Valentine's Day is filled with chocolate and flowers — or for some of us, laying in bed daydreaming of the ideal fictional boyfriend.
No matter your relationship status, romantic comedies are an all-time staple for the season of love.
“How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days”
This fan-favorite featured Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey as they tried to use each other as pawns to advance their careers.
Andie, played by Hudson, believed she had a surefire way to get a man to leave a relationship in 10 days, while Benjamin, played by McConaughey, tried to prove he can get women to fall in love with him in the same amount of time.
Both test the limits of what it means to be devoted to the story, as they try to win a competition they don’t realize they're in.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video
“13 Going on 30”
Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo starred in a story about the consequences of wishing for something so long it becomes a reality.
Just like any other preteen, Jenna, played by Garner, was tired of conforming to social standards and having to deal with petty, middle school girls, desperately wishing she could be older.
She got a lot more than she bargained for, as she quickly realized she’ll never be able to outgrow the problems that come with being in love.
Where to watch: Netflix
“Notting Hill”
In possibly the most rom-com of all rom-coms, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant play Anna and William, two individuals whose lives led them in opposite directions, until one dreary day in Notting Hill.
An American actress and a British bookstore owner don’t exactly seem like a match made in heaven — that is until Anna and William meet. As they learn to navigate their lives separately, their lives together begin to suffer. With little compromise on both ends, the once-picturesque love seems to be fading into a story only found in fantasy books.
Garner and Grant perfectly encapsulated the trials and tribulations of working toward a love that is ultimately doomed to fail.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
“10 Things I Hate About You”
Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles took the screen as Patrick Verona and Kat Stratford in a high school modernization of William Shakespeare's comedy “The Taming of the Shrew.”
Bianca Stratford was forbidden to date until her older sister, Kat, was in a relationship, a rule that was quickly broken as Bianca devised a plan. In order to date bad boy Joey Donner, Bianca and Donner must find someone to date Kat, a seemingly impossible task as Kat’s reputation has made her an untouchable target.
A $100 bribe to Verona and a date with Kat quickly escalated into a relationship full of priceless memories and a lesson in love.
Where to watch: Disney+
“Mamma Mia”
It might not be the stereotypical romantic comedy, but Mamma Mia highlighted the pure joy and excitement that comes with girlhood — especially during a big change in a person’s life.
Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep played Sophie and Donna, a mother and daughter, who are celebrating Sophie’s upcoming wedding in Greece. Sophie’s life was flipped upside down as three unexpected wedding guests made their way onto the island. She quickly learned the importance of platonic and romantic relationships and the different roles they played in her new reality.
This movie is unique in the fact that all of Sophie’s life lessons are learned while classic hits from the Swedish band ABBA are sung by various cast members.
Where to watch: Netflix
“Love Actually”
Set during the Christmas season, a star-studded cast of Hugh Grant (again), Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth starred in a story of lives that were interconnected through a series of fate-filled events.
With nine different storylines, everyone from the prime minister to a local waitress had the opportunity to find love. Each relationship dealt with universal feelings of trust, betrayal, joy, and most importantly — love.
Much like real life, complications in every character's life made it seemingly impossible to be the perfect partner, no matter how much effort was put in.
Unfortunately, people get hurt, hearts get broken, and it seems like love might not actually be all around us.
Where to watch: Purchase or rent on Amazon Prime Video
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