The 10 Greatest Romantic Comedies: You Can’t Start A Fire Without A Spark

There are those people who turn their noses up at the romantic comedy. They see it as a silly kind of film designed to entertain a delusional audience. I am not one of those people. I believe the romantic comedy to be a pleasurable, hopeful and ultimately fulfilling genre. That is, when it is done correctly.

It is obvious to me that romantic comedies have a negative status, and I think this is something to do with the downhill slide in quality that we have experienced in the last twenty years. While researching this article I asked friends about their favourites and what I found was many had chosen a favourite as a teenager and stuck with it. Anything since then was fun for them but not quality viewing. I also learnt that no two people choose the same film, a person’s favourite romantic comedy is as distinct as their own favourite film. Which suggests to me that for the most part people do treat the romantic comedy genre with a lot of respect.

The most important thing I discovered while researching this piece, is that there is a difference between a romantic comedy and a romcom. A romantic comedy is what you would imagine it to be, a romantic story told with a great deal of humour. A romcom, however, has become a catch all term for a short of slush fund of films. Films which have been made primarily to provide a romantic fantasy, but which are not greatly concerned with a quality narrative. It was when I realised this dividing line that I knew what I was looking for, for this list. I wasn’t looking for unrealistic crowd pleasers, but good stories about romantic relationships and the humour that can be gleaned from them. And while I know that not everyone will agree with my choices, I’m sure you’ll understand why I’ve made them.

10. Martha Meet Frank, Daniel And Laurence (1998)

It was the late 90’s, British pop culture was on a high, Monica Potter was a new fresh face, and Joseph Fiennes was about to take the world by storm in Shakespeare In Love. Hidden in the background of all of this was a little romantic comedy about a down on his luck Londoner, Laurence, who found himself falling in love with an American girl called Martha.

Martha Meet is the kind of complicated film where you have to be quick to recognise shifts in time and events. The film centres around a talk Laurence (Joseph Fiennes) is having with his neighbour (Ray Winstone) about the events of the previous two days. Laurence has fallen for a girl called Martha, the only problem is so have his two best friends: Frank (Rufus Sewell) and Daniel (Tom Hollander). But while the story is complex and well told, it is the characters (and the actors who play them) that really make this film stand out.

Martha is a great female protagonist, she is hopeful and adventurous. In her we invest our own romantic ambitions for freedom, the problem is, so do her suitors. Frank, Daniel, and Laurence are sad, frustrated men and their longing for her is confused with their desire to save themselves from their less than perfect lives. Martha Meet is a wise and well thought out film, all about the thoughts and emotions we tie ourselves up in, when really we should just all follow our instincts. And while its premise is some way outside the boundaries of normality this film offers up an excellent story with some really impressive performances.

(Martha Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence is known as The Very Thought Of You in the USA.)

9. The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

The Truth About Cats & Dogs I think is one of the greatest romantic comedies because while it centres around a tried and tested formula (that of mistaken identity), its real warmth and wit comes from the friendship built between the female protagonists. Abby (Janeane Garofalo) is an intelligent and thoughtful woman, a veterinarian/radio DJ, who hits it off with a listener and promptly forces new friend Noelle (Uma Thurman) to take her place. Noelle is beautiful and sweet, but not at all the strong and intellectual heavyweight that Abby is. The man in love with Abby’s personality and Noelle’s looks is Brian (Ben Chaplin), a sweet and artistic photographer.

While this case of not so mistaken identity is at the crux of the film’s plot, it is the writing around this that is the true highlight. The film is obviously about our fear of exposing ourselves, our fear that we won’t be good enough for the people we love. Abby, Noelle and Brian are all richly drawn and the film plays on the idea of how we purposefully make mistakes about romantic partners, and lie to ourselves in order to protect our feelings.

But what makes The Truth About Cats & Dogs stand out as a romantic comedy is the relationship between Abby and Noelle. Abby is someone who feels like she doesn’t need friends, while Noelle is someone who has always gotten by on the attentions of men. In Abby, Noelle finds someone strong who respects her better than any man could, while in Noelle, Abby finds someone who will love and appreciate her regardless of how she feels about herself. This is a film about loving yourself for who you are, and who can ask for more than that?

8. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is adapted from Rachel Cohn and David Levithan‘s book of the same name. Nick (Michael Cera) is a heartbroken high school student sending mix cds to his ex-girlfriend, Tris, in an effort to win her back. When Tris bins these cds, her long suffering friend, Norah (Kat Dennings), is there to pick them out. Then one night Nick and Norah are thrown together and a stream of chaos ensues as their friends and exes conspire to keep them together or drive them apart.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a very fun film about a group of incredibly sweet characters. Nick is an introverted, melancholic type, Norah is smart but lacking in self-esteem. For the most part Nick and Norah are just like us, they’re scared, lacking in confidence, ready to go home when they feel things aren’t going their way. Their exes are selfish, manipulative people who will use them to make themselves feel better. On the other hand, their friends care deeply about them. In fact, it is their friends that make this story, they are the driving force behind the plot and definitely provide the most entertaining scenes.

Ultimately, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is about having a connection with someone, about liking the same things, but because of lack of self-belief, never really following through with it. But it’s also about the importance of letting yourself get swept away with the chaos and not allowing yourself to fall into bad habits or bad exes. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings are delightful in this, but they would be nothing without the supporting cast. The highlight of whom is Ari Graynor as Norah’s friend Caroline, who puts on possibly the greatest drunk act of any actress ever.

7. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

For many fans of the romantic comedy genre, While You Were Sleeping occupies a very special place in their heart. The never really discussed but always admired While You Were Sleeping stars Sandra Bullock in a Golden Globe nominated performance. Lucy (Bullock) is a lonely subway attendant, her only solace comes in the form of Peter, a regular customer who doesn’t know she exists but on whom she has a huge crush. On Christmas Day, Peter (Peter Gallagher) is attacked on the train platform and she rushes to save him. Peter ends up in a coma and Lucy is mistaken for his fiancée. Confusion and chaos ensues as Lucy has to keep up the pretence, all the while falling in love with Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman).

The plot to While You Were Sleeping is farcical but at its heart it is truly wise and heart-warming. While You Were Sleeping is all about loneliness and the inevitable desperation we all feel when we bestow our affection on someone we idealise as being our saviour, our one true love. Sandra Bullock is undeniably lovely as Lucy, she delivers just the right mix of sadness and humour in what is a surprisingly complex character. But the film’s real selling point is Peter’s family: the Callaghans.

The Callaghans are warm and accepting, and in them Lucy discovers what she’s always really wanted: a family. Played as they are by such a talented group of actors, the Callaghans breathe life and energy into an otherwise sad affair. In fact, While You Were Sleeping would have appeared higher in this list if it wasn’t for the underlying sadness, and also the slightly unbelievable plot. But as it is, it is still an impressive, complex romantic comedy. It is a film about the loneliness we have all experienced and the desperate attempts we make to free ourselves from it. And if that doesn’t make it appeal, well, it’s damn funny too.

6. Love, Actually (2003)

I know, beyond doubt, that this will be the most contentious choice in this list. But, at the end of the day, Love, Actually is an incredible sweet romantic comedy, and I will make my argument for its place on this list. I watch a lot of romantic comedies, I like Richard Curtis, and when Love, Actually came out I watched it and in all honesty I loathed it. Really. But as time went on, I got older, I got “the shit kicked out of me by love” and I came to realise that Love, Actually is more than just a film, it’s a rescue remedy.

It will be known to most that Love, Actually contains a number of different romantic stories, all taking part over one Christmas in London. And that is exactly what I love about this film, it has a tale for everyone. No matter what childishly stupid or incredibly sad romantic situation you’ve been in Love, Actually has a story for you. Jamie (Colin Firth) is a heartbroken hopeless romantic, David (Hugh Grant) is a grown man attempting to deal with a schoolboy crush, Karen (Emma Thompson) is a woman torn apart by the thought of losing her husband. The stories are, by turn: romantic, silly and heartbreaking.

I know, you’re probably not convinced. And if you doubt me for championing Love, Actually’s cause then I ask you: do one thing. Watch the film again, and watch out for these particular scenes: Jamie and Aurelia’s (Lucia Moniz) conversation after their jump into the lake, Mark (Andrew Lincoln) courageously confessing his love to Juliet (Keira Knightley), Sarah (Laura Linney) saying goodbye to Karl (Rodrigo Santoro) on Christmas Eve and, finally, Karen listening to Joni Mitchell in her bedroom. Then you come back here and tell me you didn’t feel anything. Because I don’t think you’ll be able to.

5. One Fine Day (1996)

One Fine Day was made in 1996 and for the most part slipped under the radar. But since then it seems to have cultivated an underground fan base which surprisingly features men as well as women. One Fine Day is set during one rainy New York day when divorcees Melanie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Jack (George Clooney) are thrown together after their kids miss their school trip. In fact, it is Jack who makes them miss their trip and Melanie never quite forgives him for it. Busy professionals as they are they both have important days ahead of them and can’t keep their kids in tow. What ensues is a chaotic series of events as they share the care of their children, and slowly but surely fall for each other.

What makes One Fine Day stand head and shoulders above other romantic comedies is its smart script. It isn’t cheesy or melodramatic, it is frenetic and witty. Jack and Melanie play the classic love-hate relationship to a tee, while their children Maggie (Mae Whitman) and Sammy (Alex D. Linz) add character and humour. But underlying this entertaining energy is a realistic and familiar feeling.

While stereotypical, Jack and Melanie are perhaps indicative of many divorcees. Those people attempting to hold down their jobs whilst also being the best parents they can be. Watching each other with their own children they learn things about themselves. Jack learns to put Maggie first, while Melanie learns to ask for help. One Fine Day is all about people who have cut off romantic aspirations and ploughed ahead with what they think is best. It is also about what happens when these same people make a connection and are forced to reconsider themselves. One Fine Day is a quality film, and even if romantic comedies aren’t ‘your thing’ I still highly recommend you watch it.

4. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

Kissing Jessica Stein is one of the more unusual romantic comedies out there. An independent film, Kissing Jessica Stein was written by Jennifer Westfeldt (who went on to write, direct and star in Friends With Kids) and Heather Juergensen. The two also play the leads, Westfeldt as Jessica and Juergensen as her love interest Helen. The film is founded on the idea of what might happen if two straight women found a greater connection with each other than with a man.

The film begins with the acerbic, and ultimately lonely journalist Jessica replying to a personals ad, and meeting Helen. Helen is a confident and somewhat promiscuous art curator who has decided to ‘try out women’. But while Helen has had bisexual encounters, Jessica is as straight as they come. What ensues is a complicated love affair. There is clearly a connection between the two, but Jessica’s reluctance to have a physical relationship is obviously a huge barrier. Though what starts out as a comedic situation eventually evolves into a real romance. And a romance not necessarily about Jessica loving Helen, but about Jessica learning to love herself.

Kissing Jessica Stein has a some what silly premise and I’m sure many people would question this idea of someone ‘deciding to be gay’. But, ultimately, this film is not about being gay, it is about letting go and allowing yourself to pursue a path you’d never considered. This point is most obviously seen in the character of Josh (Scott Cohen), Jessica’s ex-boyfriend and colleague, who is as cold and cutting as she. While Helen brings out the best in Jessica, Jessica’s newfound happiness also brings out the best in Josh. Really, Kissing Jessica Stein is about letting go of your fears and insecurities, and how by doing this you will truly find happiness. Which makes it more realistic and hopeful than most films you’ll ever see.

3. The Shop Around The Corner (1940) / You’ve Got Mail (1998)

It was inevitable that these two films were going to make it to this list, but seeing as there isn’t much to separate them they share a position here at number three. The Shop Around The Corner was made in 1940 and based on a play. The film centres around Alfred (James Stewart) and his love interest Klara (Margaret Sullavan). Alfred and Klara work together, and loathe one another. But through an anonymous pen pal relationship they fall in love. Updated in 1998 the film became You’ve Got Mail and stars Meg Ryan as Kathleen and Tom Hanks as Joe, who keep up an anonymous internet relationship while warring against each other’s businesses.

It would be easy to shirk You’ve Got Mail as being a crass remake, but it updates and adds depth to the original story. The Shop Around The Corner, meanwhile, can not be regarded as outdated because it triumphs as a film where You’ve Got Mail does not. Ultimately, despite being similar stories, one cannot be regarded above the other because they are both great films. Their love-hate relationships are simultaneously light and romantic, but hard and serious. And they are both charmingly funny without feeling the need to go over the top in their quest for laughs.

The story of both these films seems a little unrealistic. What are the chances that your anonymous love interest just happens to be perfect for you outside of the words that they write? Catfish taught us an important lesson after all. But then, isn’t it likely that the person who you spark with on the page will do the same in person? The Shop Around The Corner and You’ve Got Mail are playful comedies about the problems of first impressions. But they’re also about how we guard ourselves in the real world, how we say and do the wrong thing when we feel the pressure of another person in front of us. Ultimately they are lessons in the importance of being ourselves and standing our ground.

2. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

The screwball comedies of the 1940s are perhaps the greatest collection of romantic comedies, but whilst some are lacking in real affection or great laughs, Bringing Up Baby really has it all. Susan (Katherine Hepburn) is an eccentric socialite, David (Cary Grant) is a paleontologist, and together they must contrive to appropriate funding for David’s project. Though this is easier said than done. David is awkward and Susan is meddlesome, and what ensues is not just a fight for David’s funding but Susan’s own battle to keep David with her until he realises he loves her as much as she loves him.

Bringing Up Baby is a brilliant, chaotic delight. Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant are on perfect comic form, while Howard Hawks’ direction is energetic and Nichols and Wilde’s script is perfectly wrought. Made as it was during the application of the prudish Hays Code, sex and flirtation had to be hidden in innuendo. This inadvertently made a script smarter and sharper than you would find in a contemporary film (where the writer can fall back on an explicit language or visuals). All this goes to making Bringing Up Baby not only a superb romantic comedy, but a brilliant film.

Though while Bringing Up Baby is hugely entertaining as a comedy film, its place on this list is due in not small part to the chemistry between Susan and David. On paper their personalities are at odds with one another, together they seem to breed chaos and confusion, but ultimately together they make up a greater whole. Susan unknowingly gives David permission to be himself, while David understands Susan and attempts to protect her from herself. Together they spark, and they are better and happier than they would ever be apart; I think this is a sensible lesson for all hopeless romantics. While someone may not seem right for you, while you might not even have much in common, if you are happiest with them then they are the one for you.

1. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

I’ll bet you didn’t see this one coming. But after all the thought and research that went into this list this was the ultimate winner. Pride & Prejudice is the original romantic comedy. Written 200 years ago, Jane Austen was ahead of her time when it came to writing about romantic chemistry. But more than that, in Pride & Prejudice Austen encapsulates every sort of romantic relationship: the misplaced crush, the heartbroken, the pragmatic. In Lizzie and Darcy she created what became a classic: the love-hate relationship. Such is the complexity and entertainment of Austen’s piece that it has been used time and again, providing the basis for films such as Bridget Jones’ Diary, the web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and countless spin-off books. Even looking back at this list you’ll find that many of them were founded on the romantic plot Austen first created here.

While it is not as popular as the 1995 BBC adaptation, Joe Wright‘s Pride & Prejudice (2005) is a beautifully made film that manages to boast all the romantic tales and intricacies of character that makes Austen’s book so successful. Keira Knightley plays up Lizzie’s strength whilst also making her witty and charming, a performance which landed her both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination, while Matthew Macfadyen is detached but warm in his portrayal of Darcy. The supporting cast is superb, and the adaptation has added energy and wit to a story that has seem dried out in previous incarnations.

Though it is Joe Wright’s direction that really makes this a Pride & Prejudice adaptation to remember. Wright adds texture and energy to what some may seem as an old story (for this he earned a BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer), while a sterling creative team add vibrancy through light, music and costume. But it is ultimately down to Austen’s original book that this film owes its brilliance.

While modern romantic comedies play at what they think happens between people, Austen got it right 200 years ago. A real romantic comedy is about a connection between two people, it is about a supporting cast of characters that add chaos and humour to proceedings. It is about the romantic leads making mistakes, jumping to conclusions, assuming the wrong thing about each other. But ultimately it is about that spark between them, the journey they must make into realising their own inadequacies and the eventual love that they must all fall into.

Conclusion

Realising the difference between a romcom and a romantic comedy is the same as realising the difference between a crush and a connection in the real world. Romcoms play at complex relationships, they assume the clichéd love-hate relationship but never really give it the depth that it requires. They seem based on a silly notion that because you fancy someone physically then everything else also falls into place. Whereas romantic comedies are based on the principle that there has to be a connection between two people, it doesn’t matter if they’re not attracted to each other, or that they don’t even like each other, as long as they spark.

I hope that even if you don’t agree with a lot of the films on this list it has given you some food for thought. I also hope that maybe it will encourage you watch some of the films you don’t recognise. Ultimately, I hope it encourages to see romantic comedies in a new light, and maybe not to dismiss them out of hand. A real romantic comedy has depth and pathos, it has charm and wit. In the end these films are very similar to real life, they are imperfect in their starting points, they are chaotic, mistakes are made and inevitably they are all about who you fall in love with, not necessarily about who you like.

(It was difficult to decide on what made the ultimate list and there were many films that didn’t quite make the grade, being as they were a little cheesy or even a bit too serious. But they are included here in a list of honourable mentions: About Time, Four Weddings And A Funeral, It Happened One Night, Music and Lyrics, Only You, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, Simply Irresistible, Sleepless In Seattle, The Philadelphia Story, The Proposal, Two Weeks Notice, What’s Your Number?)

Do you have a favourite romantic comedy? Why not tell me about it in the comments section?

(top image: One Fine Day (1996) – source: 20th Century Fox)