Well, it’s that time of year again, friends. When we stuff our faces with candy hearts in an effort to feel a little less empty inside – not that that’s ever worked. For any singletons out there, Valentine’s Day might feel like an arrow to the heart (and not Cupid’s) but never fear – we just might have the love cure you’re looking for. And no, it’s not a perfect partner to shower you with love and affection (we don’t have that kinda budget over here), but it is a recipe for believing in romance again.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Scarlett Media Presents the top ten romantic comedies that SAVED romance. In spite of what the tear stains on your pillow might be telling you, romance ISN’T dead. So pick yourself up from the floor, get a glass of wine, and get ready to be whisked away. And hey, if this list tugs on your heartstrings, go ahead and click those like and subscribe buttons. We’d love it if you did.
10. Jerry Maguire
“You had me at hello,” Jerry Maguire – and it’s easy to see why. This classic romance is all about what happens after that first kiss, and even though every relationship has its ups and downs, it ultimately reminds us that when we find our other half – nothing can tear us apart. Renée Zellweger falls head over heels for Tom Cruise practically as soon as she sets eyes on him, but it’s not until the honeymoon period fades away that this film really picks up. Honestly, as much as we love a 2-hour build-up of sexual tension that ends with a first kiss in the pouring rain, there’s something refreshing about this film’s willingness to explore a relationship during the actual, well, relationship. And with ooey-gooey lines like “you complete me,” you’ll remember that love can be a fairytale, even in all of its messiness.
9. The Proposal
Okay, this 2009 hit has everything we’re looking for in a rom com: enemies turned lovers, seriously steamy chemistry, a fairytale ending, and – of course – Ryan Reynolds (drool emoji). It also stars Sandra Bullock and Betty White, so safe to say that the star-studded cast alone brings this film up a few notches. When strong-willed businesswoman Sandra Bullock finds out she’s going to be deported back to Canada, she blackmails her assistant Ryan Reynolds into faking an engagement with her. Blackmail, as it turns out, is the best way to a man’s heart (noted!). He jets her off to Alaska to meet his parents and grandmother, and before they know it, the pair has fallen in love – which works out extra well for Bullock considering the whole deportation thing. This feel-good love story will cheer you out of those Valentine’s blues – so give it a watch today.
8. Notting Hill
We all want to think that one day we might just get a movie star to fall in love with us and swoop us away from our mundane lives, right? I guess we’d have a better chance if we looked like Hugh Grant. In this totally swoony London-based rom com, Hugh Grant plays an everyday bloke who gets involved with famous Hollywood celeb Anna Scott, played by Julia Roberts. It’s a simple love story full of heart, warm fuzzy feelings, and some fantastic cheesy love lines – like, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” You’ll be crying big, fat, ugly, tears in no time – but, like, in a happy way. This comedy hits ya with all the right clichés and will have you holding onto hope that your own dreamy movie star might just wander into your life one day…
7. Say Anything
Say anything you want about Say Anything (see what I did there) but this 80’s classic is a classic for a gosh dang reason, okay?! I’m not sure there’s a soul out there who hasn’t secretly (or not so secretly) fantasized about John Cusack holding a boom box up to their window. This movie has us believing that anyone – even people who are completely, totally not supposed to eat at the same table at lunch – can fall in love. This is a coming-of-age romcom, so honestly, it combines two of the best genres imaginable. You’ll root for John Cusack as he takes a chance at a girl who is so out of his league and, well, swings it outta the park. The underdog got the girl in the end and, hey, we’re still so proud.
6. Definitely Maybe
Another Ryan Reynolds swoon-fest, Definitely, Maybe pulled on heartstrings everywhere following its release in 2008. It’s basically a two-hour episode of How I Met Your Mother, but instead of a bunch of adult babies whining in a bar, it’s Ryan Reynolds whining in his daughter’s bedroom. In short, total masterpiece. This film digs deeper into some of the hard truths of romance – losing the right girl, going after the wrong one (who’s still totally nice, but just not the best person for you), the harrowing possibility of living your life in total and irreparable regret and loneliness. But then – as all romcoms do – it has an ending filled with hope, happiness, and love. It reminds us that even when we feel like we might just die alone, Ryan Reynolds could always come ringing our doorbell when we least expect it.
5. 50 First Dates
If you thought a terrible case of amnesia couldn’t make for a brilliant, hilarious love story – think again. Adam Sandler is a sleazy womanizer with absolutely no interest in falling in love when he notices Drew Barrymore reading in a café and BOOM – everything he thought he knew about love and life is turned upside down. Barrymore plays Lucy – a former teacher who suffers from terrible amnesia that forces her to relive the same day every single day, without her even realizing. It’s a sad story and the script doesn’t underplay that – but it elevates it with typical Sandler-esq comedy (yes, of course Rob Schneider plays a totally whacked out dude in this), and typical, gigantic Sandler-esq heart. This is a movie that you can watch 50 times in a row – even without amnesia – and never get bored of. It’ll remind you not to take anything for granted and that life is full of surprises – sometimes even happy ones. (Sometimes).
4. Love Simon
I don’t know about you, but the 2010’s were like a dried-up desert for great rom coms. Then came Love, Simon in 2018, and all at once – we were believing in love again. This is another coming-of-age romcom (best two genres, I am TELLING you) about Simon – a typical teenager who just has one little secret – he’s gay. When he discovers on a school blog that another teen at his high school shares the same secret, he reaches out – and soon, a budding chat room romance akin to You’ve Got Mail but for teenagers in the 21st century, ensues. This earnest,
sweet, and uplifting romantic comedy will warm your cold little heart and inspire within you the courage to live fully as yourself. Also, there’s a super heart-thumping Ferris Wheel scene that’s arguably more romantic than John Cusack’s stereo moment (yep, I said it). This film is a modern classic, and if you love rom coms, you’ll love Love, Simon.
3. Sleepless in Seattle
This story is as charming as it is sad – and even though there’s certainly a good deal of drama here, it’s ultimately a romantic comedy with its uplifting, heartwarming nature, and the piles of ridiculous fan mail that arrive on Tom Hank’s doorstep. After Sam Baldwin, played by Tom Hanks, loses his wife – his young son decides to save his father from his grief and find him a girlfriend. So, he does what any young kid did in the 90’s and calls into the radio. Soon, Baldwin is the target of lonely hearts everywhere, who are dying to heal the broken heart of this sweet, sad man. Meg Ryan is engaged on the other side of the country when she hears Baldwin’s voice on the radio – and is immediately awestruck. The two collide in a fairytale of the modern age and a sweet, sad story comes to a happy and optimistic end.
2. Legally Blonde
If you think that Legally Blonde is overrated, well, sorry to say – but you’re a total bonehead. This iconic feminist masterpiece is all about rising above and achieving the impossible – and falling in love with Luke Wison, ‘cus duh. When Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, is dumped by her frat-boy, pre-law boyfriend on the night she thought he’d propose, she decides she’ll go to law school to win him back. Against all odds, she manages to land a spot at Harvard and, as it turns out, she’s a really freaking good lawyer – like, way better than her twerp of an ex-boyfriend. Luke Wilson is working as a professor’s assistant when he notices Elle, and quickly falls in love with her fearlessness, zest for life, and refusal to be anything but herself. This movie is a feel-good classic that will have you believing in, well, everything.
Now, before we reveal the number one romcom to save romance, go ahead and give our like and subscribe buttons a little love, will you? You know you want to…
1. When Harry Met Sally
Love can be as rewarding as it is frustrating – and even true love can take decades to come to fruition. Harry and Sally’s witty, sublime dialogue is sure to reel you in and make you fall in love. This movie offers an honest, authentic look at love – stripped of any kind of over-the-top spectacle. At its core, it’s a story of a man and a woman who view the world differently – especially when it comes to sex and love. We watch them grow up together and yet apart and wait eagerly for the moment when they’ll finally put their stubbornness aside and realize they’re perfect for each other. When that moment does come, it’s as satisfying as it is romantic, and you’ll find yourself sitting in the dark for a few solid minutes after the movie ends – daydreaming about finding a perfectly imperfect love of your own. You’ll believe – even if just for a moment – that your soulmate is out there, if you just open your heart and let them in.
Well, my hopeless romantics, I sure hope you loved this list as much as we do! What are your favorite rom coms? Take a break from your big bowl of ice cream and let us know in the comment section! Thanks so much for watching, love you!
Credits:
Writer: Laura Townsend
Editor: AB Scarlett
Voice: Scott | http://bit.ly/3bD679R
Video: @_FearOK
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