Top 10 Romance Movies That Wouldn't Work Today
#10: “Garden State” (2004)
Few movies have aged as poorly as “Garden State.” An indie success upon release, as the years roll by it gets easier and easier to pick it apart – and one of the worst aspects is the forced relationship between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. Portman is Sam, a textbook manic pixie dream girl, and as such exists solely to help Andrew engage with life. And what little personality she has doesn’t make her a great romantic lead; she’s just a little bit too childlike for their relationship to be compelling. And who can forget the cringe-fest where she introduces him to The Shins?
#9: “Gone with the Wind” (1939)
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It may be the most financially successful movie ever made – if you account for inflation – but it’s certainly got its fair share of problems. Despite ostensibly being about a Southern plantation during the American Civil War, the social issues are pushed into the background so we can focus on Rhett and Scarlett’s love story. But this hasn’t aged well, either. Aside from the fact Scarlett spends the whole movie pining for Ashley Wilkes for reasons that never quite make sense, Rhett’s not exactly an ideal man, either. In one particularly disturbing scene, he kisses her against her will while drunk and carries her up the stairs while she struggles.
#8: “The Ugly Truth” (2009)
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Mike Chadway is a cynical womanizer brought onto Abby’s morning show to try and boost the ratings. And then he inserts himself into her love life to give her all kinds of advice, like “never criticize” the man you’re dating, always tell him he’s good in bed, and laugh at all his jokes. Basically, pretend to be a completely different person. It’s thanks to Mike that Abby realizes the hot doctor she’s spent the whole movie trying to seduce isn’t the right man for her. No, she actually belongs with this disrespectful misogynist who freely admits he only cares about a woman’s looks and never learns or grows.
#7: “Bring It On” (2000)
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There are a lot of awesome things about “Bring it On”, like its depiction of cheerleading as a sport that requires genuine skill and dedication - not to mention Kirsten Dunst’s winning performance. But while it may have been a pioneer of its time, if it was made today, people would probably criticize it for not going far enough in the social issues it comments on. Especially egregious is the casual homophobia throughout, and the use of numerous slurs. But the worst scene of all has to be when male cheerleader Jan takes it upon himself to grope Courtney during a cheer lift in front of hundreds of people. Yikes.
#6: “Sixteen Candles” (1984)
Ah, the 80s. The source of all the best high school movies – and “Sixteen Candles.” Despite being required viewing for any John Hughes nut, it’s got a lot of problems, primarily the way it leans into rape culture. These range from Sam getting propositioned by uber-creep Ted on the bus, to her own grandparents inappropriately examining her body, and finally to the “comedic” date rape incident with Caroline. And that’s before you get to the blatant racism directed at the film’s Chinese character. Molly Ringwald has since said that while “Sixteen Candles” and her other 80s’ hits will always be important to her, a lot of its subject matter is unacceptable.
#5: “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003)
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According to this movie, the key to a long-lasting romantic relationship is to base it on lies and constantly play mind games. Andie endeavors to make a guy hate her in just ten days for an article, while Ben needs to make a girl fall in love with him in the same amount of time so that he can land a lucrative account for his advertising firm, as part of an elaborate bet; it’s a tale as old as time. Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are a winning pair, and her attempts to drive him away result in a few funny moments, but the fact remains that the premise is more than a little bizarre.
#4: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961)
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While in a lot of ways the story of Holly Golightly, a high-class escort in New York, is ahead of its time, in others its age shows painfully. The entire character of Mr Yunioshi, Holly’s neighbor, is little more than a racist caricature; to make matters significantly worse he’s played by a white man, Mickey Rooney. The love story at the core of the film about Holly and Paul also leaves much to be desired. She spends most of the runtime telling him he reminds her of her brother Fred, even calling him “Fred”, while he gets more and more possessive. It’s hard to root for their “happy” ending.
#3: “Love, Actually” (2003)
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Christmas comes but once a year, and inevitably we remember something else unpleasant about this holiday classic. The most famous scene that doesn’t work anymore is when Andrew Lincoln’s creepy character professes his feelings for his best friend’s wife, after he spent their whole wedding filming her rather than the ceremony. Meanwhile, Alan Rickman’s Harry cheats on his wife, and Martine McCutcheon‘s Natalie is repeatedly fat-shamed. Then there’s Colin’s subplot, where he travels to the US with a bag full of condoms, and woos easily-impressed women with his accent alone.
#2: “Grease” (1978)
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Nobody can deny that “Grease” is a classic full of great moments and songs, but the grand finale leaves much to be desired. If the movie came out today, the ending would surely be tweaked, because the original moral sees Sandy changing her entire personality to seduce Danny. Sure, Danny is willing to change too; but guess who actually follows through? And while “Summer Nights” might be a popular karaoke choice around the world, it has its fair share of problems, the biggest being one of the guys asking whether Sandy “put up a fight.” It’s not the only time “Grease” seems confused about consent, either: Danny tries to force himself on Sandy at the drive-in, and Vince tries to roofie Marty. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions: “50 First Dates” (2004) “Shallow Hal” (2001) “There’s Something About Mary” (1998) “While You Were Sleeping” (1995) “Pretty Woman” (1990)
#1: “She’s All That” (1999)
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Still smarting from being dumped by the hottest girl in school, Prom King shoo-in Zack Siler decides he’s going to pick out a new girl and transform her into his ideal woman. While it’s a solid premise for a classic 90s rom-com, the mental gymnastics required to pretend Rachael Leigh Cook isn’t gorgeous already is almost too much– even if she is wearing glasses and baggy clothes. Luckily though, she eventually takes off her glasses and puts on a dress so we can tell she really was a girl all along. Though it’s still a great movie and he eventually falls for her because of who she is, this trope leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
