Few genres of film inspire more personal responses than the romantic comedy. Given how much of our lives is spent on love and romance (falling into it, falling out of it, chasing it, giving up on it), it’s no surprise that the rom-com has remained one of the most popular formulas since the dawn of cinema, and while the genre has undisputed classics, you can end up cherishing certain films purely because of their connection to your own life. They can help pull you out of a post break-up tailspin, they can comfort you through unrequited love, and, if a film hits you at the height of your passion for someone, they can end up associated forever, even blinding you to the movie’s flaws — seeing “Elizabethtown” in the midst of first love left this writer swooning after exiting the theater (thankfully, a subsequent rewatch put me straight as to how terrible it is…)
Today sees the release of “The Five-Year Engagement,” a Judd Apatow-produced romantic comedy starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, and while it doesn’t quite hit the heights of “Annie Hall” and “When Harry Met Sally” that it was aiming for (read our review here), it’s as good a stab at the genre as we’ve had in recent years. To celebrate the film’s release, we decided to acknowledge that personal connection of the genre, and rather than try and pick a definitive list, The Playlist team picked their own personal favorites. Some are classics, some are undersung gems, but all blend laughs and love in a way that’s lingered in the memory. Check our picks out below, and you can let us know what your favorites are in the comments section.
“My Man Godfrey” (1936)
In the pantheon of great screw-ball comedies, “My Man Godfrey” has often been passed over in later years in favor of films like “Bringing Up Baby” and “It Happened One Night.” But ‘Godfrey,’ starring divorced-but-friendly couple William Powell and the luminous Carole Lombard is a gem that should not be overlooked. This Depression comedy features Lombard as the silly, flighty younger daughter of a wealthy family, and the suave, dapper Powell as a homeless man (one of the Forgotten Men of the Depression) whom she hires to help her win a scavenger hunt (yep, he’s one of the spoils) and then to be her family’s butler, where of course she falls in love with him. Powell is at the height of both his comedic and dramatic power — this could be his best role, even better than Nick Charles in “The Thin Man” series, because his character is more grounded and real than the droll detective. He was noticed by Oscar for this one too, one of his three nominations. Of course, as it’s revealed, he’s actually the scion of a wealthy family in Boston, down and out over an affair gone wrong. He keeps Lombard’s Irene at bay, driving her to battiness, and Lombard pulls off the wacky role with panache. Though the Depression issues grounds it firmly in its time, it also keeps the stakes incredibly real within this world of dizzy debutantes. ‘Godfrey’ holds up years down the line, due to Powell and Lombard’s performances, aided in support by the hijinks of the family around them. Scenes with Mother’s Spanish protege Carlos remain hysterically funny, while a romantic scene of Powell and Lombard washing dishes together should be in the canon of iconic romantic scenes in film. You’ll swoon just like Lombard over “My Man Godfrey” (and it’s on Netflix Instant!) — Katie Walsh
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2003)
Pigeonholing Michel Gondry’s beautiful, melancholy ode to breaking up as simply a romantic comedy is like calling a Bloody Mary tomato juice. But while rom-com is one ingredient in this genre cocktail that also includes science fiction, comedy, special effects and melodrama (all sprinkled with a heavy dose of dream/nightmare logic), it’s clearly the genre that gonzo screenwriter Charlie Kaufman was most concerned with turning on its head. And does he ever. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is, for this writer, one of the very best films of the aughts, endlessly rewatchable with something new to be found with every viewing. But also, Kaufman and Gondry (who shared a deserved Oscar win for screenwriting that year, along with Pierre Bismuth) authentically capture the feeling of breaking up and all the messiness that comes with it. Being mostly averse to the romantic comedy genre as it stands today (shitty Katherine Heigl joints, regurgitated indie weepies, et al.), the only thing that could possibly feel different and exciting would be to mash it up with other types of films into something wholly modern. ‘Eternal Sunshine’ was a confluence of many special parts: a near-perfect script, Ellen Kuras’ inventive cinematography, Jon Brion’s perfectly attuned silent film-esque score, Kate Winslet’s finest hour onscreen (she should’ve won the Oscar for this role) and the rest of the spot-on cast. Gondry has yet to match the heights he achieved here. It was the perfect blending of what the inventive but messy French director does best. And yeah, it’s romantic, truthful, funny and sad, sometimes all at once. Sure, it’s many things, but at heart this film is a romantic comedy puzzle that begins in pieces, but by the open-ended climax (will they or won’t they?) forms into a masterwork of genre deconstruction. — Erik McClanahan
“Overboard” (1987)
As far as comedic set-ups go, they don’t get much broader than Garry Marshall’s “Overboard,” wherein Goldie Hawn‘s bitchy heiress falls off her luxury yacht, gets amnesia, and is tricked by Kurt Russell, a lowlife carpenter who previously worked on her boat, into thinking she is his wife (and mother to his four human-tornado kids). In terms of romantic comedy realism, this isn’t going to be mistaken for anything even remotely naturalistic. But it’s really, really funny, and really, really smart (it has a script by wonder woman Leslie Dixon, who wrote everything from “Mrs. Doubtfire” to the terrific “Thomas Crown Affair” remake to last year’s underrated what-if thriller “Limitless“) and the chemistry between Russell and Hawn is palpable and spiky and totally intoxicating. The most striking thing about “Overboard” might be that it succeeds to become a romantic comedy classic in spite of Marshall’s truly awful direction and staging (and the occasionally insufferable Alan Silvestri score). In terms of romantic comedies it hits that sweet spot between wackiness and big-heartedness, exemplified perfectly by the relationship between Hawn and Russell’s devilish kids. (The supporting cast is also top notch — Edward Hermann plays Hawn’s yacht-loving husband in a role that predates his performance in “The Cat’s Meow,” his butler is played by the film’s producer Roddy McDowall.) Also: it’s pretty sexy, especially for a PG-rated comedy the whole family was encouraged to see; Hawn was never prettier and it’s rare in romantic comedies to actually buy that the leads are dying to have sex with each other (in this case, they actually were!). Now if only the studio would release a Blu-ray of the extended cut that you can occasionally catch on TCM. “Overboard” fans would be over the moon. — Drew Taylor