group discussion
topic:
Comedies >
Romantic Comedies
I like the classic romantic comedies of the 30s and 40s, like the Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby.
L.A. StoryStranger Than Fiction
Mixed Nuts
Clueless
Notting Hill
I prefer the fantasy/adventure genre, but if the story looks good or unusual or well-written I'll give it a try.
Lucianne, I enjoyed Failure to Launch, but I felt that It could have been a much better film. I didn't appreciate the curve ball around the Main Character and then some scenes were just choppy.
My Romantic Comedy list:
The Man Who Came To Dinner
Bell Book And Candle
Love, Sex and Eating the Bones
The Holiday
Kettle of Fish
Irma la Douce
Addicted to Love
Two Weeks Notice
Romancing the Stone
You Kill Me
Better Off Dead
While You Were Sleeping is my all-time favorite romantic comedy. That movie is perfection for that genre of movie.I also love When Harry Met Sally.
Just One of the Guys (ha ha...does this one count?)
50 First Dates
Home for the Holidays
Once Around
Cousins
Love, Sex and Eating the Bones???? I LOVE the title of that. Don't know if I would love the movie (I have never heard of it), but the title alone would make me search it out!!
Dawn, I have that movie! (For the Ed Robertson cameo; I know, uber-dork! Especially since I haven't bothered to WATCH it yet. Sigh...)
OMG Paula!! I should have known you would have a movie like that!! :-) And I mean that in SUCH a good way!! You HAVE to watch it and then let me know how it is...I just LOVE that title. Hilarious!
I may have the strangest collection of movies, ever. BTW, since I'm posting on this board, I guess I should list some of the "Romantic Comedies" that I have!Paris, Je T'Aime
Love, Actually
The Notebook (the movie's better than the book!)
Roman Holiday
Hope Floats
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Sliding Doors
Pride and Prejudice (several versions)
I guess I should as well. Though NONE of them are as great sounding as the above mentioned one :-)
Love, Actually
Hope Floats
Pride and Prejudice (several versions as well)
Sense and Sensibility (with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet)
Nanny McPhee <--I put this one because even though it was marketed as a kid's movie, its ALL about love and the power of it and what you will do for and because of it.
Notting Hill
50 First Dates (because really, who wouldn't want someone that would work so hard to make you fall in love with them EVERY DAY!!...SWOON...)
Cousins (which I have LOVED for years...Its ALWAYS in my top 5)
Say Anything (because really, that is the best love story EVER...)
Oh, and Paula dear, The Notebook movie is NO WHERE near as good as the BOOK. Just sayin'. :-)
Paula,
Thanks for metioning "Paris, J'Taime". I liked that one quite a lot. It wasn't trying to move mountains, but it paid homage to the city of light with a good bit of humor and grace. I especially liked the final "story".
I'm kind of a fan of "The Holiday", which is pretty trite, but somehow the relationship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach elevated the film. I liked her "reinventing" herself in the context of that friendship...and it shows us that friendship can happen across generations, something our age-ist society tends to forget.
I loved that movie! Matthew McConaugh and Kate Hudson just mesh well.I have a soft spot for Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail because of the Meg Ryan Tom Hanks duo.
Phillip, My favorites from Paris, J'Taime are, I think, the last two.
My brother really loves The Holiday; I need to sit down and watch the entire film (although I've really liked the parts I've watched so far). I do like that part you're talking about with generational friendship, too; then again, that totally relates back to my own experiences!
Dawn,
Really didn't like the book version of The Notebook! Then again, Sparks just doesn't do it for me; I just don't think he's all that great a writer (gasp! horror!). And, c'mon, isn't it more fitting for the old people to die at the end (like they did in the movie) than to get a little... too much going on (as they did in the book)? That just creeped me out.
I do like 50 First Dates, though (it's cute), for the same reason that you do, and Nanny McPhee, too. Isn't Sense & Sensibility also a little creepy with Alan Rickman as the older love interest just being SO much older than Winslet's character? I remember thinking that in the Austen class I took in grad. school. SO you don't like to read Austen but you like movies about her books? ;)
I haven't seen Cousins, Say Anything, or Notting Hill, though, so I'll have to add those to my to-watch list.
I have liked Cousins for years. It really touches me. It is cery sweet and lovely and well, I hope someday Paula, you get to see it. I know that Nicholas Sparks isn't a GREAT writer (he's not Henry James or Jane Austen...sorry, its a quote from a movie), but I do like his books. And well, they will never be able to make a movie of The Wedding because of HOW they ended "The Notebook".
I happen to LOVE Jane Austen MOVIES. LOVE THEM. Watch them all the time. Books on the other hand...snooze. I once was on the Metro going from Queens to Westchester and fell asleep reading Persuasion and almost missed my stop!! :-)
Liked The Holiday. It was interesting to see where these characters went.
HOW did you miss "Say Anything"? How old are you anyway?? LOL :-)
I just wrote a post about The Lady Eve (1939, directed by Preston Sturges), a great film in the tradition of the 1930's screwball comedies. It's posted in "Movies Just Watched" thread. Check it out if you're interested, and like romantic comedies.
Cousins is one of my sister's and my favorite movies. My sister just can't watch it enough. Isabella Rossellini is so breathtakingly beautiful in that film. I love the whole overall theme of the movie which is life is too short to waste your time so go where your heart tells you to go.The dance at the end is my favorite scene.
Dawn, let's just say that Say Anything was released well before I was allowed to go to the movies by myself. Or actually choose a movie (beyond a cartoon or kiddie movie) by myself. Just sayin'. ;) I will try to find Cousins, though; you've made that sound awesome. You've got to try a different Austen book, though! Start simply, with P&P (like everyone does), as that's the most well-known and, therefore, the easiest to read! That's another book I'm dying to reread.
GASP! You want me to READ Jane Austen??? <in a whiny voice> Isn't WATCHING them enough???? <more whine>. :-) All I can say is "I will try". If I can find P&P amongst all the husband's cra...I mean stuff, I may attempt it. No promises here. The dance scene at the end of Cousins is CLASSIC. Probably is my favorite scene as well, along with the broken lamp. ;)
GOOD GRIEF!!! I was like 21 when I saw "Say Anything"...now you have gone and made me feel ANCIENT Paula. :-)
Dawn, there are so many great scenes in Cousins. The old lady dressed in black forced to go to all these weddings, holiday get-togethers, and funerals, until finally she gets pissed and snatches her wedding gift back.
When Ted Danson sadly tells his wife he'd slay a "baby dragon" for her.
How Sean Young is actually a more sympathetic character at the end than at the beginning of the movie. Lots of low self-esteem issues going on there.
Don't worry, Dawn, the kids I work with everyday make me feel old--everyday. And I'm pushing 30, which makes me "ancient" to them, promise. I do hope you can get through P&P though! It's not like you don't know the story, right? So that should help. And I will watch your fav movies if you PROMISE to try Austen again! :)
OMG! Blackmail!!! ACK!!Ok..I will "try" to read P&P. Maybe even start it next. But that means you have quite a lot of movie viewing to do!! :-)
I saw "Love, Sex and Eating the Bones" tonight. I was flipping channels and it was on Bravo. I was SO surprised. IT IS HILARIOUS! That is all I am going to say. Really good movie. I would watch it again. It was made here in Canada and it was fun to see all the landmarks that I knew. Fun!
I will be 41 at the end of the month. I am sure I would be "having one foot in the grave" if the kids think "pushing 30" is old. Sigh. :-)
Dawn, If you saw Love, Sex and Eating the Bones, then you should see Loving Jezebel, if you haven't already. A somewhat similiar film with the same lead. It's a little more mainstream.
Paint Your Wagon
As Good As It Gets
Mwah hah hah! (Now you know how I get my students to do their work, sometimes.) I just got out my copy of Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones, and I'll try to watch it tomorrow night or Sunday night (for once I have things to do except work this weekend!); then I'll look for Cousins and Say Anything. (And maybe I'll find time to finish ROTK, too, since I only have about 40 pages to go--woo hoo!)
And, Dawn, you are so not ancient--you're younger than many of my friends around here! (Except all the people who I know are married, and they're all younger than I am; go figure.)
I've watched a few romantic comedies lately wanted to see if anyone has a few out there I haven't seen.Some recent ones that I've seen and a quick run down on them:
Sex And Death 101 - This was a good sleeper film, a bit juvenile
The Brothers - It was a good blend of serious with humor
Love Don't Cost A Thing - Not a great film, but it has some good moments
Definitely, Maybe - A unique take on the traditional love story told through a combination of flashbacks
Married Life - More of a dark comedy than a romance comedy, but it has some funny moments
A Guide For The Married Man - This is so much like "I think I Love My Wife" only it's a 1967 Walter Mattheau lead. This was directed by Gene Kelly to my surprise, not knowing that he actually directed.
I love "The Holiday" starring Kate Winslett and Cameron Diaz. It's a romance comedy that really made me laugh and appreciate the light romance in it.
Two Weeks Notice
You Kill Me (just re-watched this last week)
Love, Actually
Harold and Maude
Secretary
Old school constructs:Ball of Fire
My Man Godfrey
His Girl Friday
Mr and Mrs Smith
The Women
The Thin Man (crosses a lot of genres)
Recent rashes:
Juno
Zack and Miri
Knocked Up
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
I like Korean romantic comedies the best, they are funny but at the same time have that depressing quality.
Oh hey I saw this Korean movie in the cinemas, it was about this boy who will take his vows soon and the girl has just come back from the US (well somewhere from the west) , it was quite funny and sweet and I didn't understand a single word except kim. And I do believe it had a happy ending.
Dawn, I love Austen movies too and I am totally with you about the books, P&P is a good read anytime, I can't say the same for Emma and Persuasion, I was left feeling dazed with all those lords and ladies and the tangled webs they weave around poor Anne/Emma/ whoever. You gotta take it slow and in the end it is worth the effort, being dazed helps with the afterglow (I'm sorry))) :P
of finishing the mighty task. And she was so good to all the good girls, everyone got a nice husband who was also filthy rich.
I don't have a list yet, I liked Juno for the main character, she looks so fresh and charming.
Do we like Meg Ryan's movies here...I once believed she was the only actress of this genre, please excuse my ignorance. I like French Kiss , Kevin Klein and Meg Ryan paired well . I also liked her You Got Mail inspite of Tom Hanks.
Marisa Tomei is comical by herself in the movie Only You :D
Nausheen wrote: "Do we like Meg Ryan's movies here...I once believed she was the only actress of this genre, please excuse my ignorance. I like French Kiss , Kevin Klein and Meg Ryan paired well . I also liked her You Got Mail inspite of Tom Hanks. "
I've never seen any of those movies lol
Does The Bird Cage count as a romantic comedy? I've seen that.
the bird cage? you mean the remake of la cage aux folles?
the original was wonderful, I never had the desire to see how the Americans messed it up.
I had no idea it was a remake! I'll have to get a copy for my mom, The Bird Cage is one of her favorite movies.
hopefully your mom is cool with subtitles. i haven't seen the original in years, but i remember laughing my tushie off watching it...i think i saw it about 5 times back in the day.
Ya, my mom will completely ignore subtitles if they are on the screen...whether she needs them or not. I brought the movie up to her and she said she couldn't make it through the whole thing, so I'll just watch it alone lol
I'd rather watch a movie that has subtitles because it forces me to sit still. If Im watching something in English I tend to start reading a book during the slow parts, or painting something, or day dreaming...
Hey Christy, I was just reading your post on movies we have just watched about the boy who asked you for the time and ummm.....I got curious, so what happened then? :P
I think I remember watching The Bird Cage a long many years ago, ummm it was around the same time that they were doing it on F.R.I.E.N.D.S on TV so I missed the whole point of it, if the purpose of the movie was to educate the audience on alternative couples. I just remember the song We're Family.
Honestly, I read the first post just now, and I have a few things to add, such as in Failure to Launch it was nice to see Sarah Jessica Parker when she was not all oversexed with her Sex and the City image. Actualy, I don't know what to say about the movie. Wow! can they really do what her character does in the movie(to earn a living), seems weird. Oh and was that Matthew Mc Connaughey?
Nausheen wrote: "Hey Christy, I was just reading your post on movies we have just watched about the boy who asked you for the time and ummm.....I got curious, so what happened then? :P"
I looked around and said "Ma'am? You better not be talking to me." He just stared at me so I nudged my friend and said "He wants the time, ma'am."
He sat near us in the theater so I addressed my friend as ma'am the entire time.
on a semi-related note:
i was walking in the haight-ashbury district in the late 90's with my friend, mary kate. a punk on the sidewalk asked us for spare change. mary kate said no, and the kid gave us some lip...she said, "look, if you were a real punk you would just kick our ass and take our money".
the kid did nothing, but i laughed for days.
ha ha that's funny Phillip.
Christy your poor friend!! Are They (kids) getting polite these days to you and me??! Now that would be a bit hilarious.
polite?are you kidding?
calling you maam is short for: you crusty old b*^~h.
you really should have smacked them and stole their reese's peanut butter cups. that would have taught them a lesson.
I'm used to it so I wasn't offended...I've NEVER been called miss, even as a little girl people would call me ma'am.
I was at a festival once when I was 12 and this dude asking people to register to vote called me ma'am.
Me: Ma'am? *angry tone*
Him: Uhhh...miss...
Me: How old do you think I am?
Him: 16?
Me: Then why would you want me to register to vote?!
Him: I have no idea.
