How 200 Rom-Coms Are Bringing Me Joy

I started watching Rotten Tomato's top 200 Romantic Comedies and keeping a watch list to give them a rating. Give me a love story with some giggles along the way, and watch me melt into a puddle. Add a list where I can cross things off, and I’m in heaven. I’ve already seen MANY of these movies—many classics like Sixteen Candles, Pretty Woman, and When Harry Met Sally. Multiple films are from the 1930s and 40s… and a few haven’t been funny at all. 

Romantic comedies get a bad rap. My husband once asked, “Do these movies make it seem like I don’t do enough in our relationship?” Absolutely not. Watching these movies makes me fall more in love with him. It reminds me that great love is out there and that we have it…what a gift that is. 

And I already know why I love this challenge so much. It’s predictable. Especially for the movies I’ve already seen. There’s a theory about rewatching films and how they make you feel better.  Psychology Today wrote about it here if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Knowing how things will turn out is good, especially when feeling out of sorts. And I’ve been feeling out of sorts. 

As of today, I’ve watched 26 movies from the list. 

I’m grateful for stories that can assist in altering my reality. I’m still coming down from the holidays while living with anticipatory grief. My mom is still sick, and my dogs are elderly. Mix this in with perimenopause, and I’ve had some panic attacks, hot flashes, and some worrying about the state of our world. You know, just the average elder millennial.

These rom-coms are showing me how to romanticize my own life. Morning coffee feels  glamorous after seeing Diane Keaton do the same in her gorgeous Nancy Myers kitchen.  Wearing Doc Martens makes me nostalgic for 10 Things I Hate About You. And even having some ice cream like those in Chocolat makes life captivating.

Movies I’ve seen are highlighted in green marker, and if I liked the film, a pink heart is drawn after the name. If I loved the movie, I give two pink hearts. I admit, the more I watch, the more brutal critic I’m becoming. Skimming over the recent titles I’ve watched, Crazy, Stupid Love was number 122 and received two hearts. Only three other movies graced that rating: About Time, Big Eden, and The Broken Hearts Club. 

It’s a silly challenge that isn’t going to change my life. Rewatching Crazy Rich Asians does make me happy, though… genuinely happy. And I’m holding on, for dear life, to the things that bring me joy. 

I’m just a girl watching a movie, asking it to have a happy ending… preferably without anyone pregnant and living happily ever after.