By: Meghan Runte
With all the love in the air on Valentine’s Day, McNicholas High School’s students shared their favorite romantic comedy movies. Of the students and staff surveyed, 50% said that romantic comedies were their favorite genre of movie.
Romantic comedies are known to be quirky and goofy love stories. They are usually heartwarming and upbeat.
Freshman Isabelle Payne said she enjoys the combination of the two genres and likes there to be an even ratio of romance to comedic relief. Payne shared that a rom-com is best when you can feel the “connection between characters and the characters fit well together.” Payne said she watches rom-coms about “once every two weeks,” and 90’s are her favorite era of romantic comedies.
English teacher Ms. Bella McIntyre shared her opinions on the popular genre. McIntyre said that romantic comedies can be “relatable to situations in real life.”. McIntyre also agreed that Romantic Comedies should not be cliché and have a good ratio of romance and comedy genres. McIntyre’s favorite rom-coms are Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You because of the “iconic main characters” and relatable plots.
Freshman Jacob Cenci shared that he enjoys when rom-coms also contain action content to add to the plot. His favorite rom-coms are The Fall Guy, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Notebook. Cenci’s favorite movie snack is Kraft Mac and Cheese, and his favorite romantic comedy actor is Ryan Gosling.
Junior Emma Bell said the plot is what makes rom-coms enjoyable. Bell enjoyed The Princess Bride because of the good storyline, and 10 Things I Hate About You because of the classic bad boy pairing. Bell shared that whenever she is in the mood to watch a movie, it is typically a rom-com, and she also loves to enjoy chocolate and goldfish while watching these movies.
Freshman Frankie Colonna loves to see the connections between the main characters and not have a cringy storyline. Colonna shared that her favorite rom-coms are The Notebook, How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Early 2000’s are Colonna’s favorite romantic comedy era, and she enjoys eating Milk Duds and apples while watching her favorite movies.
French Teacher Ellen Bungenstock explained that she enjoys rom-coms that include “complex storylines, entertaining banter, hilarious sometimes tongue-in-cheek jokes, and chemistry and tension between the would-be lovers.” Bungenstock shared that she enjoys romantic comedies from the 80’s and 90’s. She also likes to enjoy popcorn with butter while she watches her favorite rom-coms, which include Much Ado About Nothing, The Princess Bride, Amélie, and Groundhog Day.
Freshman Brock Hauck said he loves watching Leo, Brooklynn 99, and That’s My Boy. Hauck said that he watches Leo “at least once a week.” He said he likes to watch rom-coms while eating dinner and that Adam Sandler is his favorite rom-com actor.
Overall, the favorite romantic comedy school-wide was 10 Things I Hate About You. This movie follows the life of two teens: the typical bad boy and an unpopular, edgy girl. They end up falling in love and have a genuine connection that is felt through the screen. About 33% of students surveyed included 10 Things I hate About You in their list of favorite romantic comedies. The film, produced in 1999, is a translation of the William Shakespeare play The Taming of the Shrew. It is rated PG-13 and available to stream on Disney +.
The McNicholas Milestone 