While I was pregnant I didn’t have 2 hours to spare to sit and watch a movie. Now I’m home, on painkillers, and forced by my sexy new incision to spend a good amount of time sitting. Since Baba O’Riley likes to sit with me, it’s not bad, but let me be honest: as usual I have 900 channels and there’s nothing on. And the percocet makes it difficult for me to read and pay attention. I either end up staring at the words blankly or I pass out.
So, while I’m recovering, I figure I’ll watch some movies. But I don’t think I’ve watched a movie in 2 years – so I am at a loss. What’s your recommendation for romantic films (on the comedic side please – I am wickedly hormonal after all) that you’ve enjoyed?
I don’t watch a lot of movies, so these aren’t the Newest, but I’ve liked Hot Fuzz, Hairspray, and No Reservations.
When I’m in the mood for romance I tend to watch films which have been out for years such as “Notting Hill”, “The Truth About Cats and Dogs” or “The Wedding Singer”. I also love all the old Cary Grant comedies such as, “His Girl Friday”, “Bringing Up Baby” and “The Philadelphia Story”.
You could also try the new BBC adaptation of “Jane Eyre”. I can guarantee it will make you cry, but it does have a happy ending!
Okay, going through my list of movies seen, here are some that might fit the bill. Some are new, some are old. If you’ve seen some, you can measure my taste against yours before watching any of the others.
10 Things I Hate About You
50 First Dates
Amelie
American President
Calendar Girls (not so much on the romance, but lighthearted and fun)
The Freshman
Hitch
Idiocracy (another not really a romance, but very funny)
Sabrina (old or new-ish)
Shaun of the Dead (same people as Hot Fuzz suggested earlier)
Try How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Two Weeks Notice. Two of my faves. And this one is older, but While You Were Sleeping.
Funny, as we have three movies here from Netflix that for the most part have gone unwatched while Alisonis under the deadline from hell, but we do take time to watch SAVING GRACE. Interesting show you might (cough cough download cough) catch on reruns. Starring a very scrawny and very naked Holly Hunter, “Grace” has screwed every man with a functioning penis on the show, and is working out her demons with Earl, the angel assigned to her.
I watch it for the scenes with Earl, and not for, say, the moments like the opening scene of this weeks show where Grace was naked and handcuffed to her own bed and some random guy scrawling on her with lipstick…
Two Weeks Notice
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Hitch
While You Were Sleeping
Legally Blonde
Miss Congeniality 1 and 2
Hitch (loved Will Smith)
How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days (I didn’t expect to like this one, but found Kate Hudson charming and funny.)
50 First Dates (I’m a Drew Barrymore fan.)
Uh, there must be more, but I’m coming up blank!
How about Intolerable Cruelty? Or Raising Arizona? Or O Brother Where Art Thou (which has been playing on CMT a lot lately).
(I’m a bit of a Coen Brothers fan…)
I liked Music & Lyrics. It was fun in a 80’s blast from the past type of way.
Oh, Blast from the Past is also better than I thought it would be. VERY cute.
Recently re-watched Love, Actually. Wonderful.
I was going to suggest Knocked Up but it’s not out on dvd until Sept. 25. but definitely check it out when you can. If for nothing else than because Paul Rudd is fantastic in it.
I always watch Love, Actually when I need to be put in a good mood. Or The Philadelphia Story as someone already mentioned.
I’m horrible about staying up to date on movies, but I did see Music and Lyrics which is not the greatest Hugh Grant rom-com but isn’t terrible.
The Gay movie list for women time on their hands…
The Women
All About Eve
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
Mommie Dearest
Steel Magnolias
Moonstruck
Working Girl
Sabrina – The one with Audrey Hepburn
Pretty Woman
Catch and Release (I love me some Timothy Olyphant, and I liked this film a lot)
Walk the Line (amazing performances!)
Just Like Heaven (sweet romance set in San Francisco, and it stars Mark Ruffalo, who I totally have a crush on).
13 Going on 30 (looks stupid, I know; I laughed my ass off, and again Mark Ruffalo).
I love Last Holiday with Queen Latifa. (Did I spell that right?) Also, it’s not a romantic comedy, but Second Hand Lions is excellent. Touching story, lots of adventure, lots of laughs.
ANTM and Gossip Girl start tonight, too.
Secretary
Strictly Ballroom
the Dish
and I watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding over and over when I need a fix.
How could I forget Music & Lyrics. I absolutely love that movie, though I hadn’t expected to. Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant worked great together in it.
I like The Mirror Has Two Faces, but it’s not really a funny movie.
Try The Sweetest Thing (Christina Applegate); I’ll second 13 going on 30 and The Philadelphia Story; I just watched The Legand of Billie Jean recently-and it was a nostalgic extravaganza; I’m a sucker for Oceans 11 for the romance between Clooney and Roberts (I think they are a sweet couple); then there are the oldies: Sixteen Candles, Say Anything, Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire.
I’ll second 13 going on 30 and The Philadelphia Story.
Others: The Sweetest Thing, Ocean’s 11 (for the Clooney/Roberts romance-how cute are they in that movie?);
Romantic nostalgia: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Legend of Billie Jean; and to a certain extenet Real Genius.
I didn’t mean to post twice. How did that happen? The sytem lied to me. *grumbles*
It’s not available on DVD, but Shirley Valentine is really great.
Anchorman. Favorite line? “My apartment smells of rich mahogany.
Varsity Blues. What can I say about a crappy movie with a naked Scott Caan? How about, “I want to take a bite out of his lucious ass.”
Strictly Ballroom. Early Baz Lurman or however you spell his name. Lots of bright colors and sparkly things.
Office Space “I’m gonna show her my “O” face.”
Not a whole lot of romances, but entertaining and mindless.
ooh, I second “Amelie” and “Strictly Ballroom.” Others I can re-watch over and over:
Sleepless in Seattle
Mostly Martha (it’s German with lots of yummy food in it)
Cat Ballou (classic Jane Fonda western – so funny)
About a Boy
Bringing Up Baby (Cary Grant w/glasses=cute)
The Thin Man (comedy about a 30’s era married crime-solving couple – awesome)
For romantic comedy I love While You Were Sleeping.
For a romantic fantasy my absolute favorite movie is Ladyhawke. A studly Rutger Hauer as a knight, a smartass Matthew Broderick as a thief. Also stunning photography. You can’t miss with Ladyhawke.
It might not be out on DVD for a while yet, but I LOVED Stardust. French Kiss with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline is one of my classics as well. And my favorite girly movie of all time, Funny Face. Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, and Paris, what more could a girl ask for? 🙂
Haha, confirmation word is “home71”
1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC production with Colin Firth—yowza!)
2. The Philadelphia Story
3. Holiday
4. It Happened One Night
5. Shakespeare in Love
6. Much Ado About Nothing
7. The Women
8. Notting Hill
9. Last of the Mohicans (OK, it’s not funny, but come on…Daniel Day-Lewis!)
10. I, Claudius (OK, this one isn’t a romance and although it has funny bits, it’s not a comedy. But it’s a Roman soap opera with the most deliciously wicked female character imaginable—all hail Livia!)
I third 13 Going on 30.
I also highly recommend Don’t Tell Her It’s Me (also known as The Boyfriend School). It’s a hoot, all about a guy who wants the girl and how his sister helps him win the girl by transforming him into a charecter from a romance novel (the sister is a romance novelist). It also pokes fun of the stereotypes of romance writers and readers. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and I watch it every six months or so.
I forgot my ultimate feel good can’t help but watch it when it’s on tv movie: Fools Rush In with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek. I don’t know why I love this movie. I just do. Well, there is my unnatural love for Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek, but it’s still a funny and sweet movie.
I fiftythird 13 Going on 30. I love Mark Ruffalo in this movie.
The Sweetest Thing will make you laugh until your stitches burst. And it’s a really cute love story.
Sweet Home Alabama is really cute.
And I adore Love Actually. I could watch it over and over again. Oh, I do 😉
I sooo second Love, Actually. (my favourite movie)
Sliding Doors
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Holiday
Ice Castles (come on who didn’t cry at the end?)
Any old Disney live action movies are great for old nostalgic feelings.
Practical Magic
But if I was only able to recommend one: Love, Actually.
The Matchmaker (it stars Janeane Garofalo, what more do I need to say?).
Danny Deckchair (great little Aussie romance).
40 Year Old Virgin. If the musical montage to “Aquarius” at the end doesn’t make you cackle, nothing will.
Roman Holiday-classic Audrey Hepburn
The Mummy—adventure and Brendan Fraser looking swashbucklingly good!
Blast from the Past has already been mentioned but is great.
Bend it like Beckham—cute soccer coach!
She’s the Man—silly teen movie but more soccer and Channing Tatum with his shirt off a whole bunch.
A few folks have mentioned Strictly Ballroom and I heartily nth it. I’d also say just about any Hugh Grant comedy would work. Don’t forget About a Boy. While the romance there is in the B plot, what it has to say about the love between parent and child will give you the good sort of weepies in your current state.
And both the Firth and the MacFadyen P&P get my vote. For more juicy MacFadyen goodness, watch Spooks (a.k.a. MI-5) or The Way We Live Now, both, I think available streaming on Netflix.
Finally, for some good raunchy fun, how about BBC’s Casanova with David Tennant and Peter O’Toole? Suspend all desire for historical accuracy, and it might work for ya.
I Third (fourth?) While you were Sleeping (I <3 Sandra Bullock in it), and also wanted to add
The Cutting Edge…it’s romance, it’s comedy, it’s sports and skating, and it kicks ass. Preview
Oh, and I also second Michelle with LadyHawke, too – It’s probably kind of hard to find now (and certainly not devoid of an 80s-tacular soundtrack) – but it’s an epic and touching romance, with just the right amount of comedic offset. Oh – and I think Michelle Pfeiffer is in it too, before she was big.
And Stardust was also awesome, although I think it’s still in theaters. It doesn’t work if you go in with huge expectations, but it’s got the Princess Bride/Pirates of the Carribean sense of playfulness and not taking itself to seriously.
For Romantic COMEDY I would recommend:
You’ve Got Mail
The Sweetest Thing (2nd that one)
Philadelphia Story – as stated above
And it’s not really a comedy but North & South by the BBC is WONDERFUL! Just like P&P
Hope this helps!
About A Boy – another Hugh Grant film and I do love me some Nick Hornby.
High Fidelity – Hornby again, Americanized. John Cusack
. The character he plays is so like my ex-husband. Hornby often uses the theme of men growing up in his work.
For something quirky – Committed. Heather Graham is OK but Goran Visnjic is dreamy. Also with Casey Affleck, Mark Ruffalo and Luke Wilson.
I have to agree about Music and Lyrics. Not the best plot but Grant’s 80’s Whamlike video is a scream.
-Sense and Sensibility
-Much Ado About Nothing
-Love, Actually
-Bend it Like Beckham
-Bride and Prejudice
And whoever voted for Anchorman, I just want to say, ilu bb. Add Talladega Nights and Zoolander, and that’s a date night. :p
I couldn’t stomach “13 Going on 30” myself. You know how I am about “Sweet Home Alabama” though. Have you ever seen “Shag” (about the dance, not the act.)?
Also:
The Holiday (relatively new)
Can’t Buy Me Love
Casino Royale
Hitch
Rumor has it
Oh! I also love “The Italian Job”!
(My captcha is “income42” are you telling me to get back to work?”
Oh goodness, how could I forget? Stage Beauty!
When I need a good onscreen romance, I tend to stick with the classics: Pat & Mike, His Girl Friday, It Happened One Night, The Thin Man (not really a romance, but Nick and Nora have one of the best onscreen marriages ever), etc. Or the instant classics: Legally Blonde, Ella Enchanted, Clueless, Brown Sugar.
If I want something slightly weepy I go with either the William Hurt/Charlotte Gainsbourg or the Orson Wells/Joan Fontaine (with a young Liz Taylor in a small role!) version of Jane Eyre.
If I need to really pull out the big guns in terms of visually stunning, a great romance, smart AND funny yet not overly demanding of brain cells, I go with A Room with a View.