Since Valentine’s day is coming up, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite rom-coms. 

• “She’s the Man”: If you’re looking for a laugh, this is the movie for you. Based on Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night,” Amanda Bynes stars as Viola who, so determined to play soccer, disguises herself as her brother and joins the boys soccer team in order to be able to play her school’s rival team after the girl’s team is cut. As you could guess, this creates a very chaotic couple of weeks for her, trying to switch between being herself and her brother, which makes for the best type of entertainment. There’s a lot of that dramatic irony English teachers talk about within the movie, but by the end everything seems to wrap up and fit together perfectly. And who doesn’t enjoy a nice, tidy ending?  

• “The Longest Ride”: A classic country boy/city girl love story; major heart eyes. This is about the story between a college student, Sophia and a professional bull rider, Luke as they try to make their relationship work despite their different career paths. Towards the beginning of their relationship they meet Ira an elderly man who was once in a similar situation. Inspired by his story, the young couple works through their differences and fights to make their relationship work. Seeing the connection between Luke and Sophia’s story and Ira and his wife’s and how they line up so perfectly is pure bliss. Besides, cowboys and bull riding, what’s not to love?

• “The Princess Bride”: This one may be from 1987, but it is as sweet and as adventurous as ever. A clever pirate fighting giants and large rodents, outsmarts his enemies and challenges others to sword fights all for the girl he loves—sounds like an adventure to me. Sure Princess Buttercup is a bit annoying and helpless, but who wouldn’t be when you have a cute pirate keeping you safe? If you are a fan of comedy, adventure and fantasy or even if you’re not, I’d give this one a chance. 

• Safe Haven: Have you ever heard of Nicholas Sparks? Well if not, he’s the author who writes really good romance novels that get turned into movies. If that still doesn’t ring a bell, he’s the one who wrote the book that “The Notebook” is based on. This was the first movie I watched that was based off of one of his books, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like the plots of his stories are always very complicated and this one definitely was. There’s a little bit of mystery at the beginning, and it kind of continues throughout the movie but it’s sprinkled in rather than there being too much of it. Sometimes I feel like in movies there’s no real climax, but there definitely is in this one, and it honestly kind of stressed me out a little. But all good things, all good things. I enjoyed it from start to finish, especially the finish, and could watch it everyday for a week. 

• Life As We Know It: Not only is this a rom-com, but it is also a great family movie. After the death of their friends, Holly and Eric are brought together to raise their goddaughter despite their rough history and mutual dislike for each other. Seeing how they juggle taking care of her and living under the same roof while watching them get closer always makes me laugh. What makes this a good family movie is how the chaos they go through is all somewhat relatable because that’s how family works sometimes. Trying to make the best of this mess they are thrown into while creating their own little family dynamic presents you with a good laugh while doing it. 

• Dear John: This also a Nicholas Sparks book turned into a movie, the third so far (the first was “The Longest Ride”). John is in the military, but while home he meets Savannah and of course they fall in love and then he has to leave. The things I love the most about this movie are: 1) how they fall in love so quickly and make the best of the time they get to spend together and 2) the letters they write to each other while he is on active duty, hence how it got the name “Dear John.” Side note: I also love how much of an effort Savannah puts into getting to know his dad and how much of an interest she takes in his passion. To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of the ending, but there are other ways it could have ended which I would’ve liked less and I will leave it at that. Like all rom-coms, this movie sets my expectations way too high, but it’s too good not to watch it anyways.

• Clueless: “Clueless” is a classic and if you haven’t seen it then you better go watch it. I don’t care if you think it’s a “chick flick,” it’s a good chick flick. Alicia Silverstone plays the perfect Cher as does Paul Rudd with Josh. She is definitely a little high maintenance, but at least she knows what she wants and how to get it. And I will say I like how outspoken she is and how she never fails to at least try to fight for what she wants. I also like the dynamic between Cher and Josh; they tease and make fun of each other but at the end of the day they are always there for each other. And although their relationship is a tad weird and complicated it somehow works. If I knew people like this in real life I might not love that, but in a movie it really works.  

• Legally Blonde: This movie is a great representation of how you can do anything you set your mind to and that women are just as intelligent as men. Reese Witherspoon, another household name, takes on the role of Elle Woods, an aspiring lawyer after her breakup. How she goes from a rich, “dumb blonde” personality to an intelligent, independent young woman who uses her beauty knowledge to solve murder cases is inspiring and encouraging. Her boldness and confident attitude make her a very engaging and funny character, which is great to watch if you’re feeling down. Though this is also another “chick flick” I would recommend this to anyone.

• Love, Rosie: After seeing short clips of “Love, Rosie” on Instagram I was inspired to watch it, but ended up having to wait for it until it was on Netflix. It is a best friends to lovers kind of plot, with many ups and downs. It takes place in the U.K. which is partially why I enjoy it so much, British accents are so much more fun to listen to. Rosie and Sam are about to graduate and move to America for college when Rosie’s life gets turned upside down and Sam goes to America by himself while Rosie stays. Watching them repeatedly miss their get-togethers just makes me want them to find each other even more and keep watching, hoping they’ll end up together. If you need a change in scenery from American accents, take a chance on this sweet British rom-com. You won’t regret it.

• The Princess Diaries: This final film definitely has a good amount of comedy to it. Anne Hathaway plays Princess Mia, and there’s no better fit for the role. Mia is already clumsy and awkward so finding out she’s really a princess is a surprise and a bit of a struggle at first. Trying to adjust to her new life as a princess with lessons after school, fancy dinners and a grandma she never knew she had, all while trying to manage school seems like a lot, doesn’t it? But amazingly, she makes it work despite the bumps she has on the way. My favorite part is definitely her personality; her clumsiness and her sense of humor make for a great laugh as she tries the princess life. This is another great movie to watch with your family, and I would highly recommend doing so.