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We've no shame in admitting it - we love a good rom-com. The genre may get a lot of stick and, to be honest, there's been some awful ones. But overall, romantic comedies are pretty to look at and always a good laugh. Here's ten you absolutely have to watch.
10. PRETTY IN PINK (1986)
John Hughes. Molly Ringwald. That soundtrack. You don't need any other reason to watch this. Need more? This film - and most of John Hughes' films - are the blueprint for all teenage rom-coms. 10 Things I Hate About You, American Pie, Never Been Kissed, Clueless - they're all more or less working off what John Hughes did in Pretty In Pink, not to mention all his other films. Molly Ringwald plays Andie, a working-class girl who has a tumultous relationship with Blane, a rich kid with some dickish friends. One of whom is James Spader. In between Andie and Blane is Duckie, played by Two And A Half Men's Jon Cryer. Looking back, it's a little obvious in places but that's only because it was setting the trend for things to come.
9. CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011)
Let's make it clear - we are not selecting this film because Ryan Gosling gets topless in it. If anything, we're selecting it IN SPITE of the fact that Ryan Gosling gets topless in it. Playing a slick, suave womaniser who takes a separated-but-married Steve Carrell under his wing, Gosling's performance in Crazy Stupid Love confirms his under-utilised talent as a comedic actor. Put that with Steve Carrell - who's funny in anything, frankly - Emma Stone, Julieanne Moore and a great script and you've got one of the best romantic comedies of the last five years. I'm sorry, is this bothering you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWL2TJZpWkc
8. BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (2001)
"I'd rather have a job wiping Saddam Hussein's arse." Just one of countless lines from what is considered to be one of the finest British romantic comedies ever made. When Renee Zellwegger was cast initially in the adaptation of the popular book, its fan were more than a little taken aback. After all, Bridget Jones is considered quintessentially British. And yet, we simply can't imagine anybody else in the role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9rbadSnlVc
7. SAY ANYTHING (1989)
It might be reduced to something of a punchline, but seeing John Cusack stand outside Ione Skye's house with the boombox over his head, playing Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes' really does just melt your heart. Cameron Crowe, in his directorial debut, shows the type of warmth and ear for dialogue that he'd later put to good use in Jerry Maguire and, to some extent, Almost Famous. As well as launching Crowe's career, it also put John Cusack on the map and made an entire generation of young men think grey trenchcoats were cool.
6. THE WEDDING SINGER (1998)
Looking at Grown Ups 2 or Jack & Jill, we forget that Adam Sandler actually had some promise. Happy Gilmore, the lesser Billy Madison - these were pretty decent comedies. However, The Wedding Singer stands as Sandler's best comedy of the '90s. What makes the film more than just some average romantic comedy is the interplay between Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler. It doesn't feel rehearsed and completely spontaneous. As well as this, the film brilliantly pokes fun at the entire decade of the 1980's without being mean-spirited. It might be schmaltzy as hell in places, but it balances out with some really hilarious parts. Our favourite? Steve Buscemi's best man speech.
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5. WALL-E (2008)
It's a film about two robots who are working in a post-apocalypse Earth. Yet, somehow, WALL-E manages to be more funny, touching and genuinely heart-warming than anything we've seen in recent years. The title character falls in love with EVA, a brand-new robot sent to Earth to collect samples of life and vegetation. It goes to show that dialogue isn't even a necessity if you have the right story and the right idea. Arguably the best film Pixar ever made.
4. PRETTY WOMAN (1990)
Like Say Anything, Pretty Woman has become a punchline in the intervening years. Yet, this is a testament to the film's popularity and its influence on popular culture. We all know the story. Richard Gere plays the dashing businessman and Julia Roberts is the, well, you know. Yeah. Right. Moving on.
3. GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)
Stick with us. Groundhog Day is ACTUALLY a romantic comedy, dressed up as a Bill Murray comedy about being stuck in the same day. Groundhog Day is often cited as his greatest film and it's hard not to dispute it. Murray plays a self-involved weatherman who's locked in a rural village on Groundhog Day with Andie McDowell with one catch - he's destined to repeat the same day over and over again. Over the course of the film, we see Murray turn from an arrogant ass into somebody who can ice-sculpt, play piano, quote French poetry and learn to be a better person. The film very cleverly shows what somebody can do if they're forced to repeat the same day and learn from their mistakes. Or in Bill Murray's case, use it to his advantage to pick up women and crash cars.
2. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989)
Without this and Annie Hall, TV shows like New Girl, The Mindy Project and Friends simply wouldn't have existed. They are the blueprint for them and it's hard not to see why. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal play two friends, who over the course of many years, slowly develop a long-standing friendship into a love affair that culminates with the now-famous impassioned speech about sandwiches, frown-lines and being cold.
1. ANNIE HALL (1977)
There's no mistaking the huge influence Annie Hall has had on romantic comedies since its release in 1977. Much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, it created and defined the genre and has yet to be topped in any kind of meaningful way. What's more, Annie Hall still holds up and is still completely relevant to today's more cynical audience. Everything about Annie Hall feels real, genuine and completely relatable. You might find yourself rolling your eyes in one or two places and the fact it's Woody Allen might put you off, but it's absolutely worth watching. It's no wonder Diane Keaton won an Oscar for it.
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