10 Romantic Comedies That Aren’t Terrible

Well, kids, it’s Valentine’s Day, and those of you who aren’t looking to go out and spend a fortune at a swanky restaurant (read: those of you who are married or in relationships that have been going long enough that you’re not trying to impress each other anymore) may very well choose to stay in for the holiday, cuddling up on the couch and enjoying a nice romantic comedy. Except, ugh, they’re all terrible.

Or so it seems, in this Heigl/Hudson/Hugh/Sarah-Jessica saturated cinematic marketplace. But believe it or not, there are some genuinely great romantic comedies out there — smart, tender, funny movies that make you laugh and warm your heart. No, seriously! We’ve not only managed to collect ten of them, but even an alternate choice or two for each. Snuggle up and enjoy after the jump.

Bringing Up Baby

The great Howard Hawks helmed this drop-dead funny screwball comedy, in which uptight, bespectacled professor Cary Grant unexpectedly falls for frizzy free spirit Katherine Hepburn, all the while babysitting a Brazilian leopard named Baby. The dialogue snaps, the laughs are big, and Grant and Hepburn’s chemistry is off the charts.

HONORABLE MENTION: It was so good, in fact, that the duo reteamed two years later, with Jimmy Stewart thrown into the mix, for George Cukor’s equally rambunctious The Philadelphia Story. In 1972, a scorching-hot Peter Bogdanovich followed up The Last Picture Show with the decidedly Baby-flavored What’s Up Doc?, a giddy homage that holds up considerably better than Madonna’s misguided attempt, the 1987 dud Who’s That Girl.

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ElenaElena 5 pts

Clueless, Juno, High Fidelity, The Science of the Sleep and even Bridget Jones's Diary.

"The Princess Bride" certainly deserves at least an honorable mention, not least for being far more quotable than anything else on your list. "Philadelphia Story" has a better script, but I think you're right that "Bringing Up Baby" is a better movie. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" is still watchable, though it may not be better than anything on your list. Then there's "Shrek," which deep down is a great romantic comedy, even if its reputation is tarnished by the sequels.

I love me some "Bringing Up Baby!"

Broadcast News and A Fish Called Wanda are sorely missing from this list. And it's wrong to say that Billy Crystal's greatest movie is When Harry Met Sally, when everybody knows that it's actually The Princess Bride.

There are so many of these that I'm a complete sucker for. Another great one that covers a lot of rom-com angles (and then some) is Alice Wu's Saving Face. It's the best of the pack for the girl/girl romantic comedies but throw in the mom's storyline and it's just a really funny, sweet movie about lots of different ways/types of love.