No matter how you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, V-Day, or whatever you are calling it, February 14th this year is going to look different―yet another holiday that is going remote due to COVID. And even if you are not celebrating Valentine’s Day, you may still want to enjoy a good romantic comedy because sometimes watching love onscreen (even if they tend to be on the cliché side) is the perfect activity for a night-in.
Just grab your favorite movie snack, a super comfy blanket, and you can pull up a heartwarming movie that gives you all the feels and laughs that you need to relax at the beginning of the semester. In the spirit of celebrating love and some of our favorite rom-coms, here’s what we would recommend watching during this Valentine’s weekend, or really just whenever you want something easy but fun to do in your dorm room.
- About Time
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If you have read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger or seen the 2009 film adaptation, but wanted something a little less serious and a little bit more humorous, About Time (2013) is the V-day movie for you. Available on Netflix, this coming-of-age film follows Tim (Domhall Gleeson) who discovers the men in his family can travel back in time. After this life-changing tidbit of information is revealed by his father (Bill Nighy), Tim must navigate how to use this gift. He almost always travels back in time for love, whether it is to perfect the first time he meets the love of his life, Mary (played by Rachel McAdams), or to try to save his father. Lighthearted and adorable with a splash of existential crisis, About Time is the perfect rom-com to watch on your own with a cup of tea, with your friends via a Netflix Watch Party, or with your significant other.
– Elizabeth Berry, ’21
- 10 Things I Hate About You
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This is one of those classic late 90’s/early 2000’s rom-coms that features some of our favorite actors when they were young like Julia Stiles (Kat) and Joseph Gordon Levitt (Cameron). It is inspired by Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew similarly to how She’s the Man (another classic) is based on Twelfth Night. Yes, this movie features that old recycled plot-line of a boy asking out a girl for a bet or a bribe and actually falling in love with her, but regardless it is cute and has amazing moments like the late Heath Ledger (R.I.P) who plays Patrick singing “Can’t Take my Eyes Off Of You (I Love You Baby)” by Fankie Valli on the bleachers. I think we watch rom-coms for the cheesy predictable plotlines anyways. The movie is a cute, fun, easy chic-flic you can watch for a little Galentine’s celebration. You can find it for free with a Disney Plus subscription or you can rent it on Amazon Prime for $3.99. Happy watching!
– Elyce Afrifa, ’22
- Definitely, Maybe
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Although this may not be a conventional choice for your Valentine’s Day movie marathon, this 2008 film is jam-packed with that rom-com, swoon-worthy storytelling that can simultaneously make you laugh and cry. The movie follows the recently divorced Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) as he tells his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) the story of how he met her mother. However, due to her nagging, Will decides to change all the names so that Maya (and us, as viewers) are forced to guess which woman in the story is her mother. Mostly told in a series of flashbacks, there is something intimately real and shockingly genuine, albeit often told through a comical and sarcastic script, to the three relationships and women we meet (played by Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz). Definitely, Maybe is perfect for a cute Galentine’s Day moment, especially if you’re the kind of group that likes to guess or place bets on the ending! You can find this movie on Amazon Prime or YouTube for $3.99!
– Makena Lurie, ’23
- Love, Rosie
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I think we can all admit that we have fantasized that the boy in our childhood would stay by us through all of life’s challenges—trials and triumphs. They would stand across from us at the altar and stand by our side for forever and always. If these daydreams have crossed your mind, Love, Rosie (2014) is your fantasy brought to a screen near you. If you have never even dreamed of this, this movie will still take you on an emotional joyride. Love, Rosie is a culmination of every Taylor Swift song ever. It uses slow burn romance and “right person, wrong time” to have its audience crying along with the characters (played by Lily Collins and Sam Claflin) by the end of the film. If you find yourself alone on February 14th, strategically staged next to a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, I highly suggest you watch Love, Rosie and make yourself feel every emotion under the sun.
– Meredith Harper, ’24
This weekend, whether you’re on a Netflix Watch Party link with your best friends or your SO, we hope that you enjoy our favorite V-Day rom-com picks. On a day all about love, we hope that you take some time to relax and practice some self-love, too.