Essential Romantic Comedy Movies

by Jason Reitman, 2007
starring Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner

Facing an unplanned pregnancy while she's still in high school, quirky teen Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate her unborn baby's perfect adoptive parents. But the seemingly ideal couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) Juno chooses still has some growing up to do.

by John Madden, 1998
starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Judi Dench

What if a penniless William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) fell in love with a noblewoman (Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow) while struggling to write a comedy with the unlikely title "Romeo and Ethel the Sea Pirate's Daughter?" Might the emotional turmoil inspire him to recraft the play into a tragedy...

by Bobby Farrelly, 1998
starring Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon

The Farrelly brothers nail the laughs in this hugely popular comedy about a hugely popular girl. Mary (Cameron Diaz) is the ideal girlfriend of every guy she meets, especially frustrated high school suitor Ted (Ben Stiller). But he's got plenty of competition from Matt Dillon and other unexpected...

by John Hughes, 1984
starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, Anthony Michael Hall

Samantha Baker's (Molly Ringwald) 16th birthday should be perfect and memorable, but her whole family seems preoccupied with her sister's impending wedding and completely forgets Samantha's big day. To add insult to injury, the school geek (Anthony Michael Hall) won't stop hitting on her, and she's...

by Peter Segal, 2004
starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Sean Astin

Henry (Adam Sandler) is a player skilled at seducing women. But when this veterinarian meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore), he realizes it's possible to fall in love all over again … and again, and again. That's because the delightful Lucy has no short-term memory, so Henry must woo her day after day...

by Mike Newell, 1994
starring Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas

At various social gatherings, Charles (Hugh Grant), a commitment-challenged, suave Brit, tries to reconnect with Carrie (Andie MacDowell), a beautiful, alluring American who is about to make a seemingly terrible mistake: marry Hamish (Corin Redgrave), a wealthy, boring man.

by Rob Reiner, 1989
starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher

Can men and women remain friends without sex getting in the way? Nora Ephron's episodic screenplay introduces womanizing, neurotic Harry (Billy Crystal) and ambitious, equally neurotic Sally (Meg Ryan) as chums who resist sexual attraction to maintain their friendship -- a relationship always...

by Jay Roach, 2000
starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo

Every beau's biggest fear becomes Ben Stiller's enduring nightmare when he meets his fiancée's parents (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) for the first time. It's a hilarious case of Murphy's Law where everything that can go wrong does go wrong, all under De Niro's hawklike gaze.

by Sharon Maguire, 2001
starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

It's Monday morning. Bridget (Renée Zellweger) has woken up with a headache, a hangover and her boss. Wickedly clever, this tale of Miss Jones's yearlong odyssey from Mr. Right-here-right-now (Hugh Grant) to Mr. Right (Colin Firth) delivers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the female mind.

by James L. Brooks, 1997
starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear

When acerbic, reclusive and obsessive-compulsive author Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) lets stressed-out single mom and waitress Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) and gay neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) and his dog into his life, profound changes await them all in this touching dramedy.

by Roger Michell, 1999
starring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Rhys Ifans

A chance encounter brings together diffident bookstore owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant) and Hollywood icon Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), who become smitten with each other until her megastardom begins whittling away at their relationship in this delightful romantic comedy.

by Frank Coraci, 1998
starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor

Though there's plenty of Adam Sandler's trademark comedy, The Wedding Singer is a surprisingly touching romance. Wedding band front-man Robbie Hart (Sandler) anxiously awaits his marriage to his longtime girlfriend. Meanwhile, he gets chummy with also-engaged reception-hall waitress Julia (Drew...

by Nora Ephron, 1998
starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear

In this valentine to modern romance, book superstore magnate Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet -- both blissfully unaware that he's trying to put her out of business.

by Garry Marshall, 1990
starring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Ralph Bellamy

When millionaire wheeler-dealer Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) enters a business contract with Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward (an Oscar-nominated Julia Roberts), he loses his heart in the bargain in this charming romantic comedy. After Edward hires Vivian as his date for a week and gives her a...

by Nicholas Stoller, 2008
starring Mila Kunis, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd

After his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), breaks his heart, Peter (Jason Segel) wants nothing more than to enjoy his vacation in Hawaii. One problem: Sarah's vacationing at the same resort he is, and even worse, she's bringing her new beau.

by Nora Ephron, 1993
starring Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Rob Reiner

Writer-director Nora Ephron's Oscar-nominated romantic comedy stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as soul mates who come perilously close to never meeting. Although separated by thousands of miles, rueful widower Sam Baldwin (Hanks) and soon-to-be married Annie Reed (Ryan) connect through a radio call-in...

by Donald Petrie, 2003
starring Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg

To help land a big ad account, notorious player Ben (Matthew McConaughey) makes a wager with his co-workers (Michael Michele and Shalom Harlow) that he can get a woman to fall in love with him within 10 days. But he bets on the wrong girl -- women's magazine writer Andie (Kate Hudson).

by Stephen Frears, 2000
starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso

Vintage record store owner Rob Gordon (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), because he hasn't changed since they met. In an attempt to figure out where things went wrong, Rob revisits his top five breakups of all time. As he seeks out his former lovers to find out...

by Charles Shyer, 1991
starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams

In this hilarious update of the much-loved Hollywood classic, Steve Martin turns in a winning performance as George Banks, the befuddled father who has a hard time letting go of his daughter (Kimberly Williams) when she unexpectedly announces her plans to wed.

by Joel Zwick, 2002
starring Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine

Nia Vardalos plays Toula Portokalos, a single Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek (John Corbett), which is a no-no to her strict family -- especially her commanding mother, Maria (Lainie Kazan), and her traditional father, Gus (Michael Constantine).

by Nancy Meyers, 2000
starring Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei

Advertising executive Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is as cocky as they come in director Nancy Meyers's Golden Globe-nominated comedy. But what happens to a chauvinistic guy when he can suddenly hear what women are thinking? Nick gets passed over for a promotion, but after an accident enables him to...

by Woody Allen, <undefined>
starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts

Woody Allen 's romantic comedy of the Me Decade follows the up and down relationship of two mismatched New York neurotics.

by Nancy Meyers, 2003
starring Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Diane Keaton

Sixty and still sexy, Harry (Jack Nicholson) is having the time of his life, wining, dining and bedding women half his age. When he meets an auctioneer (Amanda Peet) and agrees to go to the Hamptons with her, he's convinced he's in for a sinfully fun weekend.

by Andy Tennant, 2002
starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey

Beautiful, ambitious Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) leaves her rural Alabama background and high school-sweetheart husband (Josh Lucas) behind in favor of Manhattan's glamorous fashion and social circles. When her Park Avenue boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey) proposes, it's time to head South and finally...

by P.J. Hogan, 1997
starring Julia Roberts, Rupert Everett, Cameron Diaz

Food writer Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) panics when she gets word that her longtime platonic pal, Michael (Dermot Mulroney), is finally getting hitched, to a debutante named Kimberly (Cameron Diaz). With assistance from her gay companion (Rupert Everett) -- and to the accompaniment of Burt...

by Andy Tennant, 2005
starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James

Smooth and sexy Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is the master of seduction in this charming romantic comedy. His specialty? Helping clueless clients make a great first impression so they not only get to the second date, but make someone fall for them.

by Anne Fletcher, 2007
starring Katherine Heigl, Malin Akerman, James Marsden

Tired of being a perpetual bridesmaid after helping 27 friends tie the knot, altruistic Jane (Katherine Heigl) finds herself facing her worst nightmare as her younger sister (Malin Akerman) announces her engagement to the man Jane secretly adores. But when Jane meets the charming Kevin (James...

by Garry Marshall, 1999
starring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo

Commitment-phobic bride-to-be Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) has already left three men at the altar when sexist newspaper columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) writes an offensive, inaccurate story about her. The only way the writer can keep his job is to interview the so-called "Runaway Bride" in...

by Woody Allen, 1979
starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy

In the thick of a midlife crisis, television writer Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) finds himself torn between the sweet but far too young Tracy (Mariel Hemingway, who received an Oscar nod for the role) and his best friend's mistress, Mary (Diane Keaton). Shot in black and white and in wide-screen...

by Michael Patrick King, 2008
starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon

Golden Globe winner Sarah Jessica Parker returns as everyone's favorite sex columnist, Carrie Bradshaw, with her best friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) to brave the roiling romantic waters of the city that never sleeps.