Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

I plan to watch a number of Romantic Comedies that are on the AFI list of best Romantic Comedies and nominations from other sources and compile my list of favorite Rom coms. Nominate away.


Here is what I am starting with:
Xabout a boy L
XCrazy Stupid Love L
Punch Drunk Love
XThe Big Sick
Crazy Rich Asians
Reality Bites
Bringing Up Baby L
Adams Rib
The Desk Set
XMoonstruck*
XPrincess Bride*
XThe Artist*
XHigh Fidelity”
XSilver Linings Playbook”
XJuno”
XLady Eve
The Apartment
The Philadelphia Story
Ninotchka*
Some Like it Hot
Roman Holiday”
XIt Happened One Night
XHis Girl Friday”
XThe Awful Truth”
XPlay it Again Sam”
XHannah and /her Sisters”
XAnnie Hall”
City Lights*
About Time*
XSingles*
Beginners*
XPurple Rose of Cairo*
XSabrina N
XThe Shop Around the Corner N?

Diehl are you wanting us to nominate from the list above?

What do the "L"s at the end of certain titles mean?

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

When Harry Met Sally
While You Were Sleeping
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Say Anything
Chasing Amy
10 Things I Hate About You
Bridget Jones' Diary
Pretty Woman
Clueless
Love Actually
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Notting Hill
Groundhog Day
50 First Dates
There's Something About Mary
Coming to America

...and the * and the " at the end of some titles. What do they mean?

Nominate anything you want or second any title you see there.

The marks at the end of the movies are for me. They let me know if I will get the movie from netflix,, the library where I work, or if I own them already.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

I will not rank these movies right away. There are a lot of great romantic comedies I have not seen, so I will watch those before I start to rank them. I will discuss each movie as I see it.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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While You Were Sleeping
Dir Jon Tureltaub
Principal actors: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Jack Warden, Peter Poyle, Glynis Johns, and Peter Gallagher.



This is one of my favorite Romantic Comedies in terms of how many times I have seen it. After seeing it several times I have decided that it could have easily been a sicky-sweet mess of a movie, but there was something about the characters that kept me interested.
It did have a good cast who somehow kept it from being to sentimental. The Godfather, Saul (Jack Warden) who discovers Lucy’s (Sandra Bullock) secret early on but keeps quite because he thinks she will be good for the family. Jack (Bill Pullman), who plays his part of the brother who finds himself growing interested in his brothers Fiancé, very well.
Lucy (who works on the Chicago Mass transit system) has her eye on a handsome commuter (Peter Gallahger) finds herself coming to his rescue as he is mugged on the train station platform. He goes into a coma and she accompanies him to the hospital. When the man’s family shows up they mistake her for his fiancé. She does not correct them, and the comedy of errors takes off.
There is a happily ever after involved, but I think the acting kept it from being too sappy at the end. This movie might make into my top 25 Rom Coms, but probably near the bottom of the list.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

25. Crazy Stupid Love
24. About a Boy

23. Stranger than Fiction
22. While You Were Sleeping
21. Mighty Aphrodite

20 It Happened One Night
19. Sabrina

18. Annie Hall
17. Play it Again Sam.
16. Lady Eve

15. The Shop Around the Corner

14. Hannah and Her Sisters
5. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind


1. His Girl Friday

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Play it Again Sam
Written by Woody Allen
Dir Herbert Ross
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Jerry Lacy, et al
5/5
1972
This is Woody’s film adaptation of his well-received play by the same name. Woody plays a neurotic film projectionist who is recently divorced from his wife whos main criticism centers on the fact that his character is one of the great watchers, while she wants to be a doer.
Woody’s long-time friends try to help him meet other women to date, but none seem to be his type ( the neurotic, hypochondriac, watcher type). Woody turns to the ghost of Humphrey Bogart for help with his love problems. The problem with Bogart’s advice is that Woody is just not the sort to follow Bogart’s advice. He eventually finds that he is at his best when he is just himself. He just chooses the wrong person to get involved with. Woody has had several truly creative films such as Mighty Aphrodite and Purple Rose of Cairo. I think the Bogart set up in this movie should be counted as one of his more creative ideas. Will rat near the top of my Rom coms

Some of my favorite romantic comedies (some of which are repeats from posts above)

The most recent Emma
About Time
Palm Springs
Clueless
Secretary
Groundhog Day
Practical Magic
The Proposal
Moonstruck
Trainwreck
Some Like it Hot
When Harry Met Sally
Sleepless in Seattle
Warm Bodies
The Spectacular Now
The Apartment
Tootsie
What If
Before We Go
Harold and Maude
Beginners
It Happened One Night
I Love You Phillip Morris
Show Me Love (1998)
Saving Face
I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay
Little Voice
Take Me Home
Happy Accidents
Next Stop Wonderland
Bread and Tulips

Some comedies that aren't *great*, but are solid recommends from me and break out of the typical romantic comedy dynamic (ie feature gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans or neuroatypical characters):
Alex Strangelove
Straight Up
Latter Days
Adam (2009)
Bedrooms and Hallways
Boy Meets Girl
Every Day

I haven't seen 12 of the movies in your top 25, but I will say that Trainwreck was a terrible movie.

I liked this movie, but I wish a little more screentime had been devoted to Alan's relationship with the spirit of Bogie...it was a clever hook for the film that got a lot less screentime than I expected.

I realize that it was a polarizing film and that yours is a very common reaction. But I watched it before I'd read or heard many reactions to it and I laughed pretty much the whole way through. The physical comedy worked for me, the line delivery worked for me. I really like Bill Hader along with many of the other supporting actors (Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, Randall Park, and even LeBron James).

I also think that being afraid of commitment and thus engaging in destructive and alienating behaviors is an interesting and fresh approach to a romantic comedy protagonist, especially a female one. I appreciated that she was messy and unlikable and had a LOT of growing to do, and not in the sense that she just needed to "build her confidence" or have someone show her that if she took her hair out of a ponytail she was really pretty or choose between work and love. I like that the film acknowledged that the lessons we learn about relationships/partnerships as children stick with us and it can be hard to "unlearn" bad/destructive habits, including substance abuse as self-medication. In other words: it's a movie with a female protagonist who is incredibly messed up, and I appreciated both the range of topics it tackled and the way that it showed how the character goes about making things right with herself, her family, and the guy she loves.

It did get a WGA nomination for best original screenplay, and 28% of female reviewers on IMDb would give it a 8/10 or higher, so I don't feel totally alone or out of left field in saying it's worth checking out.

You are, of course, welcome to your opinion.

What did you think made it terrible?

Here's a link to my review of the film:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/...rainwreck.html

I guess I'd just say that what you felt was unfocused, I thought wove together decently, and I appreciated the multiple relationship dynamics, which you felt made the film overstuffed.

I was honestly expecting much more of an evisceration than what you actually wrote.

I guess what I should have said is that I would not include the film on MY list of the top 25 romantic comedies.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Annie Hall 5/5
Dir. Woody Allen
Written Woody Allen/ Marshall Brickman
Principal Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelly Duvall,



5/5
Writing in 2002 Roger Ebert claimed that, "Annie Hall contains more intellectual wit and cultural references than any other movie ever to win the best picture Oscar. To show how much things have changed since 1977 many might be surprised that the film it edged out to win the Oscar was Star Wars. I could not see that happening today. Annie hall grossed about 40 million dollars which is less than the budget for many of the "blockbusters" of today.
This film was a watershed moment for Allen. Before then he was principally viewed as a "comedy writer". Annie Hall is a comedy, but is so much more. There are dozens of references to cultural and intellectual trends of the films date. He made popular the Groucho Marx Quote "I would not want to be in a club that would have me as a member". There are references to Marshall McLulan and the films of Fredrico Fellini to name but two.

Alvy Singer follows Allen's Jewish Male neurotic template for his main characters both before and after this film. Keaton also follows a template of many of the love interest in Woody's movies: Pretty,smart, scatterbrained, with genuine affection fading that eventually trails into frustration and exasperation with Woody's characters.
I've mentioned in other reviews that Woody has had his share of genuine inspirations in some of his movies. some of those moments in Annie Hall include a lot of Woody addressing his audience directly through the camera, a sudden departure from the script to quiz local passerby's about his love life. He also interrupts a scene to bring Marshall Mcluhan on screen to directly reply to criticisms from a blowhard pseudo-intellectual pontificating about Fellini's film and McLuhan's book.
One of the funniest scenes involves Woody as a child taking his hostility out in the Bumper card ride and then translating that into a scene where Woody, as an adult, is required to drive in New York without much driving experience. Even if these scenes are derivative of other film makers work, it still comes across fresh for me. Annie Hall is not my favorite Allen film, but there is no denying that it is probably his most successful movies and perhaps his most influential film.

That's fair enough.

I don't think it would make my top 25 either. My list above is just a collection of romantic comedies I quite like and they are in no particular order. I used the IMDb filters, and I can tell that there are some films that just didn't pop up in my search (and especially a lot of older romantic comedies?). For example, About a Boy and Princess Bride or My Man Godfrey.

Some of them I happen to think are criminally underseen, like Happy Accidents.

I've never even heard of Happy Accidents...just looked it up on the IMDB...Vincent D'onfrio and Marisa Tomei? Seems like an odd pairing. This movie came out 20 years ago, how did it slip under my radar?

@Diehl40

I have one romantic comedy that I think is very worthy of a watch. It's called Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979) I think you might like it's unique sense of humor and it's refreshingly candid look at infatuation in a bitter sweet romance.

Thanks

I would encourage you to read as little as possible about it before watching it. It's definitely an oddball film. I hope you like it--it's one of those films I feel kind of personally attached to. Not for any thematic or deep reason, I'm just very fond of it.

I'd like to hear some of your thoughts on Practical Magic. That was a movie I wanted to like but... didn't. It's been a long time so if you can tell me why it was good I'll re-watch it (I'd actually kinda considered anyway that maybe I'd just missed the boat on it).

Moonstruck is a ******* masterpiece, though I probably don't even need to say it.

I feel like Sleepless In Seattle is an under-appreciated film. People kinda write it off as one of those movies but it stands out, strongly, on its own IMO.

FWIW, Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Ryan's Privates and The Hurt Locker beat out Avatar (thank god), so it happens sometimes these days too.

Oh, and, yeah, Annie Hall is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

❤️

Practical Magic for me is tinged with nostalgia. So take that as you will.

To begin with, I enjoy its portrayal of magic, which is to say that it can do some things but character decisions are just as important and magic doesn't just, well, magically fix things.

I think that the sisterly dynamic is well-realized. It's a comedy, but the depiction of Jimmy is genuinely scary, and there's something both funny and horrifying about the fact that their attempt to leave him only makes him more violent and more powerful. I think that, kind of low-key and allegorically, it manages to show that leaving behind an abusive partner isn't as simple as walking out the door.

I've always liked Aiden Quinn, and I like the dynamic between him and Sally as they develop a mutual attraction and he realizes that she's hiding things from him.

Then on the lighter side, I like Wiest and Channing as the aunts. Some of the little setpieces are fun and satisfying, like Gilly helping Sally win the votes to be top of the phone tree. The characters of the daughters are fun and don't veer too far into cutesy territory.

I find it a very, very easy film to watch and it puts a smile on my face.

I watched it pretty recently for the first time, and I agree. I especially appreciated that it sidestepped the whole trope of the female lead having an abusive or crummy boyfriend, and her respectful breakup with Walter earns the film a lot of points for me. The only real off note, for me, was the character of Victoria. She just never totally made sense to me as someone his character would be with, and she feels very much like a character who is just written to be an impediment. In a film full of more robust characters who make sense in their roles, Victoria is the one piece that doesn't feel like it fits.

If you're a RomCom fan, you might want to check out this series of articles, Diehl: https://www.avclub.com/c/when-romanc...?startIndex=60

I think Moonstruck is overrated...and there's no way Cher deserved the Oscar over Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction

While You Were Sleeping is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it would be near the top of my favorite rom-coms list.

These are some of my favorite romantic comedies:

It Happened One Night (1934)
The Awful Truth (1937)

His Girl Friday (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
One Touch of Venus (1948)

Tea for Two (1950)
Roman Holiday (1953)
It Should Happen to You (1954)
Desk Set (1957)
Indiscreet (1958)
Pillow Talk (1959)

If a Man Answers (1962)
That Touch of Mink (1962)
Sunday in New York (1963)
The Thrill of It All (1963)
Irma la Douce (1963)
Move Over, Darling (1963)
Send Me No Flowers (1964)
What a Way to Go! (1964)
Do Not Disturb (1965)
That Funny Feeling (1965)
Marriage on the Rocks (1965)
The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Barefoot in the Park (1967)

Goodbye Girl (1977)
California Suite (1978)
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Same Time, Next Year (1978)
Love at First Bite (1979)

Seems Like Old Times (1980)
Kiss Me Goodbye (1982)
The Princess Bride (1987)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
I.Q. (1994)
Only You (1994)
The American President (1995)
Sabrina (1995)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
You've Got Mail (1998)
Notting Hill (1999)

Return to Me (2000)
Serendipity (2001)
Kate & Leopold (2001)
Just Like Heaven (2005)
P.S. I Love You (2007)
Love Is All You Need (2013)
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

Would definitely endorse a few of those from gbgoodies also. Notably His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia, The Shop Around the Corner, Irma la Douce and the Neil Simon's penned Seems Like Old Times and especially Barefoot in the Park. One of my all time fav romcoms.

Well, to be fair, I've been single-but-dating for nearly a decade now after my divorce and I've settled for more than one Victoria in my time, so, from my point of view, she makes perfect sense and is kinda validated by my personal experience. ****, some people say my WIFE was a Victoria.

Hm. I think of Moonstruck as underrated... as there are still people who either haven't or won't acknowledge its excellence.
As for Cher? Eh, whatever, she was very good and I can't tell you how many times I thought the best performance of the year wasn't even nominated while somebody else walked away with it.

If someone asked me what my single favorite Romantic Comedy was, this is probably what I'd say.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Crazy Stupid Love
This film is about what we may call good hearted people. The only character who may be an exception is played by Kevin Bacon who seduces Emily (Julianne Moore) who is going through a period of doubt in her marriage. They divorce and Cal has visitation on the weekends. His son (13) falls for his babysiiter (17) who is in turn infatuated by Cal. Cal starts to frequent a bar on his side of town where he meets Jacob (Ryan Gosseling) who takes Cal under his wing and educates him in the art of seduction. Cal becomes a lady's man and hooks up with nine different women over the period of a few months including her son's teacher (Marissa Tomei). The relationships become evan more confusing when we find that Cal and Emily's older daughter. When Cal finds out that Emily is dating Jacob he has a crisis because he knows that up until that time Jacob has been seducing someone new every night.

This sets up a comedy of errors of sorts as the relationships are revealed. In the end there is re commitment to old relationships, the first steps of a new relationship, and a relationship that ends because it was ill-conceived in the first place. I did like the film, but I will be surprised if it ends up in the top 25. .

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Hannah and Her Sisters
I'm thinking that this film will end up in my top 5, but I'll have to see if I can find enough new films to push it down the list. There is a thread on Movie forums that ask what film turned you on to movies. This is the film that did it for me. I remember I was impressed with the fact that it was a great blend of comedy and drama with great performances by Caine and Hershey as well as the other cast members. It is organized into separate vignettes which when combined give you the whole story.
The movie occurs over a period of two years. (From Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving) Elliot is married to Hannah but he is attracted to Lee One of Hannah's sisters. He seduces Lee by telling her that he is going to leave Hannah, but he never carries through with leaving. Lee is dating a college professor who is isolated from the world to the point that he tells Lee that she is his only connection between him and the world.

Lee and Hannah have a third sister who is a cokehead who makes up three parts of a whole. Hannah is the competent one, Lee is the emotional, sensuous one, and Holly is the bundle of tics and insecurities. Woody handed off the lead male character is Michael Caine who plays a Woody Allen style of character (Neurotic, insecure, etc.)

The movie is not an outright comedy, but has many comedic moments mainly centered around Woody Allen's character, Micky (Hannah's ex-husband). This was my first Woody Allen film and I truly v=believe it was his best. I am not alone in that assessment according to reviews I consulted.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

Cameron Crowes
Singles.

A group of singles living in the same apartment block seek to find romance as they live out there mid to late twenties in Seattle. Not in my top 25 rom coms. Seemed like the pitch would have been good, but not up to some of his better movies such as Almost Famous. He could have developed the characters better, and he could have worked more of the bands fromthe seattle grunge scene into the story a bit more.

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Stranger than Fiction
Marc Forester
A writer who likes to kill of her main characters is confronted by Harold Crick, the main character of her newest novel. I like this one because it is a good mix of romantic comedy and a hint of dark comedy. I've wathed this movie several times, and I have always enjoyed it. A good solid romantic comedy. .

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It Happened One Night
Capra


A rich "spoiled" bankers daughter (Claudette Colbert) runs away to elope with a man her father cannot stand. She meets a reporter (Clark Gable) on the way to New York who helps her stay clear of the bounty hunters her father has sent to find her. In exchange for his help he wants her story to help him make things right with his boss. They find things hard on the road, having little money, and they have to live by their wits. Being thrown together leads to them reluctantly falling in love. I liked the movie a great deal, and I was glad to get a Capra movie on my list, however I am not sure I agree that it is the best rom-com ever as suggested by its place on several of the lists that rank romantic comedies. It is not just because it is a little dated because a couple of the movies I plan to rank higher are also older movies. "The Awful Truth" and "His Girl Friday" to name two older movies and some of the Woody Allen's I like. I still want to recommend it for Rom-Com's and I anticipate it will remain on the list when I am finished.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

It Happened One Night is an all-time favorite of mine. It's also my favorite Capra film by a pretty decent margin. Glad you also liked it!

I
Love
This
Movie

Hoorah

For my money, possibly the most overrated movie of all time.

Nice to see some love for The Shop Around the Corner and Desk Set

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Mighty Aphrodite


As I was looking at some reviews as I was trying to place this movie on my list, and I was surprised to see that many did not like the Greek Chorus. That is one of the reasons I like the movie so much. I thought it was a fresh idea. I'd be interested to see what others on the site think about the Greek Chorus.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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The Big Sick


I enjoyed this movie, but I am not sure it was that much of a romantic comedy. It seemed more like a drama to me.

Hands down, my favorite Woody Allen film...enormous re-watch appeal

I didn't know that Wedding Crashers is a rom-com. I thought it was just a comedy, so I haven't seen it yet, but I'll have to check it out when I get a chance.

Your probably right. My mistake
.

It is on several rom com list, but I agree it is more of a straight comedy. I call this type of comedy a "How low can you go comedy" another film that might be considered a how low can you go comedy is Sideways. Either way I like Wedding Crashers a lot, but it really doesn't belong on a top 25 list.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

Other movies I am adding to my list
xSilver Linings Playbook
Indiscreet
The Apartment
Enough Said
Holiday 1938
xThe Artist
Mr and Mrs Smith
One Touch of Venus
xWhen harry met Sally
xChocalot
xAbout Time
Don Jon
Italian for Beginners
La Fee
2 Days in Paris
The Importance of Being Ernest 52
500 Days of Summer
Breakfast at tiffany's
xWaitress
xHigh Fide;lity
Stolen Kisses
Say Anything

I haven't seen Wedding Crashers. I was just going by what I saw in the trailer for the movie, and I didn't think it looked like a rom-com, but I could be wrong. I added it to my watchlist, so I guess I'll find out eventually.

It's nice to see some love for One Touch of Venus. :up:

I love the 1941 version of Mr and Mrs Smith, but I haven't seen the 2005 remake. I'm not even sure that the 2005 version is a rom-com. It looks more like an action movie from the trailer.

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Waitress


I did not really see this as a romantic comedy. The guys in the movie were both jerks in their own way. The Husband was a jerk, and the Dr. Was ready to destroy what looked like a good relationship to get involved with a woman who is at her wits end. Not on the list

I liked Waitress, but I agree that it's not really a rom-com.

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Dir Enst Lubitsch, Actors James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan



If you have seen "You've Got Mail" you might be surprised that it is a remake of a 1940 Ernst Lubitsch movie, based on the play called "The Shop ARound the Corner":1940. There was no e-mail in 1940, so the correspondence is through replies to personal adds. Another difference is that although the two principal characters in You've Got Mail are business rivals, the two main characters (James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan) are rival sale clerks in the same small shop. They have been corresponding only a short time before Klara (Margaret Sullivan) comes to work at the same shop as Alfred Kralik (James Stewart). The letters continue to be sweet and almost loving while their real in-person relationship is terrible. When they decide to meet in person for the first time, Kralik sees that he has been corresponding with Klara. Rather than meet her for his date he comes as himself and realizes she really cannot stand him. He changes his attitude toward her in some ways around the shop, but they still have problems getting along. In the end he reveals himself as the writer of the letters she cherishes so.

I have seen four Lubitsch movies:To Be or Not to Be, Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, and Trouble in Paradise. He is one of those directors who's movies are timeless. By timeless I mean there is really no need to try to update his movies. they play well even in modern times. That is true of Shop Around the Corner and To Be or not To Be, although I would have to say that You've got mail is better than Mel Brooks attempt to remake "To Be or Not to Be".



https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...SUn6Y&usqp=CAU

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About a Boy 2002

Dir The Weitz Brothers principal actors: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and Nicholas Hoult



Like High Fidelity the book that this movie is based on is written by Nick Hornby. Hornby depicts Will (Grant) as an immature but sincere man who loves Women as a better alternative to loving a Woman. His downfall is caused by mistakenly believing that single mothers will be less demanding and easier to dump than single girls. Of course his strategy is seriously flawed. Will begins the movie as a "how low can you go" character. He enlists Marcus, a young child who has decided that Will would make a good father, to pretend he is Will's son,so Will can seduce these single mothers into thinking he is a great single dad.

The heart of the movie revolves around the relationship between Marcus and Will. Marcus discovers Will's secret which is he has no children. He therefore starts coming to Will's house, uninvited, to watch TV. Although Marcus is cramping Will's style by trying to fix Will up with his depressed mother, and generally being a pain of sorts. Eventually Will feels ties to the young boy and decides to teach him how to dress cool. He also tries to tell Marcus that it would not be a good idea to sing "Killing me Softly" to a group of parents and their kids.

Thus far it might be a film where one of the Culkin children might show up, but this is not that type of movie. The movie succeeds in the acting of Hugh Grant and young Nicholas Hoult. The directors, who also directed American PKIe, show they can make a warm romantic comedy.

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Sabrina 1954

Dir Billy Wilder
Humphry Bogart, Audrey Hepbern, and William Holden



Based on the Samuel A. Taylors romantic comdy entitled "Sabrina's Fair" which was publishe din 1953. Sabrina, a chauffeur's daughter, has fallen hard for the youngest Larraby sons. The Larraby's own numerous businesses and are loaded. The younger son never really notices Sabrina until after she returns home from cooking school in Paris, where her circumstances provide a complete makeover. She starts a romance with the younger brother which the older brother tries to sabatoge by pretending to love her and steal her away from his younger brother. The bottom line is that if his youger brother does not marry a particular woman the family will miss out on a huge merger that will substantially increase their wealth. Bogart's character, however falls for Sabrina also. In the end Bogart gets the girl buisnness be damned. I thought it was a great movie.

I like this version of Sabrina, but I prefer the 1995 remake with Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear.

I'll have to check it out

Annie Hall is severely overrated IMO...Woody's made at least half a dozen movies that were better.

I like Annie Hall because it was a watershed film for Woody. But I agree he has made better films.

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His Girl Friday 1940


Starring Carey Grant and Rosalind Russell. Although the film is laugh out loud funny it still has a fairly complex plot that prevents it from becoming to screwball. The story centers around the paper trying to halt an execution scheduled for the next day. Hildy (Russell) returns to the office to tell her ex she is getting married and is going to quit. Burns (Grant) decides to try to fight the Governor and regain Hildy by recruiting her to write the story about the execution. She is the best person to write the story and perhaps writing it will make her have second thoughts about leaving her job.

I LOVED the Greek chorus

I don't think the two movies titled Mr. & Mrs. Smith have anything to do with each other except the same titles.

Thanks for the info.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Eternal Sunshine is one wild ride for a romantic comedy. The structure of the movie is non-linear. We see the events in Joel's (Jim Carrey) life as they are being erased from his memories. At some point in the process Joel decides that he wants to stop the erasure process, but he is unable. This makes the film structure harder to follow. (You probably need to watch it twice). I really like this movie, because of how its unique structure contributed to the story. I enjoyed trying to piece together the plot from the random memories they provide. This film was written by Charlie Kaufman, who had a great decade in the 2000's. He also wrote Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Syndoche New York. it is currently one of my favorite movies.

Re: Diehl 40's Top 25 Romantic Comedies
 

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Lady Eve


Many "screwball" comedies tend to loose their edge because everybody is a screwball and there is nothing sane from which you can judge how screwball the film is. The Lady Eve does not make that mistake. The sanity in this film is provided by Henry Fonda's role. In this film boy meets girl, boy exposes girl as fraud, and boy falls for girl a second time. I am finding that many of the romantic comedies I like the most are the films made before romantic comedy was even used to describe films. It happened on Night, Lady Eve, His Girl Friday, etc. are all excellent films that can be described as romantic comedy.