If you prefer the highbrow literary repartee that characterizes this erudite blog, don’t read any further. Tonight, I am compelled to compare and contrast two of the latest additions to the beloved film category known as the rom-com. I’m talking about No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits, of course. Both movies ask the age-old question: can two people fuck without any further involvement? It’s been quite a while since Harry met Sally, but if you ask me nothing has ever topped that movie in the what happens when friends fuck department. I wish that Billy Crystal had been played by someone with a little more sex appeal, like Mr. Magoo or Fred Mertz, but so be it.
No Strings Attached: Okay, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kitchen, big guy from Seventies show who is wed to Demitasse
Moore AND has more twitter followers than Obama. It’s the big guy who breaks, who wants MORE from the relationship FIRST, gets all sad and weepy. Talk about a crazy twist! Natalie has intimacy and workaholic issues like lots of us career gals. It’s douchy, but isn’t that the point? Bonus points: Natalie looks terrific in scrubs and the lamp posts outside LACMA are immortalized.
Friends with Benefits: Mila Kunis and Justin TImberlake who is trying, Mark Wahlberg style, to reinvent himself. Bustin’ moves isn’t going to help. This time, it’s the usual, the chick going all sad and wanting MORE from the relationship FIRST. Boring. Here, we also have a kooky mom played by the elegant Patricia Clarkson who I hope made enough money to justify this stain on an otherwise brilliant career. Ditto for Richard Jenkins who plays Timberlake’s father who is afflicted with Alzheimer’s and forgets to wear his pants. Fun! Bonus points: Mila going down on Natalie in Black Swan trumps Timberlake going down on Mila.
What’s your favorite romantic comedy?
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Betsy Lerner 
While You Were Sleeping.
It has Bill Pullman, loneliness, Bill Pullman, silently acknowledged mutual desire that is not acted upon for reasons that actually make sense, Bill Pullman, a lovely scene involving a missing testicle, leaning by Bill Pullman, the word schmeckel, Bill Pullman, a crazy family who is totally believable, and Bill Pullman.
Oh, and I think what’s her name from Hope Floats might be in it, too.
Ohhhh! I just saw that you put this as yours, too. Totally concur. And do you mean Sandra Bullock?
I do indeed. Ms. Bullock is a talented lady.
But, you know . . . Bill Pullman. 😉
Ohhhh (again). I’m slow.
Lars and the Real Girl.
While you were Sleeping was good. Ditto Lars and the Real Girl, but we don’t have enough Harry/Sally stuff.
And my favorite of all time: Bringing up Baby w/Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Laugh till the tears run down your face funny. Bonus nerdy Cary Grant wearing glasses. Plus a dead dinosaur. And two live panthers.
Bring back the screwball comedy, movie moguls!
I know it’s corny but Meg Ryan charmed the hell out of me in You’ve Got Mail. And the book store battle!
“That caviar is a garnish.”
We still use that line around here . . .
It’s either Sherman’s March or Waiting for Godot, I’ve never been able to decide.
Then there’s My Cousin Vinny, there’s always My Cousin Vinny.
You’re twisted, but I like twisted.
I can’t decide so it’s a toss up between Four Weddings and a Funeral, Crossing Delancey, Moonstruck, About a Boy, The More the Merrier Same Time Next Year and About Last Night.
I forgot about Moonstruck and Four Weddings . . . I must have worn those tapes out!
It Happened One Night. Even though I’ve seen it a hundred times that last part always makes me nervous.
And Singles. I love that movie, too.
Yay! Singles! One of my favourite movies, full stop.
Mine, too. I can’t believe I forgot to mention it right away.
I enjoyed that movie with the cute little yellow minions and the 3 orphaned girls. It had love and humor, so could it please be a rom-com?
This post nearly left me speechless. Nearly.
Working Girl
Captures the whole 1980s corporate scene with wit and style. Dialogue that I’m sure I overheard “back in the day” and (by recent comparisons) a sweet portrayal of the developing romance.
Also a nostalgic snapshot of the pre-9/11 NYC that puts a tear in my eye for that lost innocence.
“I’ve got a head for business and a bod for sin.”
In my next life, I hope I’d have a chance to purr that line! (more likely, though, I’ll be exclaiming “but it’s not even le-tha!”)
Six thousand dollars! It’s not even leather!
I am not steak! You can’t just order me!
Today’s junior prick, tomorrow’s senior partner!
And I am, after all, Me.
moonstruck. mostly for the breakfast scene:
Rose: Have I been a good wife?
Cosmo Castorini: Yeah.
Rose: I want you to stop seeing her.
[Cosmo rises, slams the table once, and sits down again]
Cosmo Castorini: Okay.
Rose: [pauses] And go to confession.
Probably When Harry Met Sally. Or quirky romcom: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Or foreign romcom: Amelie. Classic romcom: Pat & Mike (Hepburn & Tracy) Sappy romcom: Notting Hill. Babs romcom: On a Clear Day you can see Forever. Cher romcom: Moonstruck. But yeah… favorite is probably WHMS.
I file these under Cannot-Turn-The-Channel-Regardless-of-How-Many-Times-Viewed-Nor-How-Long-Ago-Started:
40 Year Old Virgin
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Wedding Crashers
and a new favorite…
I Love You Man.
I have the humor sensibility of a 14 year old boy.
I forgot all about My Big Fat Greek Wedding, can I change my answer? I love the part where she gets a pimple on her wedding day, and the women descend on her like a flock of screaming gulls. Hilarious.
On a trip to Greece, I discovered my hosts and their friends LOVED that movie – they claimed it captured the Greek-centric attitude of their relatives living in the States.
I can never pick a favorite anything, but as far as rom-coms go, Greek Wedding would definitely be up there.
And I’ve been soaking in Windex ever since, but it hasn’t fixed one damn bodily flaw.
Sherry: you may not be eating enough lamb
Karen–The root of the word “lamb” is a Greek word. It comes from the Greek word “lame.” Which I am. So there you go.
We usually have highbrow literary repartee?
Annie Hall, of course.
The Shop Around the Corner, The Philidelpha Story, Broadcast News, Born Yesterday and Something Wild
I miss head trip mouthy repartee. Conversation is sexy.
Moonstruck, Danny Deckchair. I’m hard to please rom-comwise but my absolute favourite is The Apartment
I can’t do anything with Kate Hudson in it. I can’t remember any names. The one where the mother dies and this couple have to bring up the baby. The one where the whole family hates the girlfriend. The one where they fall in love but then he is lost in a flood and the young son comes back from South America.
I agree–you can’t top When Harry Met Sally. “You’re the worst kind. You think you’re low-maintenance, but you’re really high maintenance.”
I also like Love, Actually.
Anything with Mae West or Cary Grant. I like wit with my romance. Sex is biology while romance is more about language.
You’re enough to restore my faith in male supremacy–M.W.
A Fish Called Wanda, and What’s Up, Doc? Neither of these movies is classified as a rom-com, which may explain why I’m single.
Does Annie Hall count?
If not, I have to go with the corny You’ve Got Mail. The Nilsson music did me in.
Something Wild, ‘tho it’s not altogether a comedy. Ray Liotta is crazy sexy.
Something’s Gotta Give–current fave.
Clueless. Parent Trap. Baby Boom.
All Hugh Grant and Cary Grant.
Roman Holiday
I’m not crazy about rom-com (preferring adventure-com) but I really liked Six Days, Seven Nights, starring Anne Heche, Harrison Ford, and that tropical island.
I didn’t know that about Mila and the Black Swan. I’m going to move it up the queue at Netflix.
I’ve seen Love Actually several times, but mostly for Bill Nighy. He sends me.
Apparently that black-haired girl has early onset Alzheimer’s.
blue velvet
HOLIDAY. Irresistible Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. I try to watch it every New Year’s Eve and fall in love with it all over again. Even if you don’t like “old movies,” it has such a 60s mentality of Screw that conventional life.
“Just stop me! Oh someone, please, just try and stop me!”
Am I the only small minded person here? Shallow Hal makes me laugh every time. And before anyone goes all fat defender on me, I am not a size 6. I’m always a sucker for the classics too.
‘I wish that Billy Crystal had been played by someone with a little more sex appeal, like Mr. Magoo or Fred Mertz, but so be it.’ Funny stuff! I’ve always felt this way too.
Reality Bites, 10 Things I Hate About You
Harold and Maude, Where’s Poppa and A Boy and His Dog. They made me laugh–very romantic.
This might be my 12-year-old boy mentality speaking, but I am a Wedding Crashers fan all the way. Too much sap makes me want to up my birth control!
While You Were Sleeping
Love In The Afternoon
Audrey Hepburn. God, but I love that woman. (underappreciated) Two For the Road and, of course, Breakfast At Tiffany’s,
Oh yes, all Audrey.
Anything early Cary Grant is better than chocolate, yes, indeed.
First place: His Girl Friday. The best dialog.
Second place tie: Victor/Victoria and Moonstruck
Third: City Lights.
Harry and Sally set the bar high. Meg Ryan worked so well in all those films: Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, etc. because she shone as the hapless, romantic, female lead. She could have been acting alongside a zucchini and it still would have worked, the fact that she was always the same character notwithstanding.
More recently, I loved Definitely, Maybe. But you know, now that I’m older and more cynical and stuff, I’ve noticed that romantic comedies are mostly total shit. What’s wrong with a twist in the plot? Some depth? Anything? I can’t get through one these days. They are so instantly forgettable and gratingly predictable.
What are some NEW good ones (most of the ones on this list are at least fifteen years old? Anyone? Bueller?
I almost hate to classify it as a rom-com, but Midnight in Paris was fabulous.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall