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Favorite romantic comedies of the 1990’s countdown part 1
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Good romantic comedies are hard to come by today. Many plot lines are being repeated and many actors and actresses have taken to playing the same character over and over again. Although I am a fan of many romantic comedies from the 2000’s such as He’s Just Not That Into You, Knocked Up, and The 40 Year-Old Virgin; it just seems that romantic comedies really flourished in the 1990’s. Although this list may not contain ten of the greatest award-winning movies, it is a compilation of my personal favorite romantic comedies from the 1990’s.
10. One Fine Day (1996)
One Fine Day movie poster
Starring mega stars, George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer, One Fine Day surprisingly received a great deal of negative feedback at its release. Critics were not fond of it. The movie follows the lives of Jack Taylor (George Clooney) and Melanie Parker (Michelle Pfeiffer), two single hard working parents, on a chaotic day. Jack is a journalist who writes about politics and has a daughter, Maggie (Mae Whitman). Melanie is a dedicated architect with a son, Sammy (Alex D. Linz). They are both faced with the obstacle of dividing their time between work and their children. After a busy day filled with career problems and problems with their children, like when Melanie is watching Maggie and she disappears, they end the day relaxing while the children watch The Wizard of Oz. After they share a brief kiss, Melanie leaves to change and comes back to Jack fast asleep on the couch. The movie ends pleasantly with the children finding both their parents asleep holding each other.
9. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You movie poster
Starring Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is the pretty, smart, popular girl that is the desire of every boy in her typical American high school. However, Bianca has an absurdly strict father who will not allow her to date until her older outcast sister, Kat (Julia Stiles) dates. Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Bianca’s French tutor who is dying to date her, comes up with a plan to pay someone to date Kat so he can date Bianca. Cameron finds Patrick (Heath Ledger), an irritable social outcast with an attitude similar to Kat’s. Little does Cameron know, Bianca just wants to date Joey, who is also attempting to date Bianca. Kat does everything she can to avoid Patrick and makes it clear she has no interest in him. In a very memorable scene Patrick sings “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” to Kat in front of the entire school and after spending a day in detention together they realize they truly like each other. After the hilarity that ensues from Kat and Patrick’s hatred for each other, in typical romantic comedy fashion, they end up happy together.
8. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
You've Got Mail movie poster
You’ve Got Mail is a modern day remake of the movie, The Shop Around the Corner. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were the romantic comedy couple of the nineties; they had co-starred together in Joe Versus the Volcano in 1990 and a chick flick classic, Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. You’ve Got Mail was released in 1998, right in the midst of the internet revolution and was highly anticipated because of this and its leading couple. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan), the owner of a quaint little bookshop, has been e-mailing with a man she met in a chat room for quite some time before she finds out who he is. After a rather lengthy period of time, she finds out he is Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), a man she has been dealing with and despises who owns a large Borders-esque book store chain that is running her small book store out of business. Before meeting her, Joe makes a conscious effort to be nicer to Kathleen; he even lets her critique his business philosophy and they begin to reconcile their differences. When Kathleen finally realizes Joe is the man she has been e-mailing with, she is thrilled and confesses she hoped it was him.
7. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Can't Hardly Wait movie poster
Can’t Hardly Wait, a hilarious romantic comedy that takes place at a high school graduation party, is known as being one of the best high school movies. All sorts of different high school cliques are represented at the party and this is where most of the jokes come from. The film follows Preston (Ethan Embry), a sensitive and somewhat dorky misfit, on his journey to declare his love to Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the prom queen whom every male seems to be drawn to. The film also follows another pair who fall for each other, Denise Fleming (Lauren Ambrose) and Kenny Fisher (Seth Green). Denise is Preston’s best friend who didn’t even want to go to the party, but was dragged along and Kenny is a wannabe gangster/rapper. After getting trapped in the bathroom together, they begin to talk about how they used to be friends and begin to hit it off. A movie that was loved because everyone could relate to at least one of the party-goers, Can’t Hardly Wait will always be a personal favorite of mine.
6. Reality Bites (1994)
Reality Bites movie poster
Reality Bites, a movie that started Ben Stiller’s career as a director, is not a very well known movie; however, it does have a star-studded cast. Winona Ryder plays Lelaina Pierce, a recent college graduate who is working on a documentary titled “Reality Bites” that portrays the everyday life of her friends. This group of friends includes Troy (Ethan Hawke), the lovable slacker stuck in his younger years and Lalaina’s life long best friend and sort of love interest. Janeane Garofalo plays Lelaina’s roommate, Vickie, who is known for her one-night stands and working at The Gap. Steve Zahn plays Sammy, a gay man terrified of coming out to his parents. Lelaina meets Michael Grates (Ben Stiller) an executive who helps Lelaina with her documentary and with whom she quickly develops a relationship. Now she must chose between Michael and Troy.
Check out how some of your favorite romantic comedies did at the box office, here.
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