30 Rom-Coms That’ll Make You Laugh, Cry, and Text Your Ex (But Don’t)
By Alissa Duhon | The Weekday Woman
Sometimes you just need a break from being everyone’s everything—a break that involves stretchy pants, snacks, and a rom-com that reminds you love might still be real. Whether you're flying solo, wrangling your crew for a girls' night in, or just looking to emotionally reset after a long week of meetings and macaroni dinners, I’ve got you.
Here are 30 of my all-time favorite romantic comedies to watch (or rewatch) when life calls for laughs, tears, and maybe a completely irrational desire to move to Italy.
🍷 1. Love Jones
That poetry scene? Whew. “I am the blues in your left thigh… trying to become the funk in your right.” ICONIC. Nina and Darius brought the vibes and the grown-up romance.
💻 2. You’ve Got Mail
Back when dial-up internet was sexy. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks proved that enemies-to-lovers *and* bookstore crushes are always in season. “Don’t you just love New York in the fall?”
🏀 3. Love and Basketball
Two words: driveway. Duel. That “for your heart” scene lives in my head rent-free. Also, peak early 2000s glow-up energy.
☀️ 4. Under the Tuscan Sun
Left your husband? Move to Italy. Buy a villa. Renovate your life and drink Chianti like it’s therapy. Frances Mayes understood the assignment.
👞 5. Boomerang
Before we had HR departments watching our every move, we had Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, and the classic lines: “You’ve got to coordinate!” “…Bang, bang, bang” “Maaarrcusss Darling” “Puss, puss, puss….”
🍽️ 6. When Harry Met Sally
“I’ll have what she’s having.” Need I say more? The OG of witty banter and slow-burn love. Nora Ephron wrote this *for* the overthinkers and emotional time travelers.
🌴 7. How Stella Got Her Groove Back
She went to Jamaica and came back with abs, a man, and some fresh life perspective. Angela Bassett carried us ALL through that midlife mood swing.
🗽 8. Sleepless in Seattle
If someone doesn’t stand at the top of the Empire State Building to declare their love… do they even love you?
🎶 9. Brown Sugar
“When did you fall in love with hip hop?” Ugh, this whole film is a love letter—to music, to Black love, to that low-key best-friend-you’ve-been-ignoring energy.
😵💫 10. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone in one delightfully dysfunctional rom-com. That makeover montage? A cultural reset.
🤵 11. The Best Man
Friend drama, wedding chaos, and secrets that should’ve stayed buried. This one’s got layers—like lasagna… or emotional trauma.
💛 12. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Kate Hudson gave us “frost yourself” energy and a how-to on self-sabotage with style. That yellow dress scene? Chef’s kiss.
🎤 13. The Wood
Not quite a rom-com, but it’s got the heart, the humor, and all the awkward flashbacks of first crushes and teenage games.
💍 14. The Proposal
Sandra Bullock blackmailing Ryan Reynolds into marriage—and still making us root for her? Legendary. Also, Betty White dancing in the woods deserves its own Oscar.
🏀 15. Just Wright
Queen Latifah as the sports therapist who steals the baller’s heart with zero pretense and all the healing energy. We love to see it.
🧁 16. 13 Going on 30
Big hair, glittery eyeshadow, and “Thriller” dance parties. Jennifer Garner taught us that adulthood is just middle school… with taxes.
📸 17. The Photograph
This one’s a mood—moody lighting, layered storytelling, and a slow burn that’ll have you clutching your throw blanket like it’s a love letter.
💒 18. The Wedding Planner
Matthew McConaughey and J.Lo making career vs. love look way too easy. Lesson learned: don’t catch bridal bouquets or feelings too quickly.
📓 19. Bridget Jones’s Diary (Series)
For every woman who’s ever eaten an entire wheel of cheese in her pajamas and cried over Colin Firth—this one’s for you. (And the blue soup.)
📚 20. Think Like a Man
When a self-help book gets into the wrong hands and sparks dating chaos? Hilarious. Kevin Hart stole the show, as usual.
🎄 21. Just Friends
Revenge of the friend-zoned! This one’s chaotic in the best way. Anna Faris singing “Forgiveness” lives in my head every holiday season.
🏖️ 22. Last Holiday
Queen Latifah thinks she’s dying, so she eats well, travels the world, and tells off her boss. Basically, a vision board with a budget.
💃 23. HITCH!
Will Smith as the smooth-talking date doctor who can’t get his own love life together? Relatable. Bonus: “Nobody is THAT cool… even Hitch.” *Facts.*
🇬🇷 24. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Windex, family drama, and the awkward beauty of falling in love while your relatives are up in every detail—a classic immigrant family romance.
💎 25. Crazy Rich Asians
Luxury, drama, dumplings, and THAT wedding aisle moment. If opulence were a genre, this would be it. Also, Astrid deserves her own spin-off.
🛏️ 26. While You Were Sleeping
Sandra Bullock pretending to be her crush’s fiancée while he’s in a coma—and somehow making it sweet instead of sketchy? That’s rom-com gold. Add in a lovable family, Chicago charm, and a surprise love twist that proves sometimes your heart wakes up before your brain does.
🌭 27. Friday
Okay, hear me out—it may not look like a love story, but trust me, it is. It’s about hood love, first neighborhood crushes, and the kind of flirtation that happens between sips of Kool-Aid and family drama on the porch. Ice Cube and Nia Long had chemistry that deserved its own spin-off. Plus, “Bye, Felicia” is a love language if you know, you know.
👰 28. Runaway Bride
Julia Roberts playing a woman who’s left so many men at the altar she’s basically an Olympic sprinter in heels? Iconic. It’s a love story about figuring yourself out before you figure out who to love—and the eggs metaphor? Classic self-discovery with side bangs.
Classic line: “I guarantee there’ll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is going to want out. But I also guarantee… if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” (Proof that sometimes the best vows come before the wedding.)
🧁 29. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Because every great rom-com needs a little chaos, and this one serves it with a baseball bat. Martin Lawrence learns the hard way: don’t play with a woman’s heart unless you’ve got emotional insurance. A cautionary tale wrapped in laughs, drama, and one very unforgettable cake scene.
Classic line: “She beat herself up, bro! She threw herself down the stairs… You know how women are.” (The most chaotic “I messed up” defense in cinematic history.)
👑 30. Coming to America (1988)
It’s a love story—royal edition. Prince Akeem crosses the globe to find a queen who challenges him, not just charms him. Between Soul Glo, barbershop wisdom, and that iconic rose petal entrance, it’s a rom-com disguised as a comedy classic. Long live Zamunda—and independent women everywhere.
Classic line: “Good morning, my neighbors!”
Crowd response: “Hey! F** you!”*
Akeem: “Yes! Yes! F** you too!”*
(Sometimes love—and laughter—starts with a shout from the balcony.)
Here are a few bonus picks—not because they didn’t deserve the main list, but because they’ve got a special place in my heart. They’re a little more personal, a little more offbeat, full of comedy, sass, and serious cult classic energy.
31. 🎤 The Wedding Singer
Adam Sandler in peak lovable-goofball form, serenading strangers at weddings while trying not to fall apart over his own heartbreak. Add in Drew Barrymore’s sweet charm, a soundtrack full of ‘80s bops, and more ruffles than a potato chip aisle—and you’ve got a rom-com that hits all the high notes.
Classic line: “I wanna grow old with you.”
Honestly? The only song that could make a man singing about feeding you soup and changing your diapers feel romantic.
32. 🍓 Never Been Kissed
Josie Geller: journalist by day, undercover high schooler by… well, also day. Drew Barrymore takes us on the ultimate cringe-filled journey of second chances, slow dances, and that iconic moment on the baseball field that had us all holding our breath.
Classic line: “I’m not Josie Grossie anymore!”
A love story for every late bloomer, awkward queen, and woman who’s ever waited (too long) for the right kiss—and the right guy—to show up.
33. 🔥 Waiting to Exhale
This one’s less rom-com and more "I will light your car on fire and still look fabulous doing it" empowerment cinema. This one is a classic and focuses on the love among sistah friends! Four women navigating love, loss, and liberation—with Whitney Houston vocals and Angela Bassett’s unmatched walk-away game. Who needs all the love drama when you've got your girls?! “I hope he’s not watching me walk away…” {Gloria turns, waves at the ever-handsome and gazing of Gregory Hines, I mean Marvin} “He’s watching…” commences to putting a little cayenne pepper in that twist as she walks away! HA!
Classic line: “You can kiss my behind!”
Also: that cigarette flick. Pure, poetic justice.
34. 🍽️ Soul Food
It’s a family love story. Romantic, platonic, generational—and yes, sometimes messy like Grandma’s peach cobbler. A reminder that love isn’t always pretty, but it’s always worth fighting (and eating) for.
Classic line: “One finger won’t make no impact. But you ball up all them fingers into a fist—and you can strike a mighty blow.”
Also applies to group chats and potlucks.
35. 🎤 The Bodyguard
Whitney Houston falls in love with her bodyguard (Kevin Costner) and gives us drama, glamour, and the soundtrack of a generation. And yes, we’re still emotionally recovering from that slow-motion airport scene.
Classic line: “And IIIIIII… will always love youuuu!”
Admit it. You sang it.
36. 👰 My Best Friend’s Wedding
Julia Roberts tried to sabotage her bestie’s wedding and somehow made us root for her and the bride. Also, Cameron Diaz singing “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” in a restaurant? Heroic.
Classic line: “Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy.”
It’s a love triangle where everyone ends up crying—including you.
37. 🌍 Made in America
Whoopi Goldberg + a young Will Smith + the always beautiful Nia Long, and Ted Danson as the accidental sperm donor = chaos. A quirky rom-com with heart, hilarity, and high-top fades.
Classic line: “That’s not Black. That’s O.J. Simpson.” and “Whatdoyoumean he’s white?!”
An entire film built on plot twist DNA and '90s magic.
38. 📣 Jerry Maguire
A sports agent has a moral crisis and somehow stumbles into romance with Renée Zellweger and that adorable kid. Business meets heart, with just the right amount of cheesy one-liners to quote for life.
Classic line: “You complete me.”
Close second: “Show me the money!”
If love were a contract, this one’s in permanent ink.
39. 🕊️ Hope Floats
Sandra Bullock goes back to her small town after being humiliated on national TV and finds healing, home, and Harry Connick Jr.’s jawline. Soft, sweet, and tear-stained in all the best ways.
Classic line: “Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it's everything in between that makes it all worth living.”
Yes, we cried. Don’t judge.
40. ✨ Practical Magic
Witchy sisters, love spells gone wrong, midnight margaritas, and the ultimate sisterhood-meets-soulmate story. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman made magic look like self-care.
Classic line: “There’s a little witch in all of us.”
Perfect for those of us who fall in love and hex bad exes.
41. 🕺 House Party
Okay, yes, it’s technically a teen comedy, but it gave us first-crush energy, dance battles, and the kind of house party you always wished you got invited to {back in the day when going to THEE house party meant you were a part of the “cool club”.}
Classic line: “Ain’t my type of hype, baby!”
It’s a rom-com, dance movie, and ‘90s time capsule all in one.
42. 💘 Valentine’s Day
An ensemble rom-com that asks the question: what if everyone in L.A. had romantic problems on the same day? Cheesy? Yes. Enjoyable? Also yes.
Classic line: “Love is the only shocking act left on the planet.”
A bouquet of romantic chaos, awkward confessions, and last-minute plot twists.
43. 🎊 New Year’s Eve
Another star-studded collage of love stories—this time with fireworks, resolutions, and midnight kisses. Ashton Kutcher hates New Year’s. Michelle Pfeiffer wants to feel alive. And Zac Efron skateboards into our hearts.
Classic line: “Sometimes it feels like there are so many things we can’t control... but it’s okay.”
Great for glitter, champagne, and existential crises with a bow on top.
44. 💒 The Wedding Date
Debra Messing hires Dermot Mulroney to pose as her date for her sister’s wedding… and somehow ends up falling for the hot fake boyfriend with real emotional depth as one does.
Classic line: “I think I’d miss you even if we’d never met.”
A rom-com that proves sometimes, you can buy chemistry—and it comes in a tux.
45. 💍 Made of Honor
Patrick Dempsey realizes he’s in love with his best friend… just as she gets engaged to someone else and asks him to be her maid of honor—cue kilts, jealousy, and a Scottish wedding that almost wasn't.
Classic line: “Nobody in the world makes me laugh the way you do. You’re my best friend. I just wanna be with you.”
The only thing harder than catching the bouquet? Catching feelings too late.
Plot twist: Of course, there’ll be a PART TWO to this blog. Everyone loves a good sequel.
Final Thoughts?
Whether you're in the mood to ugly cry, laugh-snort, or believe in love again (just for the weekend), this list has your emotional rollercoaster covered. Rom-coms remind us that sometimes, the most magical love stories happen when life is a little messy—and the hair is a little frizzy.
Now go ahead—press play, pour the wine, pass the snacks… and don’t forget to text the group chat.
Your weekday just got a whole lot more romantic.
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