Back in the 40s and 50s, romantic comedy movies were huge hits. Stars like Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Jimmy Stewart, Rock Hudson, and many others began their careers in romantic comedy movies. Many spent their entire careers doing these kinds of fun films that combined love stories with situational comedy and witty banter. Movies like “Bringing Up Baby” and “The Philadelphia Story” became shining examples of the genre and helped to bring in lots of new audiences around the world to theatres.
Today’s top romantic comedy movies are crowd pleasers with hilarious storylines and wacky performances by some of the industry’s top actors and actresses. In 2009 we were given the gift of “The Proposal” starring Sandra Bullock as a “Type A” workaholic, tough as nails executive and Ryan Reynolds as her beleaguered and overworked assistant. When Bullock’s character is about to get deported to Canada she comes up with the hare- brained scheme to get married with Reynolds. The results are very funny and even touching near the end.
One of the best romantic comedy movies of the last ten years is “The 40 Year Old Virgin” starring sad sack comic actor Steve Carrell and the mature but still sexy Catherine Keener. Directed by then first-timer Judd Apatow, it has made a tremendous killing at the box office and in rentals and DVD sales all over the world and propelled Apatow and Carrell to further superstardom.
2007 brought us a deep dish goodie of a movie called “Waitress” starring the lovely Keri Russell as an abused wife who works in a pie restaurant somewhere in the Deep South. Russell is endearing and you fall in love with her as she battles her drunken, abusive husband and ends up having a torrid affair with the new, dashing town doctor. This movie is great fun overall with a good message.
In 2003 audiences were treated to one of the funniest romantic comedy movies of all time with “Something’s Gotta Give” starring a feisty Jack Nicholson and the colder, but sincere Diane Keaton in a pairing made in movie heaven. Nicholson plays an old playboy who is dating Keaton’s twenty-something daughter. When Jack gets a heart attack while having an amorous interlude and ends up recuperating for a few days at Keaton’s house, the sparks fly and comedy magic ensues. This is one that is not to be missed.
One of my personal favorite romantic comedy movies is the hilarious “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” which came out in 2008 and now ranks as one of the top money makers of the past ten years. Directed by Nick Stoller and written and starring Jason Segel, this is a very funny movie about a guy who can’t get over his break-up with a girl. Segel plays a nerdy TV show theme music composer who heads to Hawaii to somehow get over the loss of his gorgeous actress girlfriend, only to find her and her new rock star boyfriend vacationing in the condo next door.
Romantic comedy movies will continue to tickle our fancies as long as men and women continue to date, love, and get married.
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