Rom-coms make us feel good. They’re like a cozy blanket with dependable storylines, likable characters, and happy endings. Or, at least most of them are.
But, some rom-coms miss the mark, leaving a bad taste in the mouth. Here are 10 rom-coms that may have seemed romantic when they were made, but modern audiences think they weren’t so romantic after all.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a cult classic. Too bad the film aged so poorly. The film stars Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady) as New York socialite Holly Golightly, and George Peppard (The Blue Max) as her new neighbor, Paul Varjak. Golightly is looking for a rich man to marry, and Varjak fits the bill. Along with the “gold-digger” theme, the film carries nasty racist overtones. Mickey Rooney (Babes in Arms) plays the upstairs neighbor, Mr. Yunioshi, portraying offensive Asian stereotypes that today’s audiences wouldn’t accept.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Sixteen Candles poses the comedic premise of a family forgetting their daughter’s sixteenth birthday. High school hijinks ensue. Cute right? Not so much. The film might feature 80’s movie sweetheart Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club), but it’s full of offensive Asian stereotypes. Baker’s romantic interest, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), also makes some gross comments that don’t jive with the way a modern audience values consent. Not so romantic.
Overboard (1987)
Goldie Hawn (The First Wives Club) and Kurt Russel (The Hateful Eight) star as a wealthy socialite and small-town handyman. After firing Dean Proffit (Russel), Joanna (Hawn) falls overboard and wakes up with amnesia. Proffit hatches a plan to make her believe she’s his wife and take care of his four children. The two fall in love, despite his lying to her and allowing his children to manipulate her. How romantic…not.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Meg Ryan (Kate and Leopold) and Tom Hanks (A League of Their Own) star as Annie Reed and Sam Baldwin in Sleepless in Seattle. When Baldwin’s son, Jonah (Ross Malonger), calls a radio station to find romance for his widower dad, recently engaged Reed tunes in to hear. There’s something about the story she can’t resist. Naturally, Reed travels across the country to stalk Baldwin and eventually leaves her fiancé to be with him.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Train ticket taker Lucy (Sandra Bullock) witnesses a man get mugged. Peter (Peter Gallagher) turns out to be the same man Lucy has a secret crush on. When Peter ends up in a coma, Lucy visits his hospital room, and his family mistakes her for his fiancé. Lucy plays along and winds up staying for Christmas (Ick). After all the lying and trickery, she winds up with his brother. Be still my heart!
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
My Best Friend’s Wedding teaches the invaluable lesson that we always want what we can’t have. Julianne Potter’s (Julia Roberts) best friend, Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney), is getting married. The two have known each other for years, but Potter only now realizes she loves him. Potter tries to get rid of Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz), O’Neal’s fiancé, and steal him for herself. What a selfless friend.
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Tom Hanks (Castaway) stars alongside Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally) in a tale of two cheaters. Yes, you read that right. Kathleen Kelly (Ryan) can’t wait for her boyfriend, Frank Navasky (Greg Kinnear), to leave every day so she can get online. She doesn’t realize her online crush is business competitor Joe Fox (Hanks). Kelly and Fox eventually realize they’re perfect for each other. Who cares about their original partners, right?
Never Been Kissed (1999)
In this 21 Jump Street-esque rom-com, Drew Barrymore (Blended) is Josie Geller. Gellar is a 25-year-old reporter sent to spy on teenage children to help parents better understand their kids. If this isn’t inappropriate enough, the school’s English teacher falls for Geller, despite believing she’s a 17-year-old.
The Wedding Planner (2001)
Jennifer Lopez (The Cell) stars as wedding planner Mary Fiore in The Wedding Planner. After almost being run over by a dumpster, Fiore falls for doctor and savior Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey). The catch? Edison is engaged to one of her clients. The two eventually wind up together. Who could resist a man who ditches his current fiancé for the wedding planner?
Failure to Launch (2006)
Is it me, or do a lot of rom-coms base protagonist relationships on lies? Failure to Launch stars Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City) and Matthew McConaughey (Fools Gold) as Paula and Trip. Despite being 35, Trip still lives with his parents. Trip’s parents hire Paula to make their son fall in love with her so he’ll leave their house. Romance ensues. At least there wasn’t a disastrous sequel to sit through.
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