Romantic comedies in the early 2000s were EVERYTHING. Now don’t get me wrong, re-watching them lets you see some of the problematic tropes and themes explored (sometimes in the wrong way) like homophobia, fat-phobia, and so on. Today, it’s not the easiest thing to look past(and it never was for me), but at the same time, these movies built little homes in people and stayed there forever. They had this way of making you feel like you’ve been given a warm hug while also making you laugh so hard, you find yourself crying. They were sweet, funny, romantic, and if we’re being honest incredibly unrealistic BUT that just made us love them even more.
How to lose a guy in 10 days centres two characters- Andie Anderson and Benjamin Barry. Ben is trying to land a deal with a client for his boss but his boss doesn’t think he’s the right employee for this particular client, so to prove that he has what it takes, he claims he can make a woman, any woman falls in love with him in 10 days. His boss agrees to let him try but his competitors for the job are the ones who choose the woman he has to woo. They choose Andie. What Ben doesn’t know is his intended victim, Andie, is using him as the focus of her most recent article; how to lose a guy in 10 days- he is essentially her victim. So it’s basically a race to see who achieves their end goal first. What neither of them expected to happen was love. They didn’t see themselves falling for each other but they did and it was beautiful.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet you can watch it here. If you have but you want to feel something similar to what you felt watching it, keep on reading.
The Wedding Planner
Synopsis: While celebrating her newest and most lucrative account — the wedding of Internet tycoon Fran Donelly (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras) — Mary (Jennifer Lopez) is rescued from a near-fatal collision with a runaway dumpster by the handsome paediatrician, Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey). After spending the most enchanting evening of their lives together, Mary thinks she’s finally found a reason to believe in love. What she doesn’t know is that cupid and her career are about to collide head-on.
Review: This is one of my all-time favourite romantic comedies. I love the situational tongue-in-cheek and totally bizarre family situations. Similarly, I love that in the end, love conquers all. I’ve watched this show at least six or seven times and always get a great laugh and a good feeling watching it.
27 Dresses
Synopsis: Perennial bridesmaid Jane (Katherine Heigl) always puts the needs of others before her own, making her the go-to gal whenever someone needs help with wedding plans. So when Jane’s younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) snags the man (Edward Burns) Jane secretly loves, Jane finds herself questioning her role as a wedding junkie for the first time in her life. Meanwhile, a handsome reporter (James Marsden) sees Jane’s unusual story as his ticket off the bridal beat.
Review: “27 Dresses” is a poignant, romantic comedy that makes you swoon. It’s far from the overrated romcoms nowadays because it has a fresh, appealing story. I must say if you’re looking for a lighthearted, goofy, well-written, character-driven movie, then this is for you! This follows a story where you realize that love is always just around the corner, and sometimes, you may have just been looking the wrong way. This is a very wholesome movie with goofy characters – which I adored so much – who not only made me believe in love again but made me realize what loving someone truly means. Such a perfect romcom! Truly a 10/10!
Just Like Heaven
Synopsis: David (Mark Ruffalo) is a recently widowed architect moving into a new apartment in San Francisco. But the apartment isn’t entirely empty; it’s haunted by the ghost of a woman named Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon). And although Elizabeth can’t remember much about her life, she’s convinced that she isn’t really dead. While David recruits Darryl (Jon Heder), an absent-minded psychic, to get to the bottom of Elizabeth’s identity, he and Elizabeth begin to fall in love.
Review: The movie is excellent. It’s a fresh and unique storyline and some powerful performances by the two leads. It has great comedy scenes that will make you laugh. The movie’s storyline is mostly predictable but I would say the movie is engaging till its end. So I would highly recommend you watch this movie with your friends and family.
Monster-In-Law
Synopsis: Charlotte (Jennifer Lopez) is smitten when she meets Dr. Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan). So when Kevin pops the question after they start dating, Charlotte happily accepts. But she soon realizes that Kevin’s mom, Viola (Jane Fonda), is not quite thrilled to have a new family member. Viola, a newscaster, has just lost her job and is feeling rather attached to Kevin, so she regards Charlotte as her new competition — and will apparently do anything to make her son call off the wedding.
Review: I think this movie is a 21st-century masterpiece. It’s on par with La-La-Land and Moonlight. I am still shocked at how it got no Oscar recognition. I feel that Fonda and J.Lo are a comedic duo for the ages. They should have their own sitcom! The age-old Mom V. Daughter In Law conflict has been reinvented and should be a cliche forever. I’m surprised that they did not make a sequel because this movie is the defining picture for all of their careers. The Jokes and comedic timing never failed to make me and my friend burst out in giggles. We have watched this together on many occasions.
The Ugly Truth
Synopsis: Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a lovelorn TV producer who, despite a long and arduous search for the perfect mate, is hopelessly single. The battle of the sexes heats up when her employers team her up with Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), an opinionated TV celebrity who plans to put Abby through the wringer to prove his own theories about what makes men and women tick.
Review: This is a movie where the eventual outcome is pretty much known from the start, but it’s the journey of getting there that really is the plot. I love the several really awkward predicaments that Katherine’s character finds herself in. I’ve seen a couple of other movies with similar plots but this one is head and shoulders above them. Nothing in it seems contrived, and Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl have great on-screen chemistry.
He’s Just Not That Into You
Synopsis: Baltimore-based friends and lovers, all in their 20s and 30s, try to navigate their way through the complexities of modern relationships. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) wants commitment from Neil (Ben Affleck), who sees nothing wrong with the status quo. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is tired of waiting by the phone, while Mary (Drew Barrymore) has a slew of supportive male friends, none of whom are straight. Meanwhile, Janine has trust issues with her husband, who can’t trust himself around Anna.
Review: I loved this movie. It dealt with so many different issues within relationships that we find ourselves in different stages of our lives. It’s a feel-good movie that allows you to laugh at yourself and deal with certain truths within yourself when you notice some similarities between yourself and the characters’ stories. Definitely worth a watch.
The Proposal
Synopsis: Faced with deportation to her native Canada, high-powered book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) says she’s engaged to marry Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), her hapless assistant. Andrew agrees to the charade, but imposes a few conditions of his own, including flying to Alaska to meet his eccentric family. With a suspicious immigration official always lurking nearby, Margaret and Andrew must stick to their wedding plan despite numerous mishaps.
Review: One of (if not) the best romcoms of all time, personally being my favourite. I may be a little biased as I’m a huge Sandra Bullock fan. As always, she brings tears while delivering witty comments that always leave me in stitches. Ryan Reynolds is also great in this and he and Sandra work so well together! Such a great movie definitely recommend it. It’s an absolute must-watch!
50 First Dates
Synopsis: Playboy vet Henry sets his heart on romancing Lucy, but she has short-term memory loss; she can’t remember anything that happened the day before. So every morning, Henry has to woo her again. Her friends and family are very protective, and Henry must convince them that he’s in it for love.
Review: I found this movie to be very sweet at times and surprisingly quite good. I quite liked it. The entire scenario was interesting to watch. I enjoyed the chemistry between Barrymore and Sandler. The idea felt believable and a majority of it was done well. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes romantic comedies or relationship movies in general. It’s worth a watch.
She’s All That
Synopsis: High school hotshot Zach Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is the envy of his peers. But his popularity declines sharply when his cheerleader girlfriend, Taylor (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), leaves him for sleazy reality-television star Brock Hudson (Matthew Lillard). Desperate to revive his fading reputation, Siler agrees to a seemingly impossible challenge. He has six weeks to gain the trust of nerdy outcast Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) — and help her to become the school’s next prom queen.
Review: The most beautiful sought out movie to watch. I watch it about 4 times a year because it’s truly a cute and romantic love story. After watching the newest re-make “He’s All That” I can’t say this enough- This movie needs a lot more praise for the characters and their counterparts. It’s classic, down to Earth and doesn’t need phones and social media to really bring out the storyline. Today, it’s become a nostalgic movie for the people who grew up with it and will forever be my favourite.
10 Things I Hate About You
Synopsis: Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), house rules say that she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. Soon Kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). Will Kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick?
Review: 10 Things I Hate About You is literally the best movie of all time. You will never find a rom-com better than this. I kid you not when I say that I’ve watched this movie countless times. I say countless because I literally lost track of how many times I’ve watched it.
Katerina Stratford is THE heroine of all heroines. I just love what she stands for and she’s forever a role model of mine. Patrick Verona is an absolute stud-muffin and I’m sure by the time you watch this movie, you’ll want a guy like him in your life. Cameron James is the most adorable and precious boy I’ve ever laid my eyes on in a rom-com. He’s so awkward but he still strives to pursue the girl of his dreams. He even learns French for her! Bianca Stratford may come across as one of your basic popular girls and you’re right. But you’ll grow to love her when she realizes how much her sister actually cares about her.
The magic never dies in this movie. I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I see Heath Ledger light up the screen; especially when he’s on the bleachers (you’ll know what I mean when you watch the movie!) I still get all squirmy every time Patrick and Kat kiss. As a tragic, hopeless romantic teenage girl who’s watched infinite romcoms, this is by far the best one. You’re missing out if you haven’t watched it!