lose" him by being super annoying she's well... super annoying.

53. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - I mean Kostas is pretty hot. Plus, I really related to all of them except for Blake Lively because I'm not a tall, blonde, athletic goddess.

52. Notting Hill - For some reason I always forget this movie exists. It's sweet but I'm not totally sold on the concept or the chemistry of Julia and Hugh. Worth a watch though if you like the genre.

51. Bridget Jones's Diary - Starting to realize how many Hugh Grant flix are on here. This one is higher because of Colin Firth and liking you just as you are.

50. Drive Me Crazy

50. Drive Me Crazy - Yes, like the Britney song (which is in the movie). Melissa Joan Hart lives next door to Adrian Grenier. Think She's All That but gender swapped basically. Also, this was written by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars, iZombie) so extra points for that.

49. Love Actually - Everyone LOVES this movie but I'm not too crazy about it ACTUALLY. (See what I did there??). I remember the depressing story lines much more than the positive ones. Cheating on your wife was one and loving your best friend's wife and telling her was another? Pass.

48. 13 Going On 30 - I really like their chemistry together and relate to Jenna throughout the story. Another good soundtrack too.

47. The Prince & Me - I love how ambitious Paige is. This time the guy has to change to be with her and it's refreshing to see. Plus she gives up being a princess because her dreams mean more to her than that lifestyle. YES! Why aren't there more movies like this?

46. The House Bunny - Anna Faris being excellent, as usual. It's charming and cute. I like the lessons that everyone learns in this movie, basically be your weirdo self and love it.

45. Moonstruck

45. Moonstruck - This is one of my mom's favorite movies and thus mine too. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how wonderful Cher and Nicolas Cage are together. Worth a watch.

44. Timer - Anya from Buffy stars in this and the concept interested me. I've seen it a couple times. I enjoyed thinking about what it would be like if you knew down to the second when you'd meet your soulmate.

43. Kate & Leopold - We reviewed this movie on my podcast and the awareness of the plot holes took me out of this movie a bit. I still love Hugh though.

42. What A Girl Wants - Cute British boy immediately gives this movie some points. I was all about Amanda Bynes' rom coms when she was in her prime.

41. The Princess Diaries - Michael + Mia = Love. He loved her before she was a princess so... yeah. Swoon. This is such a fun movie.

40. The Wedding Planner

40. The Wedding Planner - Hot male pediatricians everywhere waited on steep inclined streets for J Lo's heel to get stuck in a man hole cover. Also, brown M& Ms and statues where the penis has fallen off.

39. No Reservations - I am a big fan of Food Network so this movie combines two of my favorite things. I'd eat at Aaron Eckhart's restaurant any day.
 
38. Easy A - Emma Stone finds herself and meets a chill dude who doesn't judge her like everyone else does. Go Woodchucks!

37. The Lake House - A magic mail box connecting Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, check. Can you truly know someone just through letters? Perhaps.

36. Beastly - I hold Beauty and the Beast near and dear to my heart (although wouldn't necessarily say it's a rom com so it's not on this list) and this movie tells a varying take on the story. This movie is a modern high school flick where an egomaniac learns a lesson by no longer being handsome.

35. She's All That

35. She's All That - Laney doesn't put up with anyone's crap and I love that. She's great and Freddie Prinze Jr. makes a grand romantic gesture at her pool with 90's music.

34. Sweet Home Alabama - What a hardship it must be to be pursued by two different attractive men at the same time. Returning to your roots for a divorce then falling back in love, wonderful.

33. Chasing Liberty - Even the President's daughter wants to be able to date and have some freedom. Just make sure to bring along a hot secret service agent for protection.

32. The Cutting Edge - Start off as enemies and end up as friends lovers. Hockey player? Meet high strung ice skating champion.

31. Tangled - She wants some freedom and she's got a lot of hair to deal with along the way to following her dreams. The lanterns and the song together are basically perfect.

30. Stardust

30. Stardust - I love how they get to know each other and start off bickering then realize that perhaps they were always meant to meet and fall in love.

29. 10 Things I Hate About You - There's a lot of moving parts in this movie but they work well together. Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles on the football field. Need I say more?

28. Ella Enchanted - Based on the book, Ella doesn't put up with anything from anyone. She knows what's right and wants to follow her noble heart. Also, singing in a bar and a sweet fireside kiss add some points for this movie.

27. What's Your Number - This is such a funny and enjoyable movie where being unique and artistic and yourself is the best way to get what you truly want. Plus, Spock's a vegan?

26. After the Ball - This movie is like Cinderella meets She's the Man and it's wonderful. It's a cute made for tv movie that excels with fashion and pursuing your dreams at whatever cost.

25. Beauty & the Briefcase

25. Beauty & the Briefcase - The best thing about this movie is that the men are disposable instead of the women. Hilary Duff is always charming and apparently it's super easy to get a job you're not qualified for.

24. Cloud 9 - One of my favorite Disney Channel Original Movies where a snowboarder learns that she's not as good as she thought but puts the time and energy into improving. Also finding a cute but somewhat cranky guy along the way who believes in her.

23. The Proposal - You wouldn't think this movie would work but it totally does. Ryan and Sandra have great chemistry together and Betty White is excellent.

22. The Duff - Don't change too much. Just enough to better yourself but keep what makes you, you. Unless you're a douchey popular guy who does need to change. Nerdy girls everywhere rejoice.

21. The Holiday - Sometimes when you need to just get away, you'll find love in unexpected places. When Jude Law cries at the end back at Cameron Diaz's door, I fell in love with this movie.

20. 27 Dresses

20. 27 Dresses - James Marsden. James Marsden. James Marsden. Also, a passive aggressive girl who doesn't know how to say no to people until it breaks her and she ruins her sister's wedding.

19. She's The Man - Sometimes the love of soccer means taking drastic measures. Worst case scenario? You'll end up with Channing Tatum as your often shirtless roommate.

18. Just Go With It - Yes, it's Adam Sandler but this is one of guilty pleasure movies that I just really enjoy. It's funny and sweet and I stayed in the same hotel when I went to Hawaii once.

17. Letters to Juliet - This movie desperately makes me want to go to Italy like ASAP. I'd happily spend my days living in Italy and writing letters as Juliet.

16. Runaway Bride - Julia Roberts and Richard Gere together again, this is my favorite of theirs. She could probably start her own Pier One with all the wedding gifts she's received.

15. My Fake Fiancé

15. My Fake Fiancé - Speaking of wedding gifts, sometimes you just need some stuff to fill your apartment. Talk about chemistry and comedy, these guys are great together.

14. While You Were Sleeping - I think it's a fun premise and two guys wanting to be with her because she's a genuinely good person and his family loves her is a wonderful message. But like, don't pretend you're engaged to someone in a coma that you don't know.

13. A Cinderella Story - Her speech to her stepmom and then to Chad Michael Murray at the end gives me life. She's independent and he has to step up or ship out.

12. Penelope - James McAvoy won't judge you if you have a pig nose. He'll like you anyway then pine for you until you get it together to go find him and confess your love to his humble, musical self.

11. Christmas Romance Movies- The Spirit of Christmas - This past holiday season I discovered Christmas romance movies of which there are many. One of my favorites is The Spirit of Christmas or A Christmas Kiss. Holiday seasons really bring lovers together. Especially when they're two people who don't really like each other at first then bond over Christmas then fall in love when they don't even realize it.

10. When Harry Met Sally

10. When Harry Met Sally - Truly a classic. Can a man and a woman actually be friends without any feelings? This movie is magical. I'll have what she's having.

9. The Princess Bride - Another classic. It's a whimsical, fantasy romance and I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like this movie. If you don't like it I say to you, "BOOO!!"

8. Pretty In Pink - This is my favorite John Hughes movie as I think the character development is more enjoyable to watch here. Also, my distaste for James Spader stems 150% from his character in this movie.

7. Alice - It's a Syfy mini-series take on Alice In Wonderland. Yes there's cute boys. Yes there's romance. Yes there's Kathy Bates as the Queen of Hearts. Oh man, the end with Hatter coming to our world for her gives me so much joy.

6. Clueless - Do I really need to say anything about this movie? Paul Rudd is in fine, swoon worthy form. I think we all wanted to live in Cher's house and also to have her amazing closet.

5. Sleepless In Seattle

5. Sleepless in Seattle - It's top five but gets docked points because they don't actually spend much time together during the movie. It's still sweet and I'm pretty sure people still meet for a romantic gesture on top of the Empire State Building.

4. Never Been Kissed

4. Never Been Kissed - I've seen this movie probably 87 times at least. I so relate to Josie and her journey. Always appreciate me some Michael Vartan. This is a pretty perfect rom com if you ask me.

3. Emma

3. Emma - There's a few different versions of Emma but my favorite is the BBC mini-series from 2009. It's a great adaptation of Austen and the casting is wonderful. Their journey to discovering how their friendships leads them to love (and has all along) is simply heartwarming to watch. Clueless is also an adaptation of Emma if you didn't know.

2. Pride & Prejudice

2. Pride and Prejudice - I still kind of think these should be tied for first but that wouldn't be fair. I sat for a good 10 minutes deciding between this one and my number one pick. It ultimately came down to the comedy aspect to which this one has less than the other. Nonetheless, P & P is my favorite book of all time. I've seen most movie versions of this (Bride & Prejudice is also great). But this Keira Knightley version is simply the best. She's a great Lizzy. He's a great Darcy. Their chemistry, acting and just how they look together is perfect. When he comes to her in the field at the end. Or when he confesses his feelings in the rain to her and she rejects him. UGH. I'm gonna have to go re-watch this movie now for the 500th time after talking about it.

1. You've Got Mail

1. You've Got Mail - The dearest to my heart and a movie I could watch on repeat forever, You've Got Mail is simply my favorite. It has comedy and romance. It's perfectly crafted by the late, great Nora Ephron (who inspired my career choice to want to make movies). It shows that becoming friends is vital to creating a successful relationship. Just being two attractive people is not enough. We get to know them together and see them go from disliking each other to tolerating each other to then becoming friends and ultimately falling in love. It might be dated in some ways but I don't care. I cry every time when she sees him at the end. I always think about what it would've been like for her falling for Tom Hanks but thinking she was still waiting to meet someone else. Then it ends up to actually be him. His speech at the end outside of her doorstep is absolutely wonderful. I've linked it below so you can watch. This movie is perfection. Also, golden retriever.

Hope you enjoyed my list and maybe some of these movies will help you pick your next rom com to watch!

Guilty Pleasure Series #2: Ben Stiller! Night at the Museum, Zoolander and Mystery Men

Welcome to the 2nd installation in my guilty pleasure series! Check out the first entry in my guilty pleasure series about Mean Girls and Rat Race HERE. A guilty pleasure movie is defined as being a "bad movie" but you don't care, you love it anyway. I was staring at my giant bookshelf of DVDs trying to pick new guilty pleasure choices and Ben Stiller stood out this time. Zoolander, Night at the Museum and Mystery Men. Let's go.

Night at the Museum (2006)- It's ALIVE!

Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum

The weakest of the three movies I've chosen, Night at the Museum is the most aptly named guilty pleasure film. It's a fun movie filled with a lot of comedians that are impressively notable but yet something about this film still falls flat. Ben Stiller leads with Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney among others. This movie is actually based on a book with the same title written by Milan Trenc.

Get ready for lots of green screen

The story follows Larry Daley, an ordinary divorced father in New York City who can't seem to hold a job with all of his "creative" inventions that never seem to take off (I.E. the "Snapper" instead of the Clapper to turn lights on and off) Finally Larry comes across a job as the night guardsmen at The Museum of Natural History. The only catch is that everything in the museum comes to life at night and Larry's task is to keep everything in order. Naturally chaos ensues and Larry finally finds a way to be a great man and succeed at his job, which he learns to love. He and his divorced stricken son (is that a thing?) bond over Larry's job and all's well that ends well. They made a sequel but it was much worse (sorry Amy Adams) so if you have to pick one to watch choose the first one.

It's a tiny, tiny Owen Wilson on a horse

My issues with this movie? Not much actually. There's somewhat frequent laughs throughout the film and it's campy fun and trucks along at a decent pace. This movie has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's made more towards kids and if parents/ adults take it too serious or literal I could see how it would be seen in a more negative light. It's not something that I want to watch all the time but it's a good movie to just have on while doing other things... like writing about it on a blog. (SELF AWARE!) It's usually on TV all the time anyway, it's not on Netflix but check your TBS and FX listings every few weekends and you'll probably come across it.

Zoolander (2001)- To the left, to the left.

Anyone who grew up around my generation, early 90s kids, have seen this movie a BILLION times and I'm not even kidding. I haven't watched this movie in a number of years actually because I used to watch it so often then I would just get sick of it and the jokes weren't as fun. But seriously, blue steel is still a thing they just call it "duck face" now which is much less cool.

Blue Steel....

The thing about this movie is that it's amazing. If you've never seen it, shame on you. It's on Netflix Instant right now. The plot of the movie is that Derek Zoolander is no longer the top male fashion model and in his place is Hansel, played by Owen Wilson. Zoolander announces his retirement from modeling to reconnect with his father and brothers who are a miners but his family rejects him because of his frail nature. 

Tribal Tats

Mugatu, played by Will Ferrell, has convinced Derek to come out of retirement to work with him and Mugatu's secret plan is to brainwash Derek to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Anyway, funny things happen and the cast of this movie is phenomenal and in the end Hansel and Derek defeat Mugatu and his evil plan and everything ends well. This film uses comedy to create commentary on the fashion industry and portrays the models as incredibly superficial and unintelligent people.

Will Ferrell's Mugatu

This movie is a guilty pleasure because although it's not considered "rotten" on RT many are bothered by the blatant satirical nature of the film. I would imagine that people who dislike this film already hate the fashion industry and therefore find this movie unnecessary and overly exaggerated. My problem with this film? It's a little bit too over the top to watch constantly but is clever and funny with a decent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's technically not a guilty pleasure because it's still a good movie with many laughs and a plot that keeps the film going. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure because of how many times you've seen it? Either way this movie is always worth another watch every so often. Consistent laughs and a magnificent cast make this a fun one.

Mystery Men (1999)- #furious

Mr. Furious, "Mama Pajama"

What happens if you put a bunch of comedians together and dress them up as "B Class" Superheroes? You get this amazing movie. This movie was made before superhero films were such a huge cash cow blockbuster event. The film takes place in Champion City in a time setting that's the future but also has a classic old school, relatable feel to it. This is a world where superheroes and villains are everywhere and common. Our protagonists are not the great heroes that you expect them to be. When we meet them they're cool for about 3 seconds before showing that they're pretty pathetic when fighting crime. When the city's resident number one hero, Captain Amazing, is captured by the super villain, Casanova Frankenstein, it's up to our rag tag team of heroes to find a way to get him back. Don't feel too sorry for Captain Amazing though, he's basically a giant a-hole who lives in egotistical ignorance. Greg Kinnear plays the character well.  Ben Stiller's Mr. Furious has the most interesting character arc and when they are about to go into battle he is no longer angry and doubts his powers. 

Our super team, ready for action

"I can only become invisible when no one's watching" is Kel Mitchell's character's power. So why is this movie... amazing? "We're not you're classic superheroes, we're not your favorites, we're the other guys." That is William H. Macy's powerful motivational speech. Each of these eccentric characters have their problems but you still root for them because they have a lot of heart. William H. Macy's character is in an interracial marriage, which is so great to see in a late 90's movie. The Bowler keeps her father's skull in a bowling ball for revenge over his controversial death down an elevator shaft. Blue Raja's mother shows him special silverware once he tells her that he wield's forks like a pro in a touching moment, "these belonged to your great, great grandmother. I was saving them for your wedding day but by the looks of things that day is a long way off". The evil villain fights people with his extra long finger nails. 

Tom Waits plays a non-lethal weapon's specialist who hits on old ladies

Kel Mitchell from 1997's Good Burger, William H. Macy Tom Waits, Hank Azaria, Greg Kinnear and Ben Stiller all in one movie? There's also cameo's from Cee Lo Green and Dane Cook. This movie is an absolutely fantastic cult classic hit. It's a spoof of superheroes and has an impressive cast. This movie is one of my personal favorite guilty pleasure films. It's fun and funny and kind of weird but you love it anyway, just like the characters. It's definitely not a typical superhero movie, especially by today's standards but something to keep in mind is that this movie was made 15 years ago before the outrageously expensive and extravagant superhero movies that we are used to now with over the top special effects. Also, it has Smash Mouth songs because really, isn't that what makes a guilty pleasure something wonderful?

One of my favorite guilty pleasures, "may the forks be with us".

It's a clever movie, "Lance Hunt wears glasses, Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses." "He takes them off when he transforms." "That doesn't make sense he wouldn't be able to see." My problems with it? I don't really have any. You have to go into this movie knowing that it's a comedy and not something to be taken too seriously. It's supposed to be ridiculous and if you have that frame of mind you'll enjoy this film. This movie is still considered pretty good and therefore technically doesn't qualify as a proper guilty pleasure but it's a self aware cult hit and it does a good job of being an entertaining film. Some critics argue that this movie is undisciplined and messy and I can definitely see that but it's just fun at the end of the day. "We've got a blind date with destiny and it looks like she's ordered the lobster." It's original, funny, and a joy to watch. Just watch this movie. Trust me. It's not available to stream but rent it on iTunes for $3.99