What is your ultimate Rom-Com?

Whether you’re single or happily coupled up, who doesn’t like a good light-hearted love story around Valentine’s Day?

If you’re settling down on the sofa with a box of chocolates this year and looking for a film to watch, what’s the ultimate romantic comedy to put on?

Radio 2’s resident movie critic James King has been asking you to tell us which Rom-Com you think is the very best. He came up with a shortlist of forty films for you to choose from, all featuring a love story and plenty of laughs. There were big hits, fan-favourites and movies made right across the world to give you plenty of choice.

You’ll be able to hear the result of the vote in a special countdown programme, hosted by James King, which will be available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 2 ahead of Valentine’s Day.

PLEASE NOTE VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED

James King's Shortlist in Full:

See James' overview on each film, along with the date of first UK release, below:

• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) - Will Shakespeare knew a thing or two about romantic comedy and this nineties high-school update of The Taming of the Shrew proved that The Bard’s plots really are timeless. And for sassy, attitude-filled chemistry, look no further than leads Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.
• 500 Days Of Summer (2009) - A whip-smart deconstruction of a romance (that also manages to be hugely heartwarming) starring a never-better Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Does for noughties rom-coms what The Graduate, Annie Hall and When Harry Met Sally did in previous decades.
• Amélie (2001) - The one-of-a-kind Audrey Tatou plays the unforgettably whimsical title character in this French sensation about a Parisian waitress helping those in need - and falling in love along the way. Parfait.
• Annie Hall (1977) - Ditzy Diane Keaton delivers her definitive, Oscar-winning performance in this hilariously cerebral New York rom-com about romance gone wrong (that’s also a masterclass in film editing, if you’re into that kind of thing).
• As Good As It Gets (1998) - Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt both took home Academy Awards for this endearingly spiky tale of bitter writer Melvin having his heart warmed by struggling waitress Carol, written and directed by rom-com grandee James L Brooks.
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) - “Audrey Hepburn plays that daring darling Holly Golightly to a new high in entertainment delight!” ran the tagline. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Some elements now feel dated but Breakfast at Tiffany’s remains a benchmark for big-screen romantic comedy.
• Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) - This joyous rom-com smash saw Renée Zellweger seamlessly morph into Helen Fielding’s beloved title character: the Chaka Khan-singing, Hugh-and-Colin-wooing, big knicker-wearing singleton Bridget.
• Brown Sugar (2003) - Hip-hop and rom-com mingle seductively in this story of music-loving old friends Andre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) who struggle to deal with their feelings for one another, expertly soundtracked by the likes of Angie Stone and Mary J Blige.
• But I'm A Cheerleader (2000) - Audiences didn’t know what to make of this ‘conversion camp’ rom-com back in the day but it’s now regarded as a smart cult classic, with the great Natasha Lyonne wowing as squeaky clean Megan - a high-school prom queen who’s experiencing some new feelings…
• Crazy Rich Asians (2018) - The biggest rom-com of the last ten years, this story of an uproariously lavish wedding in Singapore (based on Kevin Kwan’s novel), made movies stars of Constance Wu, Gemma Chan and Henry Golding.
• Crazy Stupid Love (2011) - Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have since starred together in a bigger hit (2016’s La La Land) but this enchanting ensemble rom-com from ‘This Is Us’ creator Dan Fogelman is, for my money, even sweeter. Steve Carell and Julianne Moore co-star.
• Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994) - The film that began a run of rom-com smashes for writer Richard Curtis and leading man Hugh Grant. What more is there to say? Quite simply a phenomenon.
• The Graduate (1968) - A ground-breaker! An impossibly young Dustin Hoffman got his big break as geeky Benjamin, torn between mother and daughter (Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross) in a film that brought new style, humour and daring to the Hollywood mainstream.
• Gregory's Girl (1981) - Cumbernauld’s finest ninety minutes on film tells the deliciously down-to-earth story of gawky teen Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) and his plans to woo the footballing high-school beauty Dorothy (Dee Hepburn).
• His Girl Friday (1940) - Fast-talking newspaper couple Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell try to rekindle their romance in perhaps the ultimate ‘screwball’ rom-com. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!
• It Happened One Night (1934) - A socialite (Claudette Colbert) and a journalist (Clark Gable) are stuck on the road together in this sparkling chalk-and-cheese romance that created the blueprint for so much to come. A must for any rom-com aficionado.
• Jab We Met (2007) - Kareena Kapoor is laugh-out-loud brilliant in this much-loved Indian hit that uses the classic ‘boy-meets-girl on a journey’ set-up to brilliant effect, mixed with some especially memorable musical numbers too.
• Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) - An essential indie rom-com, Kissing Jessica Stein was one of the first breakout LGBTQ+ hits of the twenty first century. Look out for a young Jon Hamm too (his then-partner Jennifer Westfeldt co-wrote and stars in the film).
• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) - Indian megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol reteamed for this Bollywood rom-com blockbuster that garnered umpteen awards, shifted millions of soundtracks and sold countless tickets. Essential escapism.
• Love, Simon (2018) - It might be first film from a major Hollywood studio to focus on a gay teen romance, but Love, Simon is anything but preachy. Echoing classic high-school rom-coms of the past, this is wonderfully warm and endearing stuff (with a killer soundtrack to boot).
• Monsoon Wedding (2002) - Director Mira Nair stylishly captured the love and laughter of a Punjabi Hindu wedding in this award-winning ensemble piece that wowed international audiences (and inspired a Broadway musical too).
• Moonstruck (1988) - Showbiz titan Cher bagged on Oscar for her fabulously feisty turn as Italian American widow Loretta, falling in love with her fiancé’s hilariously overwrought brother Ronny (Nic Cage). Pure magic.
• My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) - Julia Roberts cemented her position as nineties Hollywood’s rom-com queen with this brilliantly cheeky story of a singleton out to ruin her old mate’s nuptials - although it’s co-star Rupert Everett who steals every scene.
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) - One of the surprise hits of the noughties this one, starring and written by then-unknown comedy actor Nia Vardalos and based on her autobiographical one woman show. The result is a big-hearted culture clash, once again proving that weddings really are rom-com gold.
• Notting Hill (1999) - Hugh Grant + Julia Roberts + Richard Curtis = a seminal rom-com. Its West London setting might be highly romanticised but as a film about the pitfalls of celebrity, it’s refreshingly insightful. Altogether now: “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy…”
• The Philadelphia Story (1941) - Katherine Hepburn! James Stewart! Cary Grant! This is witty romance from Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ at its most classy and erudite.
• Pillow Talk (1960) - The first of three rom-com hook-ups for legends Doris Day and Rock Hudson still feels bright, peppy and glamorous all these years later. The biggest hit of the year.
• Pretty In Pink (1986) - The most romantic offering from iconic Eighties teen auteur John Hughes, with thrift queen Molly Ringwald and posh boy Andrew McCarthy reminding us that opposites really do attract.
• Pretty Woman (1990) - It would be a “big mistake - huge” to omit this Julia Roberts/Richard Gere blockbuster from any rom-com list. Endlessly quotable and with a spot-on soundtrack, Pretty Woman set the stage for romantic comedy in a new decade.
• The Princess Bride (1988) - That this smartest, sweetest of all rom-com fairytales wasn’t a major hit on release today seems “inconceivable!” but it’s thankfully now a cult favourite that continues to charm audiences young and old.
• Roman Holiday (1953) - Rom-com queen Audrey Hepburn burst into the big time with this endlessly referenced Italian-set charmer about a princess on-the-loose in the Eternal City. Co-starring Gregory Peck on a Vespa.
• Say Anything... (1989) - Has there ever been a better expression of desperate teenage love that John Cusack holding up his boombox, blasting out ‘In Your Eyes’ outside of Ione Skye’s bedroom window? Pitch-perfect adolescent rom-com from writer/director Cameron Crowe.
• Sleepless In Seattle (1993) - Following the success of When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan reteamed with Nora Ephron for this seamlessly smooth dose of feelgood about love over the airwaves, cutely riffing on movie romances from the past along the way.
• Some Like It Hot (1959) - Romance and farce mingle effortlessly in this effervescent Oscar-winning classic that boasts drag, Marilyn Monroe and the greatest final line of all time!
• Something's Gotta Give (2004) - Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and writer/director Nancy Meyers make romantic comedy look easy in this enjoyably grown-up - and super chic - slice of ‘opposites attract’ rom-com. Pure class.
• Strictly Ballroom (1992) - Baz Luhrmann’s debut film reinvigorated rom-coms, ballroom and Aussie cinema as a whole with its gorgeously glittery tale of taking chances (and falling in love) on the dance-floor. Tess and Claudia owe it a lot!
• There's Something About Mary (1998) - The fad for ‘gross-out’ movies might have been brief but with megahit There’s Something About Mary, filmmakers the Farrelly Brothers showed that romance and painfully uncomfortable jokes could somehow mix. Great hairstyle, Cameron!
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018) - Where have all the rom-coms gone of late? The answer is simple: Netflix. And this Lana Condor-starring hit (the first in a trilogy) is one of the streamer’s most-acclaimed - a beautifully relatable story of young love, high-school issues and crazy families.
• The Wedding Singer (1998) - The first in a trio of films to star Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler and one that brought the eighties back to the big screen with hilarious effect - as well as being surprisingly tender and romantic. Plus, actual Billy Idol!
• When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Writer Nora Ephron could nail the hilarious differences between men and women better than anyone else and in just an hour and a half, When Harry Met Sally captures 1980s twenty-something romance flawlessly. A milestone in rom-com history.

If you would like to be a part of the programme and tell James what makes your favourite Rom-Com so fantastic then email [email protected] with your favourite film, your name and your number and we may be in touch.

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