As far as Redditors are concerned, some years have been better for the romance genre than others. Certain years saw the release of at least two romantic dramas or romantic comedies that managed to be box office sensations, particularly well-crafted, or a combination of the two.
Some years had trendsetting movies, genre-benders, Oscar darlings, or box office sensations. From the Golden Age of Hollywood to modern movies and everything in between, Redditors have a lot to say about which years were particularly strong contributors to the genre.
1940
Two of Cary Grant’s best comedies were released in the same year. His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story are both classics in their own right. Ander1dw wrote about His Girl Friday: “This is really a great movie…Cary Grant is just a great actor, as is Rosalind Russell, and the dialogue is so fast and full of witty one-liners that you’ll never be bored.”
Fuzylarge said of The Philadelphia Story: “I actually just watched The Philadelphia Story for the first time about a month ago and it’s really great. It’s got Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. It’s an absolute classic.”
1953
The WWII romantic drama From Here to Eternity featured one of the best casts during the Golden Age of Hollywood, including Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed, and TV’s Superman, George Reeves. Lincolnshonesty started a thread to write about the movie: “I’ve seen a handful of war films but none have been as good as From Here to Eternity.”
A mixture of comedy and musical, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was an influential film that catapulted Marilyn Monroe to the A-list and has kept her a pop culture icon for nearly 70 years after its release. DynastyFan85 wrote “GPBs is such a fun movie. Great ’50s atmosphere and Jane and Marilyn as the two lead ‘Dames’ are perfection. Great comedy!”
1957
Funny Face was a musical romantic comedy with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. It’s a loose adaptation of the Broadway musical by the same name, which also featured Astaire. Becksploder started a thread after they rewatched it, writing, “This movie is very fun, and I’m gonna say it’s the best Audrey Hepburn film for me, even more than Sabrina and Roman Holiday.”
Cary Grant’s dominance over the romantic film continued all the way into the late ’50s with An Affair to Remember. The American Film Institute has even declared it one of the most romantic films of all time. Botolo found themselves impressed by its quality: “I was positively surprised by this movie. It starts somehow slow…then the plot twist and the ending is beautiful. Pretty nice movie. Highly recommended.”
1968
The Fanny Brice biopic Funny Girl made an actor and Oscar winner of Barbra Streisand. Part comedy, part musical, and part drama, it’s a classically entertaining movie with an excellent Omar Sharif supporting performance, in a role he’d reprise alongside Streisand in Funny Lady. OhioMegi wrote “Check her out in Funny Girl. It’s her Oscar-winning performance.”
Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet was both a massive box office success and critically lauded. Receiving nominations for Best Director and Best Picture at the Academy Awards, it was a teen-appealing movie that hit it big with multiple demos. Cajunhawk shared their experience with it: “This is the one I grew up watching…and why I cannot stand Baz Luhrmann’s whatever he did to it.”
1987
One of the American Film Institute’s top 10 romantic comedies of all time, Moonstruck was the movie that won Cher an Oscar and introduced her as a formidable actor, i.e. the quality of work she’d go on to show in Silkwood and Mask. L3ic3st3r wrote, “Honestly, this is probably one of my favorite movies of all time.”
The iconic Dirty Dancing was a zeitgeist-capturing movie for many in the late 1980s. Making stars of both Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze and shot at the beautifully mist-covered Mountain Lake, Virginia, it’s a nice movie with an outstanding soundtrack. Wykdtr0n started a thread just to sing the movie’s praises after having seen it for the first time: “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie that energized me on every level. They really don’t make them like they used to.”
1989
The best of John Cusack’s many romantic films, Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything… is laced with all of the traits that make the director’s films so heartfelt and rewatchable. Or, as versusboredom phrased it, “It’s not a perfect movie, but I loved it. It’s great to see Cameron Crowe working out some of his techniques, and John Cusack gave such a great performance.
Often considered one of the most quotable romantic comedies, When Harry Met Sally is perhaps the best romantic comedy of the 1980s. Timeless and chock full of iconic moments and lines like “I’ll have what she’s having,” Rob Reiner’s movie is also perfectly cast. Brendan_Fraser summarized it with “Perfect acting. Perfect script. Perfect soundtrack. Perfect everything.”
1990
Tim Burton’s romantic fable Edward Scissorhands is probably tied with Beetlejuice for being the most direct example of his auteurist sensibilities. Gellergreen hopped on a thread to write “I think everything is just so well thought out…It’s one of my favorites for sure.”
The rom-com classic Pretty Woman is often referenced and quoted, even decades after its release. Featuring a star-making performance from Julia Roberts, it’s a rewatchable film with a good heart. Valley72 wrote “…It’s awesome! I loved it growing up. Well, that and Dirty Dancing, they are classics for any girl born late ’70s early ’80s.”
2002
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a major box office hit that played well weekend after weekend. Audiences fell for its sweetness and a star-making turn from actor/writer Nia Vardalos. CelebrityTellTales wrote “The movie nailed every aspect of the Greek culture and their traditions! Every Greek has experienced the ‘I make lamb’ situation!!”
The second adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel didn’t do well with critics, but A Walk to Remember has its fans on Reddit. Jincky88 said of the movie, “OMG! My fav movie. I just remembered about it the other day. I liked it more than the book. Even tho Jamie looks different in the movie.”
2004
One of the better romantic movies featuring an older couple, The Notebook stands as the most critically and commercially successful Nicholas Sparks adaptation, even if some of it does promote toxic behavior. Making stars of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, it featured several Hollywood legends including Joan Allen, Gena Rowlands, James Garner, and Sam Shepard. Itsthelegendarydays_ wrote of the movie: “I love it. It’s dramatic and unrealistic of course, but it’s a movie and it’s meant to be fun to watch. Plus, the chemistry between the actors is really good compared to other rom-coms.”
Mike Nichols well-cast romantic drama Closer was adapted from the stage play of the same name. Featuring Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Clive Owen, the movie ends up being Natalie Portman’s. Owen and Portman bost received Academy Award nominations for their roles. Lucandrake started a thread to praise the film and ask for similar suggestions, “Just saw Closer for the first time, favorite film ever. I’m left speechless at this time, I want more like it, now.”
2017
Call Me By Your Name was the Oscar darling adaptation of André Aciman’s novel. Taking place in early ’80s Italy, the movie tells the story of forbidden love over a life-altering Summer. It’s a movie that’s resonated with numerous viewers from all walks of life. As Clatato wrote: “I’m not part of the LGBTQ community, but CMBYN still resonates deeply with me and is highly relatable when I look back on my own significant relationship from that period in my life, which was also time-bound.”
A major breakthrough for Kumail Nanjiani and featuring a heartbreaking performance from Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick is an Amazon original film with a high rewatch factor. It’s also effectively a biopic, focusing on a specific time in the life of Nanjiani and his wife. Hkatsupreme shares their experience with the film’s beautiful message: “This movie really touched me. My girlfriend and I saw it because she’s white, I’m Pakistani, we thought it was a funny coincidence….”
