One of my favorite things to do, no matter what the season, is sit back and watch a classic rom-com. They’re the ideal butterflies in your stomach, Prince Charming types of stories with a few comedic twists en route to the fairytale, happily-ever-after, fade to black.
For those of you who don’t know, Rotten Tomatoes is a website infamous for their way of rating movies by percentage on the Tomatometer, ranging from the Red Tomato icon indicating Fresh to the Splat icon meaning the movie is Rotten. However, they also have a rating for the users, which is a popcorn bucket (indicating number of people who gave the movie 3.5 stars or higher).
I figured with it being February and the month of love, I would look at six of my favorite rom-coms, list their Fresh or Rotten percentage, and give my own personal review to help answer the question: Are these films totally romantic or totally rotten?
Clueless (1995): Alicia Silverstone is iconic in her role as Beverly Hills blonde Cher Horowitz where she rules her little world with her best friend Dionne in tow. The duo take in a new girl named Tai to make her over and prove to Cher’s step-brother Josh that she is a girl with more substance than just her impeccable style.
Tomatometer: 81%, Fresh
Personal Review: I give this movie 3.7 stars! This movie is such a classic 90s rom-com, and it’s perfect to watch at a sleepover with some of your good friends. Plus, it gave birth to some unforgettable catch phrases like, “Ugh, as if!”
10 Things I Hate About You (1999): Kat Stratford is the complete opposite of her younger and more popular sister, Bianca. However, the only way Bianca can date is if Kat does, too. Joey, Bianca’s potential boyfriend, sets Kat up with Patrick Verona, played by Heath Ledger, a handsome rebel with the potential to win her guarded heart.
Tomatometer: 62%, Fresh
Personal Review: I give it 3.8 stars! Every time I watch this movie, I fall a little more in love with the way Patrick is able to turn Kat’s wariness of being vulnerable into such a well-evolved love story. It’s a story with depth, impediments, and the pay-off is so sweet. Plus, Heath Ledger’s serenade through the soccer field makes me melt every time!
Because I Said So (2007): Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the proud mother of three women, and she loves them all unconditionally. But her youngest, Milly, played by Mandy Moore, needs a little help in the love department. A dating disaster occurs when Daphne’s “Mother knows best” scheme of placing an online personal ad on Milly interferes with Milly’s own journey to find love.
Tomatometer: 4%, Rotten
Personal Review: This movie is a solid 3.9 stars in my book. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how this movie got such a low rating. It’s a quirky little story about love, both romantic and familial, and how love comes easiest when you’re not searching for it, especially not in a Craigslist ad.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001): 32-year-old Bridget (Renée Zellweger) makes it her New Year’s Resolution to start keeping a diary. From love to lust, especially with being stuck in the middle of two love interests (depicted by Colin Firth and Hugh Grant), and all her other adventures, she finds hilarity and heart-warming insights with this resolution to chronicle her life.
Tomatometer: 80%, Fresh
Personal Review: This movie will always, always be one of my favorites. Bridget Jones is endearingly bumbling and a true charm to watch fall in love on the silver screen. She’s messy, honest and genuine – one of the most realistic rom-com protagonists I’ve seen. 4.5 stars!
50 First Dates (2004): Henry sets his heart on romancing Lucy, who suffers from short-term memory loss; every day is the same for her. So every morning, Henry has to woo her again and ensure her family that he’s in this for real.
Tomatometer: 44%, Rotten
Personal Review: Not only are Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler one of the most well-suited couples for rom-coms (exhibit B being The Wedding Singer), this movie is just a laugh fest, especially with Henry’s comical and endearing connection to his job training animals. Not to mention he loves Lucy enough to win her heart back at any cost, day in and day out. Swoon! 4.8 stars and a house made of waffles!
13 Going on 30 (2004): Teenager Jenna (Christa B. Allen) wants a boyfriend and wishes to become “30, flirty, and thriving.” With the help of some magic wish dust on a birthday present, she transforms into a 30-year-old (Jennifer Garner) overnight, although adulthood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be from her Poise magazines.
Tomatometer: 64%, Fresh
Personal Review: Jenna’s first foray into adulthood provides her with challenges at work with her dream job and her love life, until she realizes her childhood best friend was also her true love and right in front of her all along (Heart eyes, hello Mark Ruffalo). This movie is sweeter than a bag of Razzles: 5 stars.
Whether it’s at love at first sight, a feeling that grows over time, or finding the courage to love yourself first, I hope these six rom-coms provide you all with some fuzzy feelings in this month of February!