Romantic Comedies

A quick explanation about this list. This is a collection of eleven movies that are romantic comedies mostly in the sense that there is romance in the comedy, but the relationship is not necessarily the main theme of the movie. I would not call these "chick flicks" or even traditional romantic comedies, just movies that are genuinely funny and result in a happy connection being made. The list is in alphabetical order.

ELEVEN ROMANTIC COMEDIES

1. Chicken Run - It's a Great Escape style adventure, starring chickens. It's all claymation, and it's a brilliant movie. The romantic tension between Rocky and Ginger is a great plot point, but I'd really recommend the movie for its technical brilliance. Plus, it's pretty funny.
   
2. Dave - This 1993 movie starred Kevin Kline as both the president and his impersonator, and Sigourney Weaver took the role of the First Lady. It's a very sweet movie, with a man forced into an impossible situation, making a difference, and falling in love at the same time.
3. Galaxy Quest - This Star Trek parody is a wonderfully funny movie. There are two romantic connections made, one between Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, and the other between Tony Shalhoub and Missi Pyle.
   
4. Ghostbusters - Sigourney Weaver again (geez, she's in everything!), this time with Bill Murray in Ghostbusters. Of course, Ghostbusters is about busting ghosts, but the relationship between Dana and Venkman provides some good laughs.
   
5. Groundhog Day - Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors and comedians, and this 1993 movie showed several sides to him. A man is forced to repeat the same day over and over, and makes a change in himself in order to cope. The romantic subplot with Andie MacDowell puts this on the list.
6. High Fidelity - This movie is definitely about relationships, but it's interesting in that it explores why some men are so nutso when it comes to commitment. John Cusack comes to some very deep realizations through the movie, and I think it's great.
7. Liar Liar - Jim Carrey at his finest (well, comedic finest - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is his absolute best). This movie is absolutely hysterical, and, while very sappy in places, does really show a great change in Carrey's character. The romance comes at the very end.
   
8. Office Space - This movie about office rebellion has a nice subplot between Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. The hero really has to come to terms with himself and his life in the movie, and he makes giant strides in finding out what he needs to be happy.
   
9. The Princess Bride - Well, what romantic comedy list would be complete without this one? There's much more here than the love story - action, comedy, tragedy, and yes, romance. If you haven't seen it yet, shame on you.
   
10. Shaun of the Dead - Yeah, OK, but it's a really good movie, and there is a romantic subplot between Shaun and his ex-girlfriend, so I count it in this definition of a romantic comedy. The romantic aspect is part of what gives this movie such heart.
11. Young Frankenstein - Two romantic subplots (Gene Wilder/Teri Garr, Peter Boyle/Madeline Kahn) put this on the list, but this is one of Mel Brooks' three best. I would probably sandwich it in quality between The Producers (#1) and Blazing Saddles (#3), neither of which have enough of a romantic subplot for me to include here.
    

Enjoy some of these on your Valentine's Day.