I am a huge fan of Alana Bennett. Been following her work for a while, even before she was writing for the ROSWELL reboot.
She has an intermittently updated Substack and over a year ago she compiled a list of the best 96 rom-coms according to her students.
I love rom-coms but, as noted in prior posts, I have penned a few romantic works, however they are more romantic dramas or romantic thrillers. I have given up on trying to write a rom-com of my own because every time I start with the best of intentions, it ends up going sideways.
I will be blunt: I had to look up a number of the titles to recall if I had seen them before, and more often than not I realized that oh, not only didn’t I see it, I saw them opening weekend in a theater.
I have seen over two-thirds of these. 69, in fact. (Har har, but fitfully true, and the inverse of the numerical list!)
Most of the rest I am familiar with and almost all on my watchlist. (My watchlist is a very long list, y’all!)
If I had to pick just one of these to show to someone who had never seen anything on this list? Cripes that’s Sophie’s Choice tough, but probably DOWN WITH LOVE. It’s a very accessible and winsome take on the Rock Hudson/Doris Day classic PILLOW TALK.
If I was sat down and told: “Watch one of these you’ve missed, right now” I would pick AUSTENLAND. I didn’t read Jane Austin’s works until later in my life and, while I’m more of a Bronte person, that sounds very much in my wheelhouse.
I have watched AUSTENLAND since penning a draft of this post, so maybe HOW TO BE SINGLE is next? I dunno. Not on the list, but I am literally writing a novel that dovetails with wedding dresses so perhaps 27 DRESSES.
(Update: I’ve since watched 27 DRESSES which is far better than you would think! Also re-watched MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING with my Greek wife, as well as the underrated MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2!)
If I had to add one rom-com to this specifically young list, it’d be DEFINITELY, MAYBE. That film is severely unsung and so, so, so very 90s.
Anyway! Watch rom-coms, y’all! Even if you don’t think they’re for ya! I guarantee you that at least a few will resonate and make you a better person. Rom-coms are all about someone’s wants-and-needs and hopeful expectations and lust for life and awareness of disappointments and every emotion all at once.