Anna: 

*I rate all of these movies 10/10*

The Parent Trap:

In The Parent Trap, starring Lindsey Lohan, Annie James and Hallie Parker meet at a summer camp. Though it seems like they should have realized the first time they saw each other, they find out that they are twins, separated at birth, when they piece together a photo of their parents, torn right down the middle. As would be expected, they both want to meet the parents that each of them have lived their entire lives without, so they decide to switch places; Hallie, going to London to meet her mother, and Annie, going to California to meet her father. It is their dream to have their parents get back together, so they can be the family they’ve always wished for, but when Annie realizes her dad is thinking of marrying someone else, they realize their mission is a lot more urgent than they anticipated. I think this movie is very heartwarming and the definition of a feel-good movie. It is fun to see the clever things the girls come up with to reunite their parents and find mischief along the way. 

Notting Hill:

Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is a perfect example of two people with entirely different lifestyles falling in love, for better or for worse. William Thacker is an ordinary London bookstore owner whose life is far from interesting until Anna Scott, an American actress, finds her way into his life. After only meeting once, she ends up inside his house after an incident involving spilled orange juice on the street, and the two of them form a connection. At first, their relationship seems like nothing less than a fantasy, as they spend their time running around London and trying to avoid William’s odd roommate. As time goes on and secrets are revealed, Anna and William learn that their difference in lifestyles makes their relationship very complicated, and they wonder if their decision to be together in the first place was foolish. Throughout the movie, it is made obvious that their love is true and unwavering, and while reality tries to tear them apart again and again, they will always find the way back to each other. 

Love Actually:

If you’re looking for a heartwarming rom-com with a Christmassy atmosphere, Love Actually is the perfect movie. Taking place mainly in London, the movie follows the stories of many different characters and displays how love (romantic or not) impacts their lives in different ways. Some of these characters include David (Hugh Grant), newly elected Prime Minister who falls for one of his staff members, and Daniel (Liam Neeson), who helps his stepson impress a girl he likes at school. My favorite character in this movie is Karen (Emma Thompson) because despite finding out her husband may be having an affair, she gracefully displays strength and continues to show love for her children who need her. One of the best and most iconic scenes in Love Actually is when Mark (Andrew Lincoln), a man who is in love with his best friend’s wife, Juliet (Keira Knightly), confesses his love for her with cards at her door, even though he knows he can never be with her. A big takeaway from this movie is said in Hugh Grant’s monologue in the beginning, and it is that “if you look for it… you’ll find that love actually is all around”. 

The Proposal:

Have you ever pictured yourself in a situation where you are forced to meet your fiancé’s entire crazy family and small town, and almost everything goes wrong along the way? Neither did Margaret, but in her case, she isn’t actually engaged, her fake fiancé is from Alaska, and she is only involved in all of this to prevent her from being deported back to Canada. The Proposal, starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, is the story of Margaret Tate and her assistant, Andrew Paxton. These two are not particularly fond of each other until Margaret is told she will have to move back to Canada, where she is originally from. The only solution she can think of to this problem is pretending to be in love with and married to Andrew. He agrees to this plan, only under the condition that she will promote him to an editor and  fly to Sitka, Alaska with him to meet his large and peculiar family. Although things are very hectic, Margaret makes unexpected connections with people in Andrew’s family and realizes that he might not be so bad after all. A fun fact about this movie is that it was actually filmed in Massachusetts, rather than Alaska, and I think the most unrealistic thing about it is the constant sun in Sitka! 

50 First Dates:

50 First Dates, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, is what I would consider a perfect mix of comedy and drama. Henry, who lives in Hawaii, has a hard time committing to a relationship, so he made a rule for himself against dating other locals. This works for him until he meets Lucy, a local girl, who he later finds out lost her short term memory due to a car accident. He only realizes this once he goes back to see her the next day, and she has no idea who he is. He knows there will be struggles whether it’s her memory loss or her protective father and brother, but he is determined to find a way to be with her.  50 First Dates is certain to make you laugh and maybe even shed a tear, while singing along to The Beach Boys. One of my favorite things about this movie is the fact that he is able to make her fall in love with him every single day.

Ava:

13 Going on 30

What if you could fast forward and look at what your life would be like when you're 30. You see yourself as a New York Magazine editor with an apartment in the big city. But you and your childhood best friend have drifted apart. This is the plot of the 2004 movie 13 Going On 30 starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. I really enjoy this movie because of its themes of childhood love and a best friend to lovers trope. I did find myself cringing at times because of Jennifer Garner’s character Jenna. She goes from 13 to 30, therefore acts like a 13 year old girl. She can be awkward at times. Mark Ruffalo’s character, Matty on the other hand, is more serious and sensible. My favorite part about this movie is the ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s unexpected and overall ties the movie together with a perfect bow. I rate 13 Going On 30 a 6/10. 

How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days

This movie is what I would consider the perfect 2000’s romcom. Like all good romcoms the female lead works at a women’s magazine company in New York City. Kate Hudsuns character, Andie, is working on an article where she dates a guy and tries to get him to break up with her in under 10 days to show all the ways women can repel men. Mathew McConnohay, Ben, works for a men’s magazine and his company is having a gala. His friends dare him to try and date the same girl for over 10 days. Andie and Ben start dating, this awkward and hilarious relationship is filled with heartfelt moments. One of my favorite scenes is when they go to a Knicks game. Andie insists on ordering a soda during important parts of the game. Ben is scrambling from the concessions stand back to the stands, missing most of the game. Watching Ben scramble to keep the relationship together while Andie acts like an obsessive girlfriend with unpredictable mood swings is what makes this movie so enjoyable. With iconic scenes like Andie’s yellow dress, I have to give this movie a 9/10. 

27 Dresses

The common saying, “Always a bridesmaid never a bride”, is the theme of this movie starring Katherine Helgi. The main character Jane, Helgi, has been a bridesmaid 27 times. She loves weddings, always volunteering to help brides with their special day. But when her little sister Tess comes to town and  gets engaged to Jane’s crush and boss, Jane is a bit reluctant to help. The love interest Kevin Doyle played by James Marson is a journalist who writes for a wedding column. With Kevin eager to take out on a date, Jane must choose between the sweet Kevin or confessing her love for her sister’s fiance. I really enjoy this movie because it is different from other rom-coms. One of my favorite scenes is when Jane and Kevin get stuck at a bar and start singing “Benny and the Jets”. I rate this movie a 8/10. 

The Princess Diaries 2

I love The Princess Diaries, but this sequel I watched profusely during my childhood. Everyone loves an Anne Hathaway movie and I could argue this is her best one. Princess Mia, Hathaway, is moving to Genovia to continue her training with her grandmother, Julia Andrews, to become queen. While in Genovia, Mia learns that she must marry in order to become queen. She starts dating Andrew, an English prince, but she is not in love with him. Mia also meets Lord Nicholas played by Chris Pine. Mia starts to fall in love with Nicholas but realizes he could be using her for the crown. Now Mia must choose to either have an arranged marriage with Andrew and become queen, or follow her heart with Nicholas. This movie is very funny and makes every girl want to be a princess. My favorite scene from this movie is when Mia has a sleepover with all her friends and they mattress surf. We even get to see Julie Andrews mattress surf flawlessly. This movie is funny, well casted, and the ending is perfect. I rate this movie 10/10 and I highly recommend it. 

10 Things I Hate About You

I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car, and I hate the way you stare. One thing I don’t hate is this movie! 10 Things I Hate About You starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger is a 1999 rom com that follows the lives of two sisters and a boy named Cameron. Cameron is the new kid and he falls in love with Bianca. Bianca is not allowed to date until her sister Kat dates. Bianca is in love with Joey but Joey is in love with Kat. Cameron enlists Patrick to date Kat so that Cameron can date Bianca. Patrick starts to have feelings for Kat. I know it’s confusing but this movie best represents the twisted love lives of American teenagers. It’s funny, witty, and even had some heartfelt moments like Kat’s poem she reads to Patrick in class. My favorite scene from this movie is when Kat finally agrees to go on a date with Patrick and they end up playing paint ball. This movie is the perfect teen rom com, I rate it a 8/10.