It’s no secret that the choice of movie can make or break a romantic night in, which is why we at the Daily Wildcat have compiled this list of man-friendly chick flicks that, if all goes well, you might enjoy as much as she does. (Feel free to thank us later.) On Wednesday, we brought you the first five, now see which movies topped our list.
5. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Director: Cameron Crowe
_Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger _
When a prominent sports agent suffers a nervous breakdown and gets fired from his job, he sets out to become a better man while struggling to satisfy the only client he has left.
WHAT SHE’LL LIKE: Five Oscar nominations. Two attractive leads. One adorable little kid. “You had me at hello.” “Jerry Maguire” is marvelously written, heart-wrenchingly poignant and all but guaranteed to make her cry.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE: Kelly Preston having sex. Scratch that: Kelly Preston having insane sex. Her first line in the film: “Don’t ever stop fucking me.” Great men have argued this scene is better than porn, and great men are rarely wrong.
4. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Director: Nora Ephron
Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Dave Chappelle
Two small-business owners who hate each other in real life unknowingly fall in love over the internet.
WHAT SHE’LL LIKE: It’s directed and co-written by Nora Ephron, who brought us classics like “Sleepless In Seattle,” “Julie & Julia,” “When Harry Met Sally” and a whole slew of others. Also, it’s a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks vehicle, which is hard to pass up. And it’s about two people who love each other but don’t know it yet, which even I’ll admit is cute. Not to mention it’s a good movie for making out.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE: You get to see Dave Chappelle before he was famous (he plays Tom Hanks’ goofy best friend in the film). And while his role isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, it’s still pretty neat to see what the guy was up to (aside from smoking weed) before everyone knew his name.
3. Mean Girls (2004)
Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried
A young girl falls in with the Plastics, the popular girl clique at her new high school. But when she develops a crush on the ex-boyfriend of a fellow Plastic, the claws come out, leading to a territorial battle that shakes the very foundations of the school.
WHAT SHE’LL LIKE: “Mean Girls” has a sort of witty sensibility to it that, despite its being a teen film, feels oddly grown-up. And while it’s funnier than it is cute, you won’t find a film that more accurately nails the whole “survival of the fittest” mentality of high school.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE: It’s written by Tina Fey, arguably the hottest nerd-girl in the universe. Second, it features Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried in slut-bunny outfits. And third … all right, argue all you want, but there was a time when Lindsay Lohan was actually kind of hot, and “Mean Girls” provides a good little chance to brush up on that history.
2. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The story of an idealistic young man who falls in love with a girl who doesn’t believe love exists.
WHAT SHE’LL LIKE: It’s a touching, hilarious and refreshingly honest look at love and all the complications that come along with it. Skillfully directed and gorgeously shot by Eric Steelberg, “(500) Days of Summer” baffled cinephiles everywhere when it was overlooked at the 2009 Oscars.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE: Ever love someone, only to have her take a big old nasty dump on your heart? While “(500) Days” doesn’t offer the consolation one might hope for — i.e. the life-ruining trollop isn’t run over by a bus — it still offers enough relatable insight to make you feel — even if only for a moment — like yes, someone out there does understand.
1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal
A film that seeks to answer the age-old question: Can two people sleep together and still be friends?
WHAT SHE’LL LIKE: This one’s a no-brainer. “When Harry Met Sally” is about a relationship built on trust, wherein the lead couple doesn’t even sleep together until they’ve been friends for 12 years. Also, it’s written by Nora Ephron (see No. 4), whose work on the film earned her an Oscar nom for Best Original Screenplay.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE: Look past the fact that it’s a Meg Ryan film, and you’ll find that “When Harry Met Sally” is one of the most genuine films about love and relationships to ever hit the silver screen. More than 20 years after its release, it’s still relevant and hilarious; hands down, there’s not a chick flick on Earth more man card-safe than this.
