Valentine’s Day: the day of love, romance, and chocolate-covered strawberries. When it comes to us single ladies, what else can you do besides eat that pint of ice cream and watch your favorite romance movies alone? Well, you can eat that pint of ice cream with friends.
Branching off from Valentine’s Day, there exists Galentine’s Day- a day to celebrate and gather with friends in celebration of platonic love. Valentine season is not just a time to spend with your significant other, it’s also a day to enjoy time with friends and show your appreciation for them.
And what’s better than getting some snacks with your girlfriends and gathering around the TV to watch young Heath Ledger belt “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You?” Nothing, I presume.
Now, let’s get down to the perfect rom-coms. There are too many to choose from, but this list narrows down my personal favorites to watch with your besties.
10 Things I Hate About You
Enemies to lovers? We love that. 10 Things I Hate About You follows a headstrong teenage girl named Kat who is not easily impressed by the boys around her (to say the least). Meanwhile, Kat’s younger sister, Bianca, wants to experience the magical world of high school dating. Things get complicated when Kat and Bianca’s father decides to make a house rule: Bianca can date when Kat does. Kat soon meets Patrick, a bad boy with an accent and determination. The rest is history.
I think we can all agree that this film is considered a classic (as it should be).
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Another classic enemies-to-lovers film is The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, once again starring Anne Hathaway- this time alongside Chris Pine.
Mia, still grappling with being a royal, returns back to Genovia after graduating college. Upon returning, Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse, tells her that in order to become Queen, she has to marry someone in 30 days. Here enters Nicholas Devereaux, a charming suitor who plans on getting Mia’s attention to become King. As we can guess, they fall in love. I consider this film to be one of the best enemies-to-lovers films, as the characters learn that their love for one another is stronger than their annoyance.
A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story stars Hilary Duff as Sam, a teenage girl who is overworked by her stepmother and evil stepsisters after her dad passes away. Sam has been secretly messaging a pen pal and agrees to meet him at the school dance- but a twist of fate has Sam discover that her correspondent is Austin Ames, the most popular guy in school. After Sam realizes that it is midnight, she flees and drops her cell phone, which Austin picks up. This causes a frantic search for the beautiful mystery girl who stole his heart.
Again, it’s another classic. Modern Cinderella? Girl meets her Prince Charming? A perfect love story, I would say.
Clueless
This film stars Alicia Silverstone as Cher, a rich teenager who lives in Beverly Hills and thinks of herself as a solid matchmaker- that is, after fixing up her two teachers. Upon meeting Tai, a new student at school, Cher decides that a makeover and a new date will set Tai up for success. But along the way, Cher discovers that there is more to life than popularity and surface-level relationships.
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman follows Edward, a businessman, who picks up Vivian, a prostitute, to pose as his date for the weekend. As the two get closer, their feelings evolve into something past a monetary exchange. Not to be repetitive here, but there are truly no other words than classic. The chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere makes this film one of my all-time favorites.
Even though this is a short list of movies, these are what I consider to be some of the best rom-coms today. So, grab that pint(s) of ice cream, gather with your girls, and be prepared to gush all night over these amazing stories.