Top four RomComs that will warm your heart

These late winter days when the winter coldness is fading and spring seems close, many think of fun and creative ways to spend their day without being out in the sun. Spending a day with a significant other, during a self-care night, or during a girl’s night, watching the best, heartwarming romantic comedies is an ideal choice.

10 Things I Hate About You

In Gil Junger’s 10 Things I hate About You, Kat Stratford, played by Julia Stiles, is an incredibly independent high school senior not letting any guy intrude on her plans to attend Sarah Lawrence College. Despite her attempts to cut out all possibilities of immature men in her life, she falls for Patrick Verona. Verona, being the school’s mystery and not many knowing anything about him or his lifestyle, is paid to take Kat out on a date at the expense of Joey Donner and his efforts to date Kat’s sister, Bianca. Throughout the classic, Kat eventually gives in to Patrick’s efforts in dating her, until their senior prom when Kat discovers the bet. Ultimately Kat decides to forgive Verona in his mistake and the two begin a healthy relationship.

This romcom is a classic in the world of romance movies and is loved by many. Although it is not everyone’s cup of tea, being described as a movie that encourages illegal activities such as when Kat flashes her soccer coach to get her boyfriend out of detention. Despite the negativity the romcom receives, this movie holds a special place in my heart due to the heartwarming reconnection between Kat and Patrick at the end of the movie after Patrick is forgiven.

Available on Disney+

In Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, Mia Dolan, played by Emma Stone finds love with a jazz-loving man, Sebastian Wilder, played by Ryan Gosling. Sebastian being a struggling jazz pianist while Mia is an aspiring actress trying to write her own one-woman show. While both are in Los Angeles, they meet in the traffic line when Mia is reading over a script and does not realize traffic has started running again. They continuously run into each other throughout the next few days and decide to meet up at a local coffee shop. Their continuous hangouts and Sebastian’s attempts to change Mia’s mind over jazz music brought them together. For a while, they began to date, but when Sebastian goes on tour with his jazz band, and Mia finally gets her one woman show on stage, they decide to separate and go their own ways. Mia marries and starts a family with another man, but their paths continue to cross even throughout this marriage. Their friendship stayed separate and their relationship never rekindled.

La La Land is a well-loved musical used to convey the images of love and desire through losing a love interest that once meant everything. The dynamic relationship between Mia and Sebastian shows how important the relationship can be, even if it doesn’t work out. Keith Garlington on rottentomatoes.com described the movie as a, “dazzling, joyous, smile-inducing production.” Despite having some who dislike the musical aspect of this romantic comedy, I found it to be a beautiful love story with inspiring aspects such as learning to be ok with what you no longer have.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

In Robert Iscove’s She’s All That, Laney Boggs, played by Racheal Leigh Cook, is a closed off artist with a low social life, and stereotyped as the “quiet, ugly girl,” due to her thinking she must act as mother because of her late mother’s passing a few years prior. However, when the trio of the school’s “hottest guys” made a bet that their friend, Zack Siler, played by Freddie Prinze Jr, he could not turn any girl of their pick into prom queen. Zack took on this challenge with an open mind and began to talk with Laney. Their relationship progressed and they were often found hanging out, despite Zack’s friends’ doubts about the situation. In the end of the movie, during prom Laney found out about the bet and ended all contact with Zack because of their genuine relationship they formed that has now been revealed as a lie. At the very end, Zack apologizes for everything and explains the situation which persuades Laney to forgive him.

This romantic comedy is not as much of a classic as the others mentioned prior. Especially with its remake, He’s All That from 2021 starring Addison Rae and Tanner Buchanan, which resurfaced the original movie’s popularity. However, this movie does receive its fair share of negative comments being described as, “mean spirited,” by movie critic Rachel Wagner on rottentomatoes.com. However, despite these comments, I enjoy this movie as it shows a classic teenage romance plot, even though it is not the most realistic view of young love.

Available on Netflix

In Peter Segal’s 50 First Dates Lucy Whitmore, played by Drew Barrymore, suffered a traumatic car accident that left her with permanent brain damage and long-term memory loss. Living with her dad and brother, she lives the same life everyday due to their hard work of resetting their lives to help her feel stable. Part of this routine is going to a diner each morning for breakfast where she meets Henry Roth, played by Adam Sandler, who works to eat breakfast with Lucy each day. However, this becomes a struggle when she starts to get frustrated for his overzealous approaches due to his lack of awareness of her memory loss. Even though Lucy’s family works to keep Henry away, he persuades them of his desire to be with Lucy. In the end of the movie, they become a married couple and start their own family, where Henry takes on the role of resetting the day for Lucy each morning.

This movie is another one of Adam Sandler’s classics. The love shown between Henry and Lucy is a love that is looked upon by many who also share a relationship close to them. Although their situation is not ideal, it is made to work for them. Cole Smithey on rottentomatoes.com described this movie as one that “has an unexpected emotional undertow and enough hard-won laughs to make it succeed.” I agree with Smithey because of the comedic relief that is shown through the serious aspects of the situation.