# Recommend a romantic comedy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895 "2007-01-29T00:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/21 "2007-01-29T03:25:30Z")
[_Sabrina._](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047437/) I third _Love Actually_. [_Something’s Gotta Give._](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337741/) [_The Holiday._](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457939/) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/22 "2007-01-29T03:37:56Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] …you might also like Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain or Wimbledon (all but the last star Hugh Grant). [/QUOTE] Yes, Yes, haven’t seen it, and Yes. (Paul Bettany – yum.) Am looking forward to the upcoming Drew Barrymore-Hugh Grant one about songwriters – please god, let it not suck. Agree with **Campion** on the relative merits of the original Doris-and-Rock films vs. the pale imitation that was _Down with Love_. Loved _LA Story, Shakespeare in Love, About a Boy_. _Eternal Sunshine_ was already in my Netflix queue – several others of these will be added. (_Creator_ looks … interesting. I adore Peter O’Toole, though. _Big Eden_ … hm, be prepared to be beaten about the head and shoulders the next time I see you if I don’t like it, **SVF**!) Keep 'em coming, gang… ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/23 "2007-01-29T03:42:38Z")
I won’t repeat ones already mentioned. I will add: Bridget Jones’ Diary and the sequel to the list. The original was superior. Hugh Grant was very caddish, and Colin Firth very Darcy-ish, and the fight scene was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/24 "2007-01-29T03:51:41Z")
Okay, I thought of some more: Miss Congeniality - Sandra Bullock was cute, Benjamin Bratt cuter, and Candice Bergen a scream While You Were Sleeping - Sandra Bullock again - sweet, not the best of the bunch, but not awful When Harry Met Sally - which I assume everyone has already seen, but just in case Sleepless in Seattle - ditto (and I would \*\*not \*\* recommend the other Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie, the one about the bookstores, the end of which annoyed me) 13 Going on 30 - liked both Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo - and as someone pointed out on another thread today there was also Andy Serkis dancing to Thriller French Kiss - Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. Worth seeing for Kevin Kline alone. Just Like Heaven - Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo - mostly for Mark Ruffalo though the Napoleon Dynamite kid and an actor name Donal Logue had good supporting roles. Okay, I’m done now. (Can’t restrain myself from saying: I **really** like Groundhog Day!) ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/25 "2007-01-29T04:35:06Z")
I never thought of them this way before, but most of Cameron Crowe’s films have romantic comedy themes: _Fast Times at Ridgemont High Say Anything Singles Jerry McGuire Almost Famous_ ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/26 "2007-01-29T05:45:52Z")
I’ve always been a big fan of **Only the Lonely** with John Candy. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/27 "2007-01-29T06:09:52Z")
Another mention for _Keeping the Faith_ and _Garden State_. I also really enjoyed _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_ which tops my list of movies to watch when I need a pick-me-up. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/28 "2007-01-29T06:20:55Z")
Second _Love Actually_ and _Garden State_. WRT Bridget Jones, you may want to give the books a try before the movie. My own contribution: [Bride and Prejudice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bride_and_Prejudice_%28movie%29). What could be more comedially romantic than a Jane Austen Bollywood musical? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/29 "2007-01-29T06:33:28Z")
I’ll pitch in and recommend “The Closer You Get” which you’ll need some skill at deciphering Irish accents to get, but which is funny and sweet but not all that saccharine. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/30 "2007-01-29T06:35:09Z")
Forget Paris ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/31 "2007-01-29T06:51:36Z")
I wasn’t expecting much at all when I first saw this years ago, but I highly recommend [Return To Me.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122459/) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/32 "2007-01-29T06:59:50Z")
[Gregory’s Girl](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082477/) ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/33 "2007-01-29T08:35:21Z")
For something a little bit different, I’d definitely recommend Imagine Me & You ([Imagine Me & You (2005) - IMDb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0421994/). It’s a romantic comedy – with lesbians! Funny and cute. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/34 "2007-01-29T09:28:59Z")
I like Hope Davis a lot, so I’m a big fan of **Mumford**. Jason Lee plays the quirky friend. Adam Sandler pretty much only makes romantic comedies, and they vary greatly in quality. His best efforts (by far) pair him with Drew Barrymore; **The Wedding Singer** and **50 First Dates** are probably my all-time favorite romantic comedies. For non-Barrymore Sandler flicks, **Big Daddy** is the best of the rest. Mark Ruffalo doesn’t do many romantic comedies, and the few he does most definitely carry the risk of diabetic coma, but damn if he isn’t superb at it. Thus, **13 Going On 30** and **Just Like Heaven** are easy to recommend. Speaking of Just Like Heaven, Reese Witherspoon shines in this genre, so in addition to seconding **Sweet Home Alabama** , check out **Overnight Delivery**. Fair warning: that last one pairs her with Paul Rudd (from 40YOV), who some people can’t stand. If you don’t mind him, be sure to check out **Clueless**. I see some same-sex romantic comedies have been mentioned. If you’re into that kind of thing, **Jeffrey** and **Kissing Jessica Stein** cover both genders. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/35 "2007-01-29T09:34:29Z")
• Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal in _What’s Up, Doc?_. • Jane Fonda and Robert Redford in _Barefoot in the Park_. • Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in _It Happened One Night_. • Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in _The Philadelphia Story_. • Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in _The Goodbye Girl_. • Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort in _Harold and Maude_. • Mary Pickford and Charles “Buddy” Rogers in _My Best Girl_. • Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in _Ninotchka_. • Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in _Roman Holiday_. • Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart in _The Shop Around the Corner_. • Cher and Nicolas Cage in _Moonstruck_. • Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in _Double Indemnity_. • Walloon was just seeing _If You Were Awake_. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/36 "2007-01-29T09:58:42Z")
• Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn in _The More the Merrier_. • Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in _The Seven Year Itch_. • Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in _[Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow](http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews20/yesterday_today_and_tomorrow_dvd_review.htm)_. • Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in _My Fair Lady_. • Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in _Sleeper_. • Shirley Booth, Anthony Perkins, Shirley MacLaine, and Paul Ford in _[The Matchmaker](http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/matchmaker1958.php)_. • Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine in _Gambit_. • Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn in _Love Among the Ruins_. • Michael Caine and Julie Walters in _Educating Rita_. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/37 "2007-01-29T11:51:38Z")
**Walloon** – I don’t think you can stretch the definition of “romantic comedy” to include _Double Indemnity_, classic though it is. After I went offline last night, I was, however, thinking of some classics – I’ll nominate Barbara Stanwyck (one of my all-time faves) for _Ball of Fire_ and _Christmas in Connecticut._ (And **kawaiitentaclebeast** – abso-freakin’-lutely on _Bride and Prejudice_ – of all the movies mentioned so far, it’s the only one I own.) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/38 "2007-01-29T11:51:41Z")
[QUOTE=TastesLikeBurning] I wasn’t expecting much at all when I first saw this years ago, but I highly recommend [Return To Me.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122459/) [/QUOTE] I’ll second it. (As a film, it rates about 6 decapuppies on the “cute/sweet” meter. That’s the Imperial-style measurment, mind you.) And **PastAllReason** ’s suggestions, whch are basically the Old Testament of romantic comedies, I think. As for myself, I’d like to reccomend [_Addicted to Love_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicted_to_Love_%28film%29). It could be considered “dark,” as romantic comedies go. I hate to give details away at the risk of spoiling the plot—but jilted lovers and obsessive revenge schemes figure in big. It introduced “skullzes” into the vocabulary around my house (for good or bad)—you’ll get it when you hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/39 "2007-01-29T13:23:23Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] **Walloon** – I don’t think you can stretch the definition of “romantic comedy” to include _Double Indemnity_, classic though it is. [/QUOTE] Perhaps you read the line immediately following that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![muzzynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@muzzynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muzzynyc)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895/40 "2007-01-29T13:36:04Z")
_The Girl in the Cafe_ (another Richard Curtis movie – writer of _4 Weddings, Notting Hill, Love Actually_) _His Girl Friday_ – absolute genius _Some Like It Hot Bringing Up Baby Flirting with Disaster Amelie_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-romantic-comedy/389895.md?page=3)