Best Romantic Comedies: My Top List Review

Although it is true that I, like many men, tend to favor action-adventure, war, Westerns, police dramas and science fiction films, I also admit that I have a somewhat romantic nature and will, on occasion, watch a few movies that focus on the funny, uplifting, heartwarming, exhilarating, confusing, and even painful aspects of love, dating, and, yes, even sex.

Usually, when it comes to "love stories" I tend to go for more serious fare along the lines of, well, Love Story and Casablanca, which are two classics which reflect two different eras in both the historical sense and the movie-making one.  Perhaps it's because I tend to take love very, well, seriously, or maybe it's because many romantic comedies tend to be somewhat shallow, poorly written, or seem to cover the same ground over and over and over again.

Nevertheless, there are those romantic comedies that are so well-done and charming that they transcend the limitations of the genre and are considered to be classics by almost everyone, including men who'd rather be subjected to waterboarding than admit to anyone that they, too, think the "deli scene" in When Harry Met Sally.... strikes a chord of truthfulness in their soul.

1. The Princess Bride (1987)  Now considered to be a classic satire of fantasy films and  a great romantic comedy, this collaboration between director Rob Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman (who adapted his own novel) was actually a box-office failure. However, its many airings on television and release on home video made the story of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright), her beloved Westley (Cary Elwes), Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), Fezzik (Andre the Giant), and the rest of Goldman's zany cast of characters a favorite film of old and young viewers alike.

2. You've Got Mail (1998) Although I've never seen The Shop Around the Corner, the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan romantic comedy that this film is a 1990s update of, I have to admit that this tale of two business rivals (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) who unknowingly fall in love via e-mail and Instant Messaging on America Online has grown on me over the years.  Not only is it funny, sweet, and yes, a bit corny, but it's also one of the few films to which I can relate, because most of my relationships - friendships as well as serious romances - with women have been on the Net.

3. When Harry Met Sally....(1989) It's no coincidence, I think, that Meg Ryan and writer Nora Ephron would later work on You've Got Mail nine years after the release of this Rob Reiner hit that dares to ask the question Can two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?  Perhaps not always in real life, but  America's Sweetheart Ryan and Billy Crystal are just terrific at pulling off the friends first-lovers later bit as their relationship evolves over a 12-year period.  Funny without being too silly, it's one of the best romantic comedies, and the deli scene where Ryan fakes an orgasm - with the punchline "I'll have what she's having"  - is a definite crowd-pleaser.

4.  A Little Romance (1979): Although it's essentially a fantasy that explores well-traveled trails of the love story genre ( poor boy loves wealthy girl, culture clashes, and things of that nature) this movie has several things going for it.  For starters, this George Roy Hill film introduced the luminous Diane Lane (then 14 years old) and launched her stellar career.  Laurence Olivier is great as the old guy who may or may not be a former diplomat and accompanies the two young sweethearts to Venice in their quest to share a kiss under the Bridge of Sighs.  Realistic? Not really, but the two young leads are good, and Lane is now one of Hollywood's best actresses.

5. It Happened One Night (1934): Although this film covers very well-trod territory with a mismatched couple  (he's a reporter, she's a spoiled rich heiress)  a zany situation and is perhaps known for having single-handedly changed men's underwear fashions forever, this Clark Gable-Claudette Colbert romp helped establish Frank Capra as one of America's best-known directors.  Even though it's been copied a million times over the years, it's definitely a true classic!