9 Best Romantic Comedies of The 2000s
Published on August 22, 2013. Updated September 20, 2016The 2000s has seen a number of top-rated romantic comedies released, but which ones have stood apart from the norms and cliches of Hollywood? Here, I have compiled a list of, what I believe to be, the 9 best romantic comedies of the 2000s.
9. The 40 Year Old Virgin
The 40 Year Old Virgin was released in 2005 and was Steve Carrell’s breakout role in Hollywood. The movie involved Steve Carrell’s journey to lose his virginity at the ripe age of 40 with the help of his co-workers: Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and Romany Malco. He finally finds someone he feels is the right girl to lose his virginity to, namely Catherine Keener. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 85% and an IMDB rating of 7.2/10.
8. Sideways
Sideways hit theaters in 2004 and followed two men, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, on a road trip through California’s wine country. Paul Giamatti spends most of the time griping over his ex-wife while simultaneously searching for love, whereas Thomas Haden Church is sleeping around before he makes the final commitment to marriage. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 96% and an IMDB rating of 7.6/10.
7. Garden State
Garden State was written and directed by the lovable Zach Braff and was released in 2004. The movie was a powerful social critique on psychological disorders and the over-prescription of certain medications, such as anti-depressants. The main character, Zach Braff, returns home for his mother’s funeral, and through the help of his friends, finds himself in the process. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 86% and an IMDB rating of 7.6/10.
6. Juno
Juno was released in 2007 and took an interesting perspective on the lives of two teenagers, Ellen Page and Michael Cera, faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The movie follows Ellen Page’s unconventional decisions regarding her child and the consequences that ensued. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 94% and an IMDB rating of 7.6/10.
5. Love Actually
Love Actually has a star-studded cast-of-characters and was released in 2003. The movie follows the lives of 8 disparate couples during the month before Christmas. Most notably, the cast included Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Kiera Knightley and Emma Thompson. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 63% and an IMDB rating of 7.7/10.
4. Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom was yet another masterpiece directed by Wes Anderson and was released in 2012. During camp two young lovers, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, run away from their respective camps to be with each other, but their time together is cut short by the search party hot on their tail. Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman play minor roles in the film as well. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 94% and an IMDB rating of 7.8/10.
3. (500) Days of Summer
(500) Days of Summer was a surprisingly unique romantic comedy released in 2009. The movie follows Zooey Deschenal who believes that true love doesn’t exist, but a young man by the name of Joseph Gordon-Levitt sees things a bit differently. The movie received a rottme tomatoes score of 87% and an IMDB rating of 7.8/10.
2. The Perks of Being A Wallflower
The Perks of Being A Wallflower was based on a book that followed a shy high school freshman, Logan Lerman, that is befriended by two outcast characters, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 85% and an IMDB rating of 8.1/10.
1. Amelie
Amelie is a French movie that was released in 2001. It follows a French girl, Audrey Tautou, with a post-conventional sense of morality who decides to help others, but finds love along the way. The movie received a rotten tomatoes score of 90% and an IMDB rating of 8.5/10.
