This is part 2 of my favorite RomComs. If you are looking for a feel good, easy watch after a stressful day, this list of movies will be perfect for you! I hope it’ll help you find what you are looking for.
Clueless
Clueless might be the most iconic teen-movie of the 1990’s, and for a good reason. It never ceases to make me laugh or comfort me on a bad day. The movie is a modern take on Jane Austen’s great novel Emma.
The movie is about the popular, beautiful, rich and ignorant young woman, Cher, who, inspired by her ex-stepbrother’s generous and selfless lifestyle, wants to do some good deeds. First she plays matchmaker and makes two of her teachers fall in love. After her success with that, she chooses to take in the awkward looking new girl, help her gain popularity and find her a boyfriend. In this process Cher realizes that she wants to find love herself, and soon starts her quest in that. Before knowing what’s going on, the new girl, Tai, exceeds her in popularity, but is popularity and good looks really what’s most important in life?
Starring: Alicia Silverstone (Cher Horowitz), Brittany Murphy (Tai) and Paul Rudd (Josh)
Bridget Jones diary
Of course I had to include another modern version of one of Austen’s greatest works. The movie, Bridget Jones Diary from 2001 is loosely (or at times not so loosely) based on Austen’s most popular book, Pride and Prejudice.
Bridget Jones is a 32 year-old woman, who decides to get her life together in the new year, and starts a diary. In there she describes her desires, to lose weight and find a boyfriend. Her attractive boss suddenly begins to show interest in her, and they start seeing each other. He’s nothing more than a shallow playboy though, and Bridget can’t decide if she should continue seeing him. It doesn’t help that while all of this is happening, she keeps running into the stiff and proper Mark Darcy, who her mother had been trying to awkwardly set her up with.
Starring: Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones), Colin Firth (Mark Darcy) and Hugh Grant (Daniel Cleaver)
13 going on 30
13 going on 30 from 2004 is a life affirming story, that reminds you, that sometimes all you’ve ever wished for, has been right in front of you the entire time. The story is about 13 year old Jenna, who’s tired of the struggles of being a teenager, and wishes she would be 30 years old already. On her birthday, her wish has been granted, and she wakes up as a 30 year old, to find she has the life she has always wanted. When she runs to find her best friend, Matt, she finds that this lifestyle has come at a cost. She is no longer in contact with him nor her parents, but instead best friends with the most popular girl from high school and has a model looking boyfriend. Jenna soon finds that being an adult is a lot harder than it looked, and misses her most important relationships in her life.
Starring: Jennifer Garner (Jenna Rink), Mark Ruffalo (Matt Flamhaff) and Judy Greer (Lucy Wyman)
Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia is a fan-favorite, and why wouldn’t it be? I mean: it’s got a great storyline, it’s focusing on a young woman and her mother – making it relatable for most ages, and it’s got fantastic music by Abba! What’s even better is that it’s got a pretty good sequel (prequel?), so if you just can’t get enough of this movie, you’ve got something to look forward to.
The movie is set on an idyllic Greek island where Donna is preparing to host her daughter Sophie’s wedding. It’s gonna be a big wedding filled with all their friends and family, but what Donna doesn’t know is that Sophie’s invited three men from Donna’s past, one of which might be Sohpie’s father.
Starring: Meryl Streep (Donna Sheridan), Amanda Seyfried (Sophie Sheridan), Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Colin Firth (Harry Bright), Stellan Skarsgård (Bill Anderson) and even more…