[Nerdspresso] Kiss and Tell: Rom Coms That Don't Suck

Whatever happened to the big screen romantic comedy? They were a cinematic staple when my wife and I were dating in the early 2000’s. Theaters were full of titles with Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Katherine Heigl meeting cute and finding love. Now it seems that the rom com as we know it has been relegated to streaming channels like Netflix and Paramount+ and star actors that used to be child stars on 80’s TV.

Lately, people have been decrying the death of the rom com as a genre. I’m not sure which people, but people. Probably the same ones that haven’t liked a movie since Meg Ryan dumped Bill Pullman for Tom Hanks. But you know what happens in movieland? Everything comes back around again. Musicals are dead? Hello there, Chicago and La La Land. Superhero movies don’t make money? Hey, there, MCU. No one will go see a movie based on a doll? Ka-ching, Barbie! So rom coms have flatlined? Have you met Anyone But You?

This flick came out around Christmas last year and made some serious bank. It’s an old school rom com with the goofy but adorable girl who meets a confident but self-deprecating dude in an amusing situation. They then simultaneously annoy and attract each other while colorful side characters provide comic relief. Sparks fly and everyone dresses really well. Maybe the genre isn’t deceased. It was just lying dormant, recharging like an old iPhone, waiting to be reloaded with some fun new apps.

Anyone But You is now on Netflix so you can catch it there if you haven’t seen it. This movie follows the tried-and-true formula of kissy flicks that have appeased daters and friend groups alike for generations. It’s not subtle and it’s far from a classic, but it’s watchable and you understand why it was successful. It is pure popcorn fantasy, taking us somewhere we may never go and introducing us to people we will probably never meet, but it sure is a lovely temporary vacation.

The leads are certainly attractive and have great chemistry. There’s nothing worse than a romantic comedy where you have no idea why the two characters are into each other. Check out Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond in Sabrina or Harrison Ford and Anne Heche in Six Days, Seven Nights or Harrison Ford with any female co-star that’s not Carrie Fisher or Karen Allen. There’s a reason why this guy makes action movies. On-screen chemistry is a special kind of magic. Not everyone has it.

Sydney Sweeney (who got big on HBO’s Euphoria and seems to be the “It Girl” right now) flirts and spars effectively with Glen Powell (who is enjoying being a leading man after playing second banana to Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick and crushing it as a storm chaser in the new Twisters). They are backed by an accomplished cast that is obviously having a blast in the gorgeous locations in Sydney, Australia. Bryan Brown from F/X, Michelle Hurd from Star Trek: Picard and Alexandra Ship from Barbie are all there. They are mugging for the camera and dropping cheeky quips that no one would say in real life, but we totally enjoy in “reel life.”

To me, that’s the key to a successful romantic comedy and I must confess that I’m a sucker for a good one. Feel free to deduct serious man points from my dude account if you must, but I’ll fight you on it. I am not ashamed to say that I am comforted by the sight of pretty people in nice clothes saying funny things in cool places and then kissing in the rain. It’s very soothing to me. Like one of those white noise machines that lull you to sleep or a good CPAP machine. Whatever gets you through the night, right?

Romantic comedies are like alchemy. They all come down to the ingredients mixing together in just the right amounts: attractive stars with chemistry, a great supporting cast, clever dialogue and gorgeous locales. When it works, it’s like Christmas. When it doesn’t, it’s on Hallmark Channel. If watching Anyone But You has put you in the mood for more romance, I’ve put together some recommendations that I hope you will enjoy.

I think there’s something for everyone on this list. Perfect for a date night at home or a movie night with the girls or even if you just need a little cinematic self-care. In my world, this entertainment is not gender specific. Dudes can watch rom coms without any girls around.

Buddy, you can still dig action flicks but cry when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan get together at the end. Go ahead, give yourself a hug. Watch the romantic comedy.

HERE ARE SOME ROM COMS THAT DON’T SUCK

Notting Hill

Julia Roberts made more than her fair share of frothy “boy meets girl” stories in her heyday. This flick is one of her best. Written by Richard Curtis, who has made his name penning screenplays about love in fabulous contemporary London, Notting Hill is about a movie star (Roberts, natch) falling for the owner of a tiny travel book shop in the trendy neighborhood of Notting Hill. Yes, it’s a fantasy and her paramour is played by Hugh Grant in full-on floppy hair/nervous stammer mode. The love story plays out as you would expect with some glimpses into the outrageousness that occurs when you’re dating one of the world’s biggest celebrities. It’s the supporting cast that really makes this movie shine. A hilarious roster of primo British talent, including Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man), Hugh Bonneville (Downtown Abbey), and the late (and ever so lovely) Emma Chambers, steal this movie. Especially Ifans and Chambers, playing Grant’s slovenly roommate and his wacky bohemian sister, respectively. Watch this one just for the dinner scene where everyone meets Roberts for the first time. It’s a keeper.

27 Dresses

Katherine Heigl got a bad rap for being strong willed and opinionated when she had her moment in the spotlight after being on a hit TV show (Grey’s Anatomy) and in a hit movie (Knocked Up). I say good for her for not getting pushed around, even if most of her star turns are a little meh. She’s got spunk and that counts for something. This flick seems to have slipped off the radar these days, but I watched it again recently and it’s still checking all the boxes. Heigl plays a people-pleasing urbanite infamous for being maid of honor in 27 weddings. Always a bridesmaid, she now finds herself planning her spoiled little sister’s surprise wedding. Complicating matters is that sis is marrying Heigl’s boss, who is also her office crush (Edward Burns from The Brothers McMullen and Saving Private Ryan). Heigl’s character is a nice mix of Type A and melancholy, someone so busy planning other people’s big moments that she’s denied herself happiness. A superb cast, including James Marsden (HBO’s Westworld and the old X-Men movies) and the enchanting Judy Greer (a rom-com veteran from 13 Going on 30 and The Wedding Planner) make this one a must watch. When Heigl and Marsden cut loose with some impromptu barroom karaoke, you’ll happily sing along.

You’ve Got Mail

Full disclosure here: this is the movie that my future bride and I saw on our first date. Regardless of its impact on cinematic history, it will always have a special place in my heart. I was congratulating myself by booking a rom com for our first date, but who knew that my lovely didn’t like Meg Ryan movies? I’m forever grateful that she suffered through it and accepted my invite for a second date, which was another movie. I wasn’t very original, but I was consistent. You’ve Got Mail is a pretty paint by numbers flick from writer/director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle), but it does soothe you like a cup of warm cocoa. That whole email/internet chatroom subplot has not aged very well, but Tom Hanks is very charming. Plus, the Manhattan scenery makes you want to book an immediate jaunt to the Big Apple. The upper West Side and big-box bookstores have never looked dreamier. However, Meg Ryan is squeezing the last ounces of precious out of her movie persona so try to watch her scenes without cringing. Even so, she and Hanks are golden whenever they are together on screen. This flick is also backed by an all-star team, including the unforgettable Parker Posey (Dazed and Confused, Party Girl). That woman makes snark an art form.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

It seems when this genre is seen through the male POV, it’s often categorized more as “comedy” than a “rom com,” but make no mistakes, dudes are looking for love, too. Jason Segal (I Love You, Man and Shrinking on Apple+) wrote and stars in this one about a composer of TV soundtracks trying to get over his breakup with his starlet girlfriend (Kristen Bell from TV’s The Good Place). He runs off to Hawaii and accidentally checks into the same resort as his ex, who has now hooked up with a rock star lothario (Russell Brand from Trolls, Despicable Me and formerly Mr. Katy Perry). Once there, he ingratiates himself with the resort staff and they all help him get his mind off his famous ex. Sparks fly when he connects with the spunky front desk clerk, played by Mila Kunis (TV’s That ’70’s Show and Bad Moms). She helps him get past his hangups and fully embrace his passion to stage an original Dracula musical all with puppets (I’m not making this up). The filmmakers use the Hawaiian locales to their favor and the resort staff and guests are played by a comedy A-list (Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and Jack McBrayer). Segal generates genuine affection for our sad sack hero while Kunis radiates “cool girl” energy and Brand manages to make sleaze endearing.

Bridget Jones’s Diary

Helen Fielding’s popular comic novel is adapted here by Richard Curtis (remember him?) and first-time director Sharon Maguire with Renee Zellweger in the title role. Singleton Bridget Jones smokes too much, drinks too much and pines for her boss, the lasciviously cool Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant, a total flip from his role in Notting Hill) in this romantic misadventure set in metro London. Follow Bridget as she documents her 32nd year attempting to get her professional and personal life on track after a disastrous New Year’s run-in with stuffy barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth from The Kingsman). We are riveted by Bridget’s relatable humorous struggles to have it all. While so many rom coms roll out the quirky heroine and reduce her to a series of pratfalls and awkward moments (See Anyone But You), this movie makes its main character more than a punchline. While there is a fair share of laughs, Zellweger keeps the character grounded. Your affection for Bridget keeps you watching. Will she advance her career? Will she not let her parents drive her crazy? Will she die alone, only to be found weeks later, half-eaten by wild dogs? The romantic triangle that eventually develops between Bridget, Cleaver, and Darcy culminates in one of the funniest fight scenes ever. When proper British guys brawl, it’s a good laugh. Bridget Jones’s Diary is one of those chick flicks that dudes also enjoy. It really comes down to the characters just being so endearing. And London always looks cool on film.

ROM COMS ARE ICE CREAM SUNDAES FOR YOUR BRAIN

Back when Blockbuster Video was still a thing and my wife and I were just dating, we’d pop in on a Friday night for a couple movies and then grab Chinese takeout on the way home. We’d always get a horror movie and a romantic comedy. The movie nerd behind the counter would give me a knowing glance. His reassuring nod said that I was a good boyfriend for enduring Failure to Launch just so I could later enjoy Friday the 13th. My gaze acknowledged that relationships are full of compromise, but it was really my lady who was sacrificing. She was jonesing for Jason while I just wanted to see SJP find true love.

What can I say? I’m a romantic at heart. That said, please know that I like romantic comedies and not love stories. That’s a totally different thing. Love stories often end in tragedy and who has time for that? Romantic comedies are a special kind of escapism. They are like ice cream sundaes for your brain and just like sweets, you need to consume them in moderation. A bad rom com can make you queasy. Too many in a row will put you in a sugar coma. But a good one is something to savor.

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