Intro 

Valentine’s day is supposed to be a time of love. A day that you can set aside to spend quality time with your partner. If you’re anything like me, that’s just not happening this year. One of the best things about romcoms is that you can watch them in or out of a relationship; you can be in a happy relationship and watch He’s Just Not That Into You religiously, right? Either way, you’re gonna want to sit back and watch the chaos unfold that are rom-coms to get into the Valentine’s spirit!

• The proposal (Ryan Reynolds/Sandra Bullock)

The proposal is a movie I can truly play on repeat and never get sick of. In fact, I did that just the other day. With the sheer amount of talent in the cast, notably Betty White and Mary Steenburgen, it was sure to be a movie that captivated its audience. I am an absolute sucker for romcom gender role reversals where Margaret is the hard-headed boss that commands her feeble assistant (who happens to be the ridiculously attractive Ryan Reynolds) to fake marry her so she won’t get deported back to Canada. With the raunchy bar scene from the lovely Oscar Nuñez and Sandra Bullock’s remarkable, ceremonial performance of  “Get Low” by Lil John and The East Side Boyz, this movie is to die for. And I would never dream of forgetting this beautiful quote from the movie, “Now, you could imagine my disappointment when it suddenly dawned on me that the woman I love is about to be kicked out of the country. So Margaret, marry me, because I’d like to date you.” Ugh, literal waterworks. 

• 27 dresses (Katherine Heigl/James Marsden)

There are so many facets to this movie that I love. Judy Greer as the vulgar best friend, for one, had me giggling. Plus, as romcom veterans, Marsden and Heigl truly understood what they needed to do to make this movie a classic. Both the car crash scene, if that’s what you would call it, and the succeeding bar dance are part of what makes this movie as cheesy as it is… and I absolutely love it. Not only that, this movie is truly for the older sisters of the world. As an older sister and middle child myself, I know what it’s like to feel like you got the short end of the stick when it comes to getting to be parented or having to be the one doing the parenting. Jane had to take over the role of ‘mom’ when she was just 8 years old. What felt even more astonishing, ironically, is when Tess cut up her and Jane’s dead mom’s wedding dress in order to make her own gown. I would have had to have been forcibly removed from the hardware store in handcuffs after that interaction. Luckily, Jane gets some well-deserved revenge on Tess during her infamous engagement party speech… I was getting second-hand embarrassment in the best way. 

Favorite Quote: “$140 you know what you did”

• Definitely, maybe (Ryan Reynolds/Isla Fisher/Elizabeth Banks/Rachel Weisz)

This movie is another one I can watch multiple times. Maybe it’s just the Ryan Reynolds effect but I don’t care, it’s working. At different times throughout the movie I genuinely thought Will could end up with either of the three women, but I think that’s what made it so fun. Having 3 different love interests really makes this movie refreshing  to watch because you get to guess along with Maya (his witty daughter Maya, played by child acting sensation Abigail Breslin) giving it an air of mystery that I wish more rom-coms were able to give us. If you decide to watch this movie (and you should), you are guaranteed to have a good laugh. 

Favorite quote: “Dad, I can’t believe you smoked… and drank… and was such a [$lu+]… But I still love you.”

• The other woman (Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann)

Okay, so I know that I professed that I love cheesy parts of romcoms but this movie is the epitome of using the typical female  revenge plot without having to compromise it being absolutely hilarious. I felt like I was among their little karma-loving girl group giggling when Kate spiked, the infamous adulterer of a husband, Mark’s smoothies with estrogen pills to swell his nipples. When Carly spikes his water with a laxative I felt like I was in on her little secret. In all their crazy antics, they happen to stumble upon Mark’s shady financial history which gives them the leverage to create a strategic plan and take him down. I do have to mention though, the MVP of this movie was undeniably Leslie Mann. In the best possible way, she is exceptional at playing a pathetic character. Also, Nicki Minaj is casually just there as Cameron Diaz’s coworker so there’s that to look forward to. 

• How to lose a guy in 10 days (Kate Hudson/Matthew McConaughey)

I always loved this movie when I was younger. After it had a resurgence of popularity around November/December because of the tiktok trend to the song “You’re so vain” by Carly Simon, I knew I had to watch it again to see if it still held up to my 11 year old standards. Since it’s on this list I’m sure you’re smart enough to conclude that it, in fact, was the lovable chaos that I remember and cherish ever-so dearly. With Kate Hudson in her romcom prime and this movie coming 2 years after Matthew Mcconaughey’s performance in the widely loved romcom The Wedding Planner, this movie was destined for popularity. To me, this movie has a great balance with the comical aspects as the pillars of the real connection that they had built over the last 10 days. And amidst all this chaos, I can’t help but smirk every time I pass a fern in HomeGoods. I also have to mention this movie wouldn’t be half as good without Ben’s dramatic facial expressions in reaction to Andie’s nutty scare tactics. That being said, I know you guys will love meeting Benny Boo and Princess Sophia!

Favorite Quote:

Andie: Oh, no. Our love fern. It’s dead.

Ben: No, it’s just sleeping.

Andie: You let it die. Are you going to let us die?

Honorable mentions 

The holiday, princess diaries 2, what happens in vegas, he’s just not that into you, something borrowed, 10 things i hate about you, someone great, friends with benefits, how to be single, my best friends wedding