It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air, so we decided to drop our newest list a day early. The Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Rom-Coms.
Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. COMING TO AMERICA
“YES! F*** YOU TOO!” might be my favorite line delivery in any romantic comedy ever (tied with some lines from our #1). As funny as it is though, people often forget the romance storyline that is at the heart of Coming to America. It holds its own amongst the top-notch jokes while making the film an automatic “oh, hell yea” once you realize it qualifies for this category. So… OH, HELL YEA!!! THAT MOVIE GOOD!!! - Amarú
4. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE
Even putting my man-crush on Baby Goose aside, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a hilarious and honest look at romance from two perspectives: the young player who may have found “The One” and the heartbroken, middle-aged guy who never expected to be single again. Truth be told, I’ve been some version of both characters at different points in my life, and the situations, dialogue, and dynamic between Ryan Gosling and Steven Carell are so genuine and relatable that this movie just resonates with me on multiple levels. - Quentin
3. YOU'VE GOT MAIL
This may be the lesser known of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan rom-coms, but it's always been my favourite. Everything from the juxtaposition of the online relationship versus the personal one and the way both evolve to the undeniable chemistry these two actors share, it's a joy watching them push each other's buttons (all the while being in on the secret the characters aren't privy to). You can't help but root for them to get together, and that’s exactly what the best rom-coms set out to do. - Nick
2. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...
As of this moment, there is no film in existence that more appropriately fits the definition of “rom-com” than When Harry Met Sally. When it comes to the gold standards of the rom-com formula, or the kinds of characters rom-coms typically possess, this movie stands above all others as the prototypical example…and for good reason. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and most importantly, it gave us the eternally iconic Meg Ryan diner scene. - Jacob
1. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
With a premise as simple as a man in his middle years who has yet to experience sex, The 40-Year-Old Virgin could've been just another in a list of forgettable, sophomoric comedies. Instead, the movie takes a gentle approach to a topic that can be sensitive to those who relate, due largely to its stellar cast of Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and more. With a combination of strong performances from the lead actors and solid turns from the supporting players, even in bit roles, the film is cemented as one of the recent comedy classics, romantic or otherwise. - Darryl
HONORABLE MENTIONS
GROUNDHOG DAY
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
THE WEDDING SINGER
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
50 FIRST DATES
Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Paramount Pictures; Photo 2, 3 - Warner Bros; Photo 4 - Columbia Pictures; Photo 5 - Universal Pictures