5 rom-coms that make us believe in love, more than ever

Everybody loves a happy ending; and every mushy, cute, romantic, and funny moment that leads up to it. Watching singles find their true love, vicariously experiencing a dreamy proposal, being invested in a couple’s argument, finding happily ever after with two people—what’s not to love about a love story that comes with a dash of humour? 

Rom-coms are a crowd-favourite, and we bring you a list of five of our favourite ones for you to enjoy. 

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Can a man and woman ever be ‘only friends’? That’s what we are left wondering when we watch college graduates Harry Burns and Sally Albright share a car ride from Chicago to New York. The film makes us fall in love with the buzzing New York City and gives us iconic, romantic-to-the-core quotes like: “I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”. There’s a reason why the movie makes it to the top of almost every rom-com list. 

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Long-distance relationships are tough, but if two people are in love and earnestly attempt to make it work, it is the most adorable bond. This film revolves around the lives of a widower Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), who is dealing with the loss of his wife and mother, and reporter Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), who live on the two ends of the country. And their story begins when Baldwin’s son calls up a radio talk show, hoping to find his old man a new life partner. Annie, who is seeking true love, tracks him down in Seattle. After a long wait and a lot of drama, the two finally meet…atop the Empire State Building. It’s a scene, a small part of a movie, that will leave you happy for a very long time. 

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Where there is love, there is drama. And nothing better exemplifies this than My Best Friend's Wedding. A woman realises she loves her best friend’s fiancé days before their wedding. This exciting story line coupled with brilliant performances, makes us fall in love with the movie. We relate to and feel for what Julianne (Julia Roberts) was going through as she realised she had developed feelings for Michael (Dermot Mulroney), the to-be husband of her best friend Kimberly (Cameron Diaz). Who gets the guy? Well, you have to see it for yourself as we’re not giving away any spoilers. 

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Everything’s fair in love and war. It is endearing to watch Joe (Tom Hanks), the owner of a bookstore chain and Kathleen, the owner of an independent bookstore, fall in love over emails (a fairly new thing at the time)—without realising that they’re professional enemies. The movie, with its old-world charm tugs at the heartstrings to leave us smiling. Come to think about it, it was perhaps the first rom-com to show us how to flirt with a stranger via a chat box. 

Notting Hill (1999)

We have all had a crush on celebrities and dreamt of building a life with them. And watching Notting Hill is like seeing our dreams turn into someone else’s reality. The fairy-tale-like film revolves around the romance between a struggling bookshop owner (Hugh Grant) and a famous Hollywood celebrity (Julia Roberts). There is ‘just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her’, who makes us fall in love with their camaraderie, chemistry and charisma.