Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie

Subject: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 07:19 AM

This must have been done before, put I couldn't find it in the archives. Of course, there will be those who will swear that the art of making such movies died with the end of the movies'golden age. ( when was that? ). Anyway, is it possible that more modern rom/romcom movies are in some way better than those ancient "classics"? I'm quite fond of the relatively recent movie "Serendipity", but I'll also include the late 30s "The Little Shop around the corner" with, a very young, James Stewart.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 11:09 AM

There's never one favorite. But I'll post one now to get you started:

Desk Set (Kathryn Hepburn, Spencer Tracy)

SRS

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: JenEllen
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 11:50 AM

"The Night We Never Met"---pure sap, but amusing sap all the same. The play is a must-see if you get the chance, but the movie is great just for happy-smiley endings and the terrific scene with Annabella Sciorra (sp?) tousled and crying in the cab: "I slept with the wrong guy!" (What woman hasn't been there?)

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 11:52 AM

The best of them all is probably "Bringing Up Baby". Among recent movies, the one I liked that no one saw was the George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez film "Out of Sight". Way too violent, but the two of them were great, complete chemistry, great bantering (which is essential for romantic comedy), and both of them have been crappy in everything since. Strange.

yours,

Peter t.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: AliUK
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 11:57 AM

Anything with Doris Day ( specially if it has Rock Hudson in it too) Don´t Eat the Daisies with David Niven springs to mind as a good one. Also Adam´s Rib classic Tracey/ Hepburn...wonderful combination.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: JenEllen
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 12:16 PM

Oh! Another nearly forgotten --thanks AliUK-- is "Man's Favorite Sport" with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. A real romantic comedy-of-errors and Rock is in fine form. (there's a scene where he does a handstand against a tree to empty his hip-waders, and I couldn't help thinking that if I were a man, I'd have slept with him...*bg*)

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: LilyFestre
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 01:10 PM

Personally, I really like When Harry Met Sally.    :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Micca
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 01:13 PM

There's a Griffin dunne one called "Cold Feet" that I have quite enjoyed

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 01:24 PM

It happened One Night Would be number one for me. And if you believe in romance after marriage, (I do) The Thin Man does it for me, too.. More recently, I Love Trouble with Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts was not a GREAT movie, but very enjoyable, and a welcome throwback to older romantic comedies.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 01:34 PM

Chasing Amy is probably my fav....

But Keeping The Faith (in spite of having Ben Stiller in it) was a lot of fun... and besides, I'd watch Jenna Elfman read the paper....

One Night at McCool's was hillarious too!

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Kim C no cookie
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 01:59 PM

Shakespeare in Love

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: AliUK
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 02:35 PM

High Fidelity, Great book, excellent film.Jack Black was great and Catherine Zeta Jones almost acted in it ( which made her even more alluring * slobber* sorry, hormones kick in when I think of CZT)

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 03:21 PM

One of my favourite romcoms - as mentioned previously - is " The Shop around the corner" which has been remade twice, most recently as " You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, but somehow that version didn't work for me. Recently, I watched - in the same week -the Audrey Hepburn version of " Sabrina" , and the recent Harrison Ford version. It was interesting to compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two versions.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 03:42 PM

"You've Got Mail" is a crass film -- Everyone in "Shop Around the Corner" is sweet: Tom Hanks in "You've Got Mail" comes across as a manipulative creep. For some reason, however, "Sleepless in Seattle" works, don't know why.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Don Firth
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 08:28 PM

"What's Up, Doc?" (1972) with Barbra Striesand and Ryan O'Neal. Romantic comedy type movie, but it might be more accurate to call it a romantic/slapstick/screwball comedy. The "maguffin" consisted of four identical plaid suitcases. Streisand before she started taking herself too seriously and Madeline Kahn's screen debut. This movie managed to take a shot at just about every movie genre ever made, with the possible exception of the Western. Hilarious. I howled all the way through that flick.

It contains one of the greatest chase scenes ever put on film.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 09:09 PM

Best Period Comedy Film - "Shakespeare in Love"

"Bringing Up Baby" - one of the best of it's time - remember that Spielberg film about dinosaurs running amok on an island? He is of course a great fan of older movies, so where do you think he got the idea for the great skeleton collapse?

"The 12 Chairs" ... :-)

Robin

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,pdc
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 09:25 PM

One that hardly anyone has seen -- I believe it was made for television, and I've tried to buy it, but it hasn't been released on video or DVD. It's called "Love Among the Ruins," and starts Katherine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. I believe they were both in their 80s when they made it, and it worked wonderfully. She in particular was magnificent (as always).

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 09:34 PM

John Cleese did a great little short movie - I think based on a story by Chekov - called "Nude with Double Bass" (I think!) - ben many years since I saw it...

The Russian Double Bass player (Cleese) is on his way to play at the Rusian Princess's wedding when he stops to take a dip in the stream. The Princess takes a horse ride, and stops for a dip in the stream.

Theives steal their clothes - Cleese has to get two totally nude people - and his double bass - inside the castle.... and teh Princess to her wedding... :-)

You could say the McGuffin is rather large... :-)

Robin

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Jaze
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 10:23 PM

Baby Boom with Diane Keaton was fun.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: LadyJean
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 12:39 AM

I agree that "Bringing Up Baby" is the greatest of all romantic comedies, with "My Favorite Wife" a close second.
I reccomend Kate and Leopold as a date movie. I left it thinking very well of men.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 07:15 AM

Chocolate was good too.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 08:57 PM

Add

1."Il Postino" - The Postman with Italian subtitles

2. "Officer and a Gentleman"

3. "Local Hero"

4. "The Englishman Who Walked Up a Hill and Down a Mountain"

5. and not until the ending, my favorite movie of all time, " The Waking of Ned Devine". ( I stood alone in the theater screaming "Yes, Yes" at the end). That was love and comedy at its best...

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: JenEllen
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 11:25 AM

Not a very comedic movie, but for oddly romantic, "The Whole Wide World" wins hands down for the best movie kiss ever. Not just A kiss, THE kiss, the kind that other movie kisses would like to be when they grow up. (You want to know why Renee Zellwegger thanked Vincent D'Onofrio in her "Cold Mountain" Oscar speech? My money says it's been 8 years and her knees are still wobbly.)

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 11:34 AM

All-time favorite= "The Philadelphia Story".

I'm a sucker for this film genre. It always works to lift my spirits if I've been reading and watching the news too much. I often think life would be so much better if we all had the chance to dive into our own romantic comedies with assured happy endings, just occasionally..xx..e

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 11:36 AM

The Graduate, especially the happy ending, and blocking the church door with a cross, symbolic or what?
John

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST,Jaze
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:34 PM

Don Firth, was that the one where Barbra Streisand played a hooker? That was hysterical.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Snoozer
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:51 PM

A hearty second vote for "The Philadelphia Story"
The original, of course, with Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. The best scene was when a drunk Jimmy Stewart visits Cary Grant after the party. Brilliant!!

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: M.Ted
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 03:57 PM

No one has mentioned "Trouble in Paradise", which some critics claim is the most to perfect movie ever made. I haven't seen 'em all, but Lubitsch was one of the greatest directors, and this is one of his best films.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:11 PM

Hey, how 'bout "Somewhere in Time" as one heavy duty romance movie. Chistopher Reeves and Jane Seymour...

Sniff...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:19 PM

Continental Divide
Something About Mary
An Affair to Remember
Casual Sex (yes, despite the horrible title)
The Wedding Singer

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:20 PM

I Knoow Where I'm Going
w. Wendy Hiller & Roger Livesy

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:39 PM

"Vanilla Sky"

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Romance, and romatic comedy for the 21st Century

"Chasing Amy"

The best ALMOST romance ever...

:-)

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Don Firth
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 05:41 PM

GUEST,Jaze, you're probably thinking of Nuts (1987), with Richard Dreyfuss. The one I'm referring to is What's up, Doc? (1972), with Ryan O'Neal and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. O'Neal plays a handsome but geeky musicologist with a theory about banging stones together being the origin of music attending a conference in San Francisco and trying to get a grant to further his studies. He runs into a ditsy female (Streisand) who manages to spread "havoc and chaos" wherever she goes, and so far has managed to get herself expelled from five different colleges. She latches onto O'Neal. Madaline Kahn plays O'Neal's prim and proper, socially prominent, tight-assed fiancée.

The initial set-up involves several people checking into a hotel with identical red plaid traveling bags, one of which contains O'Neal's musical rocks, another contains a fortune in jewels, and I can't recall what the others contain. People pick up or steal the wrong ones, of course, then try to find the one they really want. The cast is complete with government agents, jewel thieves, and guy competing with O'Neal for the grant, plus a judge who, with good reason, eats antacids like popcorn. A magnificently drawn out chase takes place up and down the hilly streets of San Francisco, often without benefit of brakes. Among many other things, this includes a man on a ladder and two guys carrying a big pane of glass. Great white-knuckle stuff. And some people miss the ferry. The tag-line of the movie requires that you be familiar the famous line from O'Neal's previous movie, Love Story. A combination of romance, farce, and sophisticated slapstick, it's full of wonderfully complicated and opaque (most of the time, you can't see it coming) set-ups for side-splitting gags. I have run into a couple of people who thought it was incredibly stupid, but these are people never smile and don't seem to know how to laugh. I consider it one of the three or four funniest movies I've ever seen. It should be rentable.

The funniest line in any movie was in When Harry Met Sally, delivered by Estelle Reiner, Rob Reiner's (the director) mother playing a bit part—the lady in the restaurant.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: JenEllen
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 07:28 PM

For a hearbreakingly weird romantic movie, try "Happy Accidents". It was an IFC release, but I think you can get it on video. Wow.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: John Hindsill
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 12:11 AM

Hands down, "The Palm Beach Story". Claudette Corbert on the train to Palm Beach with the gentlemen of the Hunt Club is, perhaps, the funniest scene in any movie. For those of you who don't know this film, CC and Joel McCrea play young marrieds living way beyond their means. She decides to divorce McCrea so that she can marry rich and support him. Rudy Vallee is the target of her scheme, Mary Astor plays his oft-married sister. Needless to say that things don't go exactly as CC plans.

Second choice, "My Favorite Wife". Cary Grant's double take while the elevator door closes is worth the whole movie.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 12:58 AM

"What's Up Doc?" was basically a remake of "Bringing Up Baby"--I think "The Palm Beach Story" is great, too, John, but I think it is a screwball comedy. I liked the Weenie King--

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 01:32 AM

The Owl and the Pussycat, with George Segal, was the Streisand one where she played the hooker. Another one, where she does lots of odd jobs to pay off a gambling debt, was For Pete's Sake with Michael Sarrazin.

SRS

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: John P
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 02:24 AM

I recently re-watched Parenthood. Funny, romantic, poignant, warm, all that great stuff. Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, and Jason Robards all doing what they do best.

John

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: maire-aine
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 11:57 AM

Arsenic & Old Lace

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Don Firth
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 12:12 PM

M. Ted, What's Up Doc? a remake of Bringing Up Baby? Certain similarities of plot, but a remake? I don't think so. A major missing element would be the leopard.

I haven't seen BUB for a long time, so I could be wrong.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 12:33 PM

And we mustn't forget "Harold and Maude", one of the strangest love affairs on screen, and one of the sweetest...xx..e

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Amergin
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 01:49 PM

Indiscreet.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: RangerSteve
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 03:19 PM

Moonstruck.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Jeanie
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 03:49 AM

My all time favourite has to be "Truly, Madly, Deeply", with Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson: a story about loving, grieving and moving on. Superb real, believable acting, very clever little touches of visual echoes that you maybe don't notice consciously the first time you see it. If you don't know this film, I recommend it wholeheartedly for anyone who has grieved for anyone, ever. Although billed as a "romantic comedy", it is a profoundly healing film. Have giant box of tissues ready and, preferably, a good friend with you to hug !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: freda underhill
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 06:39 AM

Romuald et Juliette (1989), written and directed by Coline Serreau, with Daniel Auteuil as Romuald.

Auteil plays Romauld, a company president (yoghurt, what else) who gets framed by ambitious colleagues with a food-poisoning scandal. He's demoted, his wife leaves him, and the only person who can help him is the evening cleaning-woman, who always checks out the contents of all the garbage bins and knows who's been ratting on who. this film has a romance which crosses boundaries of race, class, and kilograms. The cleaning lady is a large African French woman with several kids who supports them by cleaning at night, her ex husbands all turn up at various points to borrow money.

Romuald goes through a total breakdown, and ultimately the only person he can trust is Juliette, the cleaning lady. I laughed hysterically, cried, and felt inspired by this movie. This love breaks the boardroom corruption and the ending is great.

this movie is as much about trust as love, take it out on video, its brilliant!

freda

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: el ted
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 06:52 AM

The Long Good Friday with bob hoskins.
Eraserhead.
Dune.

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: freda underhill
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 06:53 AM

..and Muriel's Wedding!

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: clueless don
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 10:10 AM

"Local Hero" is one of my favorite movies of all time, but I didn't consider it for this thread because I don't classify it as Romantic. Of course, there certainly is romance in it, so maybe I should re-think.

Lots of good candidates already mentioned, plus some that I have never heard of. I notice that the Tracy/Hepburn movies are getting lots of votes, so I will add one that I haven't seen mentioned yet: "Without Love".

And yes, "What's Up, Doc?" was a great movie!

Don

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: Art Thieme
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 11:56 AM

Deep Shoat

abbout a boy and his pig...

Art

Subject: RE: Favourite Romantic/Romantic Comedy Movie
From: steve in ottawa
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 12:04 PM

For reference, the Internet Movie Data Base List. Interesting that nobody here has mentioned Casablanca. Great, but for me, not the definition of romance by any means.

I'd have to second It Happened One Night; I still haven't seen Bringing Up Baby.

Involving music: Little Voice and Hear My Song

Older folks: Nobody's Fool.

Older women: Bull Durham and While Palace

The sci-fi crowd: Groundhog Day and Late For Dinner (just noticed, but haven't seen Happy Accidents.)

John Candy: Only the Lonely and Delerious.

Someone mentioned The Thin Man as one of the few comedies involving a cheerfully romantic married couple. Can anyone else recall any really good movies along similar lines? I loved Tender Mercies, but it was more about perseverance and love than romance.

Arguments:
Truly Madly Deeply is superb, but the romance seems like a subplot compared with the grieving.
Local Hero is one of my top twenty favorite flicks, but I wouldn't call it a romance either.