Everyone loves a good rom-com, but these films, in particular, are by women, for women. Sometimes films within the romantic comedy space aren’t made by women and thus don’t always work for the audience they’re written for; the love life of a woman presented through the lens of a male writer/director is very different from the kind of understanding or empathy a female writer/director could give to the same story. Since these films are directed by women, they hold a special place in the rom-com lineage, and many have become classics (cult or otherwise) over the years. When women are given the space to create meaningful pieces, it benefits everyone involved and everyone who watches.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, everyone needs a good romantic comedy to watch with their significant other. The perfect romantic comedy can be hard for any couple to find, but there are movies on this list for every rom-com lover (and even for the haters). If you’re looking for something to watch this Valentine’s Day, these movies should be at the top of your list; the women who direct them understand the women who star in them, and have made them for the women (and everyone else) who watch them.
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5 The Holiday
Sony Pictures Releasing
While it is normally thought of as solely a Christmas movie, The Holiday is also just a fabulous rom-com. The film follows two women, one living in Los Angeles and the other in London, who decide to participate in a home-swap over the Christmas holiday. The two women are both in emotional periods of their lives, having both been cheated on in the recent past. Once the swap occurs, each woman falls in love in the city that’s new to them. Not only is this story the dream for some women, but it also tells a beautiful story of love and friendship.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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The film is directed by Nancy Meyers, a widely renowned filmmaker who is well-known for her work on Private Benjamin, the 1998 version of The Parent Trap, and many others. Her work on The Holiday was not critically acclaimed, but was well-loved by audiences around the world upon release. The film has developed a cult following over the last few years, which has increased almost exponentially during the pandemic due to most people’s inability to travel and desire to find new places. If you are looking for a snowy, magical, worldwide romance, The Holiday is currently available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.
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4 Love & Basketball
40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks
Love & Basketball is a romantic comedy that seems to have been lost in the throng of other rom-com movies released in the early 2000s. The film follows Monica and Quincy, two basketball stars, who both strive to play professional basketball when they grow up. The two childhood sweethearts struggle to continue their relationship as each of their basketball careers ebb and flow. The simple but heartwarming film was written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee.
Prince-Bythewood is best known for her work on Beyond the Lights and The Secret Life of Bees, which, along with Love & Basketball, are two of the greatest films by Black women directors. This feature directorial debut and was released to critical acclaim but minimal commercial success. However, the film has gained a large following in the last 22 years and has cemented its place as a rom-com classic in pop culture. If you are looking for a fun, sporty romantic comedy for everyone (including your partner who hates rom-coms but loves sports), Love & Basketball is currently streaming on HBO Max.
3 Lost in Translation
American Zoetrope / Elemental Films
Lost in Translation is one of the more critically acclaimed and well-known romantic comedies directed by a woman. The film centers around Bob Harris, a formerly famous actor, and Charlotte, a recent college graduate who followed her husband to Tokyo. While the film isn’t blatantly romantic, it does carry the tone of a romantic comedy overall. The intimate friendship which develops between Bill Murray’s and Scarlett Johansson’s characters, amidst the hazy music and bright neon of Japan, is truly special.
The film is directed by Sofia Coppola, daughter of famed director Frances Ford Coppola, and famed director in her own right. Lost in Translation was only Coppola’s second film, but it won her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and has stood the test of time and remains beloved to this day. If you are looking for a less romantic rom-com this Valentine’s Day, Lost in Translation is currently available to stream on Peacock.
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2 Clueless
Paramount Pictures
Clueless is just about everyone’s favorite teen rom-com, but many don’t know that the film was directed by Amy Heckerling. The film centers around Cher Horowitz and mainly focuses on her day-to-day life, but does involve her romantic entanglement with her former step-brother. That may sound super weird, but the film is actually a satirical parody of the rom-com genre, and yet one which participates in the very thing it parodies, and is often just adorable and delightful.
Heckerling is a successful director aside from Clueless, having directed the legendary Fast Times at Ridgemont High, along with Look Who’s Talking. Clueless is filmed with the tone and perspective of a woman, something which can be seen in every aspect of the film. For a perfect piece of nostalgia, romance, and great comedic timing (with a sprinkling of a young Paul Rudd), Clueless is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
1 You’ve Got Mail
Warner Bros.
As every rom-com lover knows, Nora Ephron is the most iconic filmmaker of the genre. Some may say that her best piece is You’ve Got Mail, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. A modernized remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s classic The Shop Around the Corner, the film follows Ryan and Hanks, who are enemies in the world of the movie but meet on an AOL chatroom where they do not know each other’s name. Ryan is a small book store owner and Hanks is helping to create a large bookstore chain around the corner from Ryan’s store. This is the perfect movie for any fans of the classic “enemies to lovers” trope.
The film flows fantastically due to Ephron’s directing, and is acclaimed as one of the best romantic comedies of all time. This, along with the director’s film Sleepless in Seattle, might be the greatest modern film of the genre, or at least of the ’90s. If you are looking for a classic rom-com that never fails to be enjoyable, You’ve Got Mail is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
