27 underrated rom-coms to watch when you can’t watch The Holiday one more time
When you can’t watch , , , or one more time without one of the streaming platforms asking some serious questions, it’s time to delve deeper into the romantic comedy back catalogue.
Romantic comedies are the viewing lifeblood of so many of us whether we’re game to admit it or not. There’s just something about rom-coms that give us the warm fuzzy feels even on the greyest of days.
For the shameless romantics, this genre of film encompasses everything to love about love and more. There’s also the comedic element for laughs, often an amazing setting to provide interiors and travel inspiration, and incredible fashion. Who didn’t take a few interiors cues from Diane Keaton’s Hamptons beach house in 2003’s ? Or, covet Cameron Diaz’s wardrobe in 2006’s ?
Rom-coms are all about escaping into a happy, glossy world which we know will deliver on all accounts. And if suspension of disbelief is involved, all the better. We’ve never understood how Cameron Diaz could fit that many incredibly stylish coats in her luggage, but really, who cares? It’s all part of the escapism of the genre.
The most iconic rom-coms also always deliver on a number of other important fronts: two people meet, there’s chemistry, obstacles prevent them from getting together, an offbeat friend/relative/co-worker provides light-hearted laughs and unconventional wisdom, the couple end up happily ever after.
However, when these tropes aren’t followed to the letter, often really exceptional rom-coms miss the attention they so richly deserve. Take (above) for example, this 2004 film starring rom-com’s golden girl Kate Hudson and John Corbett, had the makings of a huge hit and then slipped right under the radar. Was it that audiences couldn’t see the chemistry potential between these two? Or was it the film’s premise? Whatever the reason, it didn’t find its audience, but it is actually well-worth watching.
Read on for rom-coms that might be under-the-radar, underrated or even forgotten over time, but still deliver the full quotient of heartwarming feels, laughs and all-out escapist enjoyment.
Image credit: Columbia Pictures
The Wedding Planner, 2001
Image credit: Lionsgate
The Duff, 2015
Image credit: Columbia Pictures
Made of Honor, 2008
Image credit: Universal Pictures
About Time, 2013
Image credit: Universal Pictures
Along Came Polly, 2004
Image credit: Sony Pictures Classics
Celeste and Jesse Forever, 2012
Image credit: Amazon Studios / Lionsgate
The Big Sick, 2017
Image credit: Lionsgate
Love, Rosie, 2014
Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures
Can’t Buy Me Love, 1987
Image credit: 20th Century Fox
Just Married, 2003
Image credit: Columbia Pictures
Fools Rush In, 1997
Image credit: Universal Pictures
It’s Complicated, 2009
Image credit: DreamWorks Pictures
Just like Heaven, 2005
Image credit: Miramax Films
Kate & Leopold, 2001
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Life as We Know It, 2010
Image credit: 20th Century Fox
Picture Perfect, 1997
Image credit: Paramount Pictures
She’s Out of My League, 2010
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
What a Girl Wants, 2003
Image credit: 20th Century Fox
The Perfect Catch, 2005
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Rumour Has It, 2005
Image credit: 20th Century Fox
The Truth About Cats & Dogs, 1996
Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn Mayer
The Philadelphia Story, 1940
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Image credit: DreamWorks Pictures
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, 2004
Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
While You Were Sleeping, 1995
Image credit: Columbia Pictures
Excess Baggage, 1997