By Ali Teske
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Spawning an entire sub-genre of romance and romantic comedy movies, meet-cutes are commonly used devices in romantic movies where the alluring first encounter sets the tone for the entirety of the film, one where the leads fall into some form of a romantic relationship. These moments succeed best in the rom-com stratosphere because the nature of the character introduction is most often playful and unexpected. Movies like 50 First Dates or The Wedding Planner hinge on chance encounters made complicated by some external factor.
A meet-cute doesn't require the lovers to end up together, but it's much sweeter when they do. The best meet-cutes are often found in rom-coms that also feature love stories that turn enemies into lovers, capitalize on the third-act breakup, and invest in a narrative with deeper meaning than love for laughs. From Oscar winners to silent icons, the leading stars make it look easy with their undeniable chemistry and effortless approach to romances that turn from low-stakes games to rest-of-your-life decisions.
10 Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon
'The Big Sick' (2017)
Not only is The Big Sick one of the genre's best, but it's also based on the true story of how star Kumail Nanjiani met his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The Oscar-nominated film is about the love story between Kumail, a stand-up comedian trying to meet his parents' expectations while also avoiding an arranged marriage, and Emily (Zoe Kazan), a grad student. When Emily finds out about Kumail's arranged dates to appease his family, she breaks it off shortly before falling ill and slipping into a coma. Despite being broken up, Kumail waits out Emily's coma alongside her parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano).
The onscreen meet-cute moment depicts the actual moment the pair met when Gordon heckled Nanjiani during his set by yelling "Woohoo!" when he asked if Pakistan was in the house. The moment they locked eyes, the audience knew she wasn't just a face in the crowd. Later at the bar, Kumail approaches her, and the pair exchange flirtatious banter about how heckling is considered rude, even if it's positive; however, Emily's ability to hold her own against the quick-witted comedian opens the door to the start of their relationship. What makes this film all the sweeter is that Nanjiani and Gordon co-wrote the Oscar-nominated script, detailing their love story. The Big Sick is a romantic demonstration of "If he wanted to, he would," where Kumail sticks by her side post-breakup and sets boundaries with his family on who he chooses to love. In cyclical fashion, his and Emily's romance starts over again at the end of the film, reigniting the excitement viewers felt at the beginning.
The Big Sick
R
- Release Date
- March 30, 2017
- Director
- Michael Showalter
- Cast
- Holly Hunter , Zoe Kazan , Kumail Nanjiani , Ray Romano , Rebecca Naomi Jones , Linda Emond
- Runtime
- 119
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Watch on Amazon Prime
9 Andie Anderson and Benjamin Barry
'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' (2003)
Despite being critically panned, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days managed to become an icon in the genre, featuring a meet-cute of rom-com royalty. Kate Hudson stars as Andie Anderson, a columnist at a women's magazine desperate to write hard-hitting editorial pieces. On a whim, Andie accepts an outlandish assignment to date a man while using all the techniques that would typically drive him away within 10 days. Simultaneously, ad executive and ladies' man Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) is convinced he can make any woman fall in love in 10 days. The pair meet at a bar one night, and it's game on for both camps. After striking out with duds, Andie is ready to call it quits until Ben approaches her specifically for the bet at the direction of his colleagues. Their punctuated responses as they introduce each other offer a sultry glimpse into their connection, and they are out the door to get a bite after a roughly 50-second introduction.
While being in the same bar was serendipitous, Ben approaching Andie was organized by his female coworkers who knew her intentions. Still, their immediate chemistry is undeniable, and their strategic game of chess to drive away and keep on the line only drew them closer as if it was always meant to be. The frustrating antics and displays of ungodly patience make it all the more entertaining. And who could forget that stunning yellow dress and iconic impromptu karaoke scene?
How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days
8 Stella Payne and Winston Shakespeare
'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' (1998)
The anticipation of a vacation adventure and the potential for romance is enough for any rom-com fanatic to tune in for. How Stella Got Her Groove Back stars Angela Bassett as the titular character, a forty-something stockbroker, jetting off to Jamaica. There, she falls into a fling with a much younger islander, Winston (Taye Diggs). As the vacation comes to a close, the pair are forced to confront whether their feelings are real and if they can overcome the very real obstacles. The moment they meet at the breakfast table, the attraction is obvious as audiences hear Stella's relatable inner monologue and witness her wandering eyes. They playfully interrogate each other about who, how, and why they are at the resort, and when Stella reveals her age, Winston doesn't recoil but rather invites her to the pajama disco party that night.
Not all meet-cutes are the same, nor do they serve the same narrative purpose. For Stella, the fun-in-the-sun fling broke through her workaholic mentality and opened her heart up to the possibility that there's more to life than the rat race. Stella and Winston represent the spontaneity of love where you least expect it and how powerful choosing yourself is over conformity.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
R
Romance
Comedy
Drama
- Release Date
- August 14, 1998
- Director
- Kevin Rodney Sullivan
- Cast
- Angela Bassett , Taye Diggs , Whoopi Goldberg , Regina King , Suzzanne Douglas , Michael J. Pagan , Sicily Johnson , Richard Lawson
7 Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly
'You've Got Mail' (1998)
You've Got Mail brought the meet-cute to the online dating world before it drowned in swiping and shallow profiles. This decade-defining movie features the generation's biggest stars, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, in a hybrid meet-cute and enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Businessman Joe (Hanks) and bookshop owner Kathleen (Ryan), unknowingly start an internet romance. The pair despise each other in the real world as Joe tries to run Kathleen out of business. In a silly exchange with Joe's daughter, the pair meet for the first time in Kathleen's shop, Joe refusing to reveal his last name when he learns Kathleen is in fact the owner. As he tiptoes around his identity, Joe manages to come off as charming and bumbling, hooking Kathleen in; however, the next time they meet isn't as smooth and she accosts him when learning his true identity, accusing him of spying. These emotionally opposite exchanges set up the rollercoaster payoff when they meet cute for the third time in the coffee shop, Kathleen expecting someone else from her pen-pal correspondence.
It's a movie that audiences return to again and again for a masterclass in rom-com chemistry and romantic confessions. What was a meet-cute online turned out to be a sour in-person introduction. Before the genre dove into catfishing in its online romances, You've Got Mail operated without malicious intent, maintaining a level of innocence required in a well-written meet-cute.
You've Got Mail
6 Princess Ann and Joe Bradley
'Roman Holiday' (1953)
Powerhouses Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck starred in this influential vacation meet-cute. Overwhelmed and desperate for a break, Princess Ann (Hepburn) steals away to the streets of Rome for a night. After falling asleep on a park bench, Ann is discovered by Joe Bradley, an American reporter, who learns of her identity and wagers with his editor he can get an exclusive scoop. Somewhere along the way, Joe falls for Ann, their growing friendship overshadowing the news story. The park bench encounter is their rather comedic first meeting as Ann passes out on his shoulder; however, the morning after in Joe's apartment is the real meet-cute moment. As Ann gathers her bearings and pieces things together, Joe maintains his integrity while also charming his way into calming her panic and earning her trust. Ann's coy smile before they introduce themselves says it all.
Roman Holiday continues to have an immense impact on the genre, as the best (and worst) rom-coms emulate and re-purpose the narrative. With a charming and classy meet-cute, Joe and Ann's opposite worlds are one of the original "opposites attract" romances that left audiences pining all the way to the film's end. Of its 10 Oscar nominations, the iconic film took home three wins.
Roman Holiday
5 The Tramp and the Blind Girl
'City Lights' (1931)
In Charlie Chaplin's most famous film, he made audiences laugh and cry while silently demonstrating the lengths one will go to provide for those they love. Chaplin stars as a down-and-out Tramp who meets a Blind Girl (Virginia Cherrill) struggling to cope with the unforgiving nature of society. In a labor of love to help her and her Grandmother (Florence Lee), the Tramp works to accumulate enough money from odd jobs, and with the help of the Eccentric Millionaire (Harry Myers), to pay for her medical treatment. They first meet as the Blind Girl sells flowers on the street, the Tramp stumbles upon her by accident as he weaves his way through traffic. He buys a flower and the moment he realizes she's blind, a certain curious fondness washes over him, and he sticks around to secretly observe her, ending with the Blind Girl throwing a bucket of water in his face.
City Lights still contains the comedic gags and bits that made Chaplin a star; however, it hinges on themes of love and acceptance, as the Tramp worries the Blind Girl won't love him when her sight is restored. Perhaps the first ever meet-cute, the Tramp and the Blind Girl share a simple, yet meaningful romance not watered down by external elements the genre has since relied upon. It's the classic formula of boy meets girl, boy saves girl, and boy and girl live happily ever after. And it works as one of the greatest romance movies of all time.
City Lights
4 William Thacker and Anna Scott
'Notting Hill' (1999)
Meet-cutes are born in bookstores, making Notting Hill the perfect onscreen representation. Hugh Grant stars alongside Julia Roberts as William Thacker, a bookstore owner, and Anna Scott, a famous actress. Their personal lives are turned upside down when a romance blossoms, garnering the attention of the relentless paparazzi. William and Anna are forced to confront the complications of their lifestyles as it affects their romance. The attention to detail during their meeting is immaculate as Anna enters the bookshop, she's kept out of focus or behind a bookshelf until she delivers her first line. William relentlessly, but sweetly tries to chat with her about travel books for Turkey before catching a shoplifter in the act. Anna's exchange with William is brief, but her gratitude is palpable when she realizes he doesn't know who she is despite the shoplifter asking for an autograph.
Where Notting Hill surpasses others in the meet-cute aesthetic is its attention to narrative development instead of a heavy dose of comedic antics to overshadow the complexities of their plight. The movie is not only one of the most rewatchable 90s rom-coms but one of the best genre films ever as Roberts and Grant use their legendary star power to conjure wholesome, believable chemistry in this love story.
Notting Hill
3 Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller
'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002)
One of the most iconic romantic comedies of all time, My Big Fat Greek Wedding started off as a simple meet-cute and blossomed into a trilogy. Toula (Nia Vardalos) is determined to make a change in her life when she remains unmarried at 30 at the disappointment of her large Greek family. When she forges her own glow-up and takes a job at her aunt's travel agency, things fall into place after Ian (John Corbett) walks into her life. The pair battle a clash of cultures as they prepare for a giant Greek wedding. Tula meets Ian for the first time as his waitress at her family's restaurant pre-transformation. She awkwardly stares before snapping back and making a joke, one which Ian laughs at, turning the encounter into a catalyst for Tula's arc. Ian sees Tula again at the travel agency post-transformation and tries to get her attention, but she skulks into hiding until he passes by another day, making a fool of himself before coming in.
Audiences were just as giddy watching Toula fawn over Ian when he walked into the travel agency one day, and they never stopped rooting for her. Toula's relationship may have been a meet-cute, but her determination to create a life outside of her overbearing family created the opportunity to find true love, finding a balance between her old life and new.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
PG
Comedy
Romance
- Release Date
- February 22, 2002
- Director
- Joel Zwick
- Cast
- Nia Vardalos , Michael Constantine , Christina Eleusiniotis , Kaylee Vieira , John Kalangis , Lainie Kazan
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
2 Jonathan Trager and Sara Thomas
'Serendipity' (2001)
The title is a dead giveaway that this is a meet-cute movie; however, Serendipity is one of cosmic proportions. While browsing a department store, Johnathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) reach for the same pair of gloves, hitting it off instantly. They have an incredible evening but when Johnathan asks for her number, Sara's strong belief in fate gets in the way, and the pair split. Years later, with Johnathan's wedding around the corner and a fresh engagement for Sara, they can't stop thinking about "what if" and both begin an epic journey to find the other before it's too late and fate decides they weren't meant to be.
In one of the best, but complicated romances, audiences witness an undeniable attraction and a magical date that is equal parts adorable and frustrating as the universe slaps them with a series of events that keep Johnathan from getting the number and feeding into Sara's intuition of the universe's involvement. Serendipity is an escapism rom-com that lets fate decide in the past and present instead of the formulaic structure of a third-act breakup.
Serendipity
PG-13
Romance
Comedy
Drama
- Release Date
- October 5, 2001
- Director
- Peter Chelsom
- Cast
- John Cusack , Kate Beckinsale , Jeremy Piven , Bridget Moynahan , John Corbett , Molly Shannon , Eugene Levy , Lilli Lavine , Michael Guarino , jr. , Abdul Alshawish , Stephen Bruce , David Sparrow , Gary Gerbrandt , Ann Talman , Crystal Bock , Kate Blumberg , Ron Payne , Marcia Bennett , Eve Crawford , Victor A. Young
- Runtime
- 90 Minutes
1 Ellie Andrews and Peter Warne
'It Happened One Night' (1934)
This film laid the foundation for a century's worth of meet-cute romances. It Happened One Night, winning all five of its Oscar nominations, features golden era icons Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in a road trip romance for the ages. Gable is reporter Peter Warne as he promises to return the spoiled, feisty runaway heiress Ellie Andrews (Colbert) to her family in exchange for an exclusive story. What was supposed to be Peter's means to professional advancement ended in him falling in love. Ellie and Peter meet on a Greyhound bus as he talks his way out of showing his ticket to the driver. Sitting in his "saved seat," Ellie refuses to move, so smart-mouthed, but flirtatious Peter sits next to her, offering to put her trunk up above if she asks nicely. To prove her independence, she stows the trunk herself just before falling into Peter's lap when the bus moves.
The electricity between Gable and Colbert earned them both respective Oscar wins while simultaneously setting the standard for the genre's future leading roles. It Happened One Night is more than a meet-cute, it's a forbidden romance, an enemies-to-lovers, and just a well-rounded love story. The Best Picture winner remains the most influential romantic comedy of all time.
It Happened One Night
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