These Five Romantic Comedies Will Have You In Your Feels

Romantic comedies have arguably some of the most addictive plots in film history. Although they mostly target women, I have witnessed my dad shed a few tears or laugh at the cheesy dialogue in some of them. 

This genre is the gift that keeps on giving. There are iconic films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s that date back to the 1960s or something as recent as 2019’s Someone Great. 

Here are my top five romantic comedies that will make you feel girl power, cry, debate, and wish for true love.

Legally Blonde (2001)

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) world turns upside down when her boyfriend Warner, reveals that he will not marry her because she is “too blonde.” He degrades her hopes for the future revealing she is not smart enough to become his wife. 

Woods, a sorority girl, is determined to win back Warner’s heart. She studies hard and gets accepted into Harvard Law and discovers her true potential along the way. 

What makes this movie so impeccable is how Woods doesn’t  lose her style or morality while in law school. 

She perseveres with good friends by her side to accomplish all her dreams. She’s an inspiration for every girl to become that go-getter and crushes the “dumb blonde” stereotype. 

As Woods would say, “What, like it’s hard?”

Miss Congeniality (2000)

A bomb threat to the Miss USA pageant leaves the FBI scrambling for a female agent to enter the pageant to protect the contestants. 

Gracie, played by Sandra Bullock, is their only option. 

She is the typical tomboy and is appalled at the refined role she must play in order to solve the case. However, throughout the film, Gracie learns that femininity and love is not something that one needs to run away from.

I was nine-years-old the first time I watched this film and absolutely obsessed over the idea that femininity and masculinity can be equal components of a person’s life. 

Gracie learned how to embody and accept both of those traits, making the movie the ultimate girl boss film in my eyes.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

This romantic comedy follows two love stories. One of the characters is Kat (Julia Stiles) and the other is her younger sister Bianca (Larissa Oleynik). Kat is a rough around the edges girl who has to get a boyfriend before Bianca is allowed to date. A plan is hatched to get Kat a boyfriend after newcomer Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) starts crushing on Bianca.

Cameron tells the rebellious Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to make Kat fall for him, but will Kat’s icy heart be open to love?

I recently watched the movie during quarantine and was awed by how well the storyline portrays teenage relationships. 

Kat’s scene reciting the poem that is related to the title of the movie is my favorite. We watch her grow to accept the love she deserves in that last butterfly inducing line: “But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close. Not even a little bit. Not even at all.”

Love stories like this one really show you that although you might not think you want love, you’ll always need it.

Clueless (1995)

Clueless stars Alicia Silverstone as Cher the queen bee of her Beverly Hills High School. She is wealthy, attractive, and has matchmaking abilities. 

Feeling good about her success, Cher adopts Tai (Brittany Murphy) as a friend she can turn into a desirable popular girl. But after Cher’s controlling nature gets a bit overwhelming, she becomes a better person for herself and her community.

Besides the storyline, the outfit choices in this film are the most memorable. Cher’s yellow plaid set and Dionne’s (Stacey Dash) black and red plaid outfit are iconic and have been repeatedly used by many girls on Halloween. 

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Daddy’s girl, Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey), spends the summer in an isolated Catskills resort with her family. 

She is weighed down with the heavy expectations of college and the Peace Corps and just wants to enjoy her youth before reality sets in and her life begins. 

Baby falls for the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), when he enlists her as his replacement dance partner. Their love catches fire but Baby’s father forbids it for classist reasons and gets him fired. However, Baby is determined to dance with Johnny during the last performance of the summer.

I remember watching this film with my mom in North Carolina, where the movie was filmed, and absolutely adoring all the dance scenes. 

In their final performance, they dance to the 1987 hit, The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and perform the magical lift that so many couples try to recreate to this day.