# Movies where dorky, not-conventionally-attractive girl gets the guy of her dreams? (Spoilers OK) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325 "2010-01-01T20:49:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/21 "2010-01-02T00:41:15Z")
Twentieth post and no one has mentioned the classic John Hughes film [Sixteen Candles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/22 "2010-01-02T00:46:46Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > Twentieth post and no one has mentioned the classic John Hughes film [Sixteen Candles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/) That’s probably because the character wasn’t unattractive. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/23 "2010-01-02T00:52:28Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > That’s probably because the character wasn’t unattractive. Again, _Hollywood_ unattractive. One wonders if it is just because only attractive people try to become movie stars, or if casting directors and directors have a distorted view of what average people look like. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/24 "2010-01-02T00:53:38Z")
[Dogfight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101748/) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/25 "2010-01-02T00:58:35Z")
As a subplot, [Rocky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/26 "2010-01-02T01:01:34Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > As a subplot, [Rocky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/) Actually that is a pretty good one, although he was the one mooning after her. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/27 "2010-01-02T01:08:14Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Actually that is a pretty good one, although he was the one mooning after her. Talia Shire=unattractive?! ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/28 "2010-01-02T01:11:41Z")
The two Hairsprays? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/29 "2010-01-02T01:13:50Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Talia Shire=unattractive?! The OP didn’t say “unattractive.” It said dorky and not-a-supermodel. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/30 "2010-01-02T01:24:03Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > The OP didn’t say “unattractive.” It said dorky and not-a-supermodel. I don’t really see Talia Shire as dorky, though. And I dunno what “supermodel” means but I think she’s gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/31 "2010-01-02T01:31:56Z")
OK, put her down as “Hollywood ugly” if that helps you, but there’s no question she was dorky in _Rocky_. (Did you _see_ that movie? And you didn’t think she was _dorky_ in it?) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/32 "2010-01-02T01:34:14Z")
The Fisher King? Note that Robin Williams wasn’t exactly conventionally handsome either (tho he was, after a fashion, a sort of knight in rather dinged-up armor). ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/33 "2010-01-02T01:36:18Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > The OP didn’t say “unattractive.” It said dorky and not-a-supermodel. The OP said she herself was dorky and not a supermodel. She asked for \*\* > [@](#): > > **Movies where dorky, not-conventionally-attractive girl gets the guy of her dreams?** \*\* Strictly Ballroom was great, but I’ve never decided whether or not she gets the guy at the end, or if she has just realized her dream. Either way, it’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/34 "2010-01-02T01:39:44Z")
The Talia Shire reference reminds me of the Mad satire of Rocky. Rocky proposes to Adrian, and says that their children will have “my body and your brains!” Talia replies, “But what if he has _my_ body and _your_ brains?” Rocky thinks for a moment, and says, “Hey, it never stopped Sonny Bono!” ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/35 "2010-01-02T01:40:17Z")
I’ll put out “A Walk To Remember.” Now, no way is Mandy Moore unattractive, but she was the dorky, unpopular girl in the high school, and she stayed that way while the popular guy fell for her. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/36 "2010-01-02T01:42:57Z")
Well, I don’t like to be put in the position of arguing that someone is unattractive (which just seems ungentlemanly to me), but since y’all keep pressing the point, on her [best day](http://cache05.stormap.sapo.pt/stockimgs02/49/a0/f6/49a0f60544529c4a8bdcae037884ac06_tmp_2bac09d9Talia%20Shire.jpg), Talia Shire was definitely no great beauty. I will spare you more recent pictures (which would not be fighting fair). ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/37 "2010-01-02T01:51:50Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Well, I don’t like to be put in the position of arguing that someone is unattractive (which just seems ungentlemanly to me), but since y’all keep pressing the point, on her [best day](http://cache05.stormap.sapo.pt/stockimgs02/49/a0/f6/49a0f60544529c4a8bdcae037884ac06_tmp_2bac09d9Talia%20Shire.jpg), Talia Shire was definitely no great beauty. I will spare you more recent pictures (which would not be fighting fair). I always thought she was very attractive, including in the link you provided. I have a lot of trouble with Renee Zellweger nowadays, though… ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/38 "2010-01-02T02:55:39Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Well, typically in those movies, the girl is merely [Hollywood Homely](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HollywoodHomely). Usually after a makeover, it is revealed that she was[Beautiful All Along](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeautifulAllAlong). > > But here are some examples of movies you described: > My Big Fat Greek Weding (Nia Vardalos) > Circle of Friends (Minnie Driver) > Penelope (Christina Ricci) > The House Bunny (Emma Stone) > Miss Congeniality (Sandra Bullock) > The Princess Diaries (Anne Hathaway) > Never Been Kissed (Drew Barrymore) > The Breakfast Club (Ally Sheedy) I guess technically these fit the “dorky in movie” and “not look like a supermodel” category, but a lot of these girls are very attractive, and if this is an example of how “plain” girls can get the hot guys, I’d hate to be a female! Minnie and Christina are quite cute. Sandra and Drew are both cover girls for various magazines. And Ally Sheedy (in TBC) is a stone cold fox, hotter than most supermodels I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Zen\_Postman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4da419/32.png) [@Zen\_Postman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zen_Postman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/39 "2010-01-02T02:59:08Z")
Didn’t Mary Stuart Masterson wind up with Eric Stoltz at the end of [Some Kind of Wonderful](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Kind_of_Wonderful_%28film%29)? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325/40 "2010-01-02T03:09:31Z")
Frances McDormand in\* Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day\*. Even dolled up, Ms. McDormand is not a supermodel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-dorky-not-conventionally-attractive-girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams-spoilers-ok/523325.md?page=3)