Top 10 Funniest Rom-Coms of All Time
#10: “When Harry Met Sally...” (1989)
Top 10 Funniest Rom-Com Scenes of All Time
“When Harry Met Sally...” is considered to be one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, popularizing the genre after it was released in 1989. It is, of course, known for the famous scene that takes place in Katz’s deli where Sally delivers a very....enthusiastic performance to prove a point. While Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are both excellent in their leading roles, Carrie Fisher adds great comic relief as Sally’s best friend Marie. The film is also peppered with interviews of elderly couples telling their love stories, each of which is funnier than the last.
#9: “Just Friends” (2005)
Top 20 Funniest Rom-Coms of All Time
In romantic comedies and teen movies, it’s typically the girls who have the dramatic makeover, but that trope gets gender swapped in “Just Friends.” In this story Ryan Reynolds stars as Chris, a guy who was overweight and nerdy in high school. When he comes back to his hometown as an adult however, he’s become both successful and incredibly good looking. So naturally he sets out to win the girl of his teenage dreams. The movie is full of over the top gags and laugh out loud moments. At its heart it also features a sweet love story between two former besties who finally manage to make it work after years apart.
#8: “Moonstruck” (1987)
Today, it’s kind of hard to picture Nicolas Cage as the star of a romantic comedy, and perhaps equally hard to imagine Cher starring opposite him. But that’s exactly the unlikely combination that 1987’s “Moonstruck” gave us. Cher even won an Oscar for the role! The movie is something of a cult favorite because of the way it balances offbeat comedy and an engaging story that takes us into the world of a group of quirky Italian-Americans living in Brooklyn. Rom coms aren’t known for being hits with the critics, but this one holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent.
#7: “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008)
Technically, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is more of a breakup movie than a traditional rom com, but don’t worry, it totally has a happy ending. In fact, if you’re going through a breakup yourself and need a good laugh, this movie might be the perfect thing to cure your heartbreak. Jason Segel plays a guy who has just been dumped and has to contend with the fact that his ex is now dating a famous rock star. Things only get worse for him when he heads to Hawaii to take a vacation and learns that both his ex and her new beau are at the same resort. While getting over a broken heart is usually more devastating than comedic, this movie is able to poke fun at all of the awful things that happen to Segal’s character, making us able to laugh at our own breakups too.
#6: “My Best Friend's Wedding” (1997)
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“My Best Friend's Wedding” is a unique romantic comedy in that (spoiler alert) it doesn’t have a happy ending. The plot revolves around Jules, played by Julia Roberts, a woman who suddenly realizes she’s totally in love with her long-time best friend. Unfortunately this revelation comes just before he’s about to get married. This is a movie that’s much more about the journey that the protagonist goes through than it is about a fairy tale happily ever after. Along the way, she makes plenty of mistakes, and each one creates increasingly funny scenarios as the plot moves along.
#5: “Coming to America” (1988)
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The plot of “Coming to America” is funny from the start. Eddie Murphy plays a spoiled prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda who isn’t super enthusiastic about his family’s attempts to set him up in an arranged marriage. Instead he decides to head to the United States to find an independent wife on his own. It’s a classic fish out of water story that involves Murphy’s character, Akeem Joffer learning a lot of hilarious lessons as he contends with American culture. Fans of the original movie were thrilled when a sequel, “Coming 2 America” was released in March of 2021.
#4: “The Wedding Singer” (1998)
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This movie is universally beloved, and it is considered more of a classic comedy than a romance by most viewers, despite the fact that there’s a love story at its core. In a way, “The Wedding Singer” is a traditional Adam Sandler movie, with the actor playing another variation of his signature goofy character. In this iteration, he’s portraying Robbie, a wedding singer who’s engaged to the wrong woman and eventually falls for a waitress, played by Drew Barrymore. The film balances a sweet romance with some laugh out loud moments, making it a great date movie. Sandler and Barrymore do it again in “50 First Dates.”
#3: “The Proposal” (2009)
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Starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal” tells the story of Margaret, a woman who basically forces her assistant Andrew to get engaged to her so she can avoid being deported. In order to sell the story to the immigration authorities, she ends up accompanying him on a trip to visit his family in Alaska. This city girl is totally out of place in the more natural setting, and has a hard time letting loose with Andrew’s laid-back relatives. One of the film’s highlights has to be Betty White playing Andrew’s grandmother, a sweet-looking yet foul-mouthed lady who, in one memorably hilarious scene, has Bullock’s character perform a ritualistic dance with her.
#2: “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003)
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This movie features a love story that develops from a series of lies, which makes it amusing to watch even though it’s not the healthiest start to a relationship. Kate Hudson plays a magazine writer who has to produce a piece about all of the terrible mistakes that women make in relationships that drive men away. Matthew McConaughey is a PR chief who sets out to prove that he can make a woman fall in love with him in a matter of days. While he’s trying to attract her, she’s trying to repel him. The dynamic that only gets funnier as the movie progresses and she tries more and more outlandish ways to show the clingy and over-the-top ways some people behave in relationships. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Isn’t it Romantic” (2019) This Wacky Rom Com Involves a Character Falling Into an Alternate Universe “27 Dresses” (2008) Always the Bridesmaid Never the Bride...or Is She? “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011) This Film Has a Cast Full of Comedic Heavyweights “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994) Hugh Grant Shines in This Classic '90s Rom Com “She's the Man” (2006) This Shakespearean Redux Is One for the Books
#1: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002)
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“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” focuses on Toula, a shy and introverted Greek woman living in Chicago who has always done what’s expected of her—until she falls for a non-Greek guy. This is one of those delightful movies that’s oh so comforting to watch because nothing really bad happens. Sure, Ian has a bit of a tough time getting used to Toula’s zany family, but the conflict is pretty minimal. What carries the movie is the utterly charming cast of characters who make us laugh all the way through, whether they’re curing everything with Windex or getting personal with the new in-laws.
