By May.
It breaks my heart that the romantic comedy is a thing of the past. When I look at the movies I’ve seen, movies that are coming out, I see I have watched two or three new romantic comedy releases in the past three years. Seriously – where are they all?
We all know that Hollywood loves to recycle ideas, as well as destroy great books by turning them into painfully lame movies. That said, let us pretend for a moment that tinsel town would put their very best people on it, not cock up the casting, and could turn out some fabulous book to movie romantic comedies. If that was the case, here are five that I think should be top contenders:
Agnes and the Hitman (Jen Crusie + Bob Mayer)
Take a talented caterer with anger management issues whose weapons of choice are cast iron pans and knives (or any kitchen gadgets really) that just wants to feed people and live a happy life in her new home. Add in a pair of government hitmen, some mob ties, a wedding, some crazy ass villains, a mysterious basement, and a whole lot of hilarity and romance will ensue. If you’ve not read this one you should for the angry sex, strong heroine, and over the top silliness. One of my all-time favorite reads right here, and actually Hollywood should look at all Jen Crusie’s older books for movies. She has some seriously awesome reads from Bet Me to Welcome to Temptation.
Bridgertons & Bevelstokes (Julia Quinn)
Downton Abbey is super popular, Austen re-makes continue to be big hits, and we all know Hollywood loves to do sequels too, right? With that in mind I think somebody needs to take a serious look at author Julia Quinn’s impressive body of work. I think her Bevelstoke trilogy or her first few Bridgerton novels would be a most excellent place to start. I can so imagine the humor as well as the moving romances and fantastic casts of supporting characters making a great Hollywood franchise.
Can you Keep a Secret? (Sophia Kinsella)
What would happen if you thought you were going to die in a plane crash and told all your secrets- big, little, dirty and mundane to the stranger sitting next to you? What if that stranger turned out to be the owner of the company you work for, and you wound up falling for him? This is a classic ‘nothing special’ ordinary girl falls in love with a very rich and powerful man tale – but it’s so charming and with all of the secrets and revelations and humorous details it stands out. One of Kinsella’s very best, and I do believe it’d be adorable as a movie assuming Hollywood didn’t slaughter it like they did to Shopaholic.
Tamara Morgan
I wasn’t a huge fan of Confidence Tricks, but I could see that it might make for an awesome movie. Same goes for Love is a Battlefield and The World is a Stage – both hilarious and fun books by Tamara Morgan. She’s really funny, has great sexual chemistry, and I think is the only author releasing great contemporary romances that are both sexy and make me giggle like crazy these days. I would love to see her highland games playing men in kilts on the big screen so darn much, and just thinking about some of her scenes being played out in movie format makes me grin. Yes. Tamara Morgan for the win.
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination (Helen Fielding)
While best known for Bridget Jones, this is in fact my favorite by this author. Olivia is a fluff piece journalist who is sent to Miami to cover a perfume launch. She’s made fun of for an overactive imagination, but is that what is going on now? With a cruise ship bombing, shady characters, and Olivia doing her best as a make-shift spy all of the sudden she’s not so sure what to believe. Add a hot CIA agent, and an incredible mix of action, comedy, and romance and you could have the romantic comedy that has enough action to be a date movie too.
Bottom line? I just want romantic comedies to come back. So far in 2013 I’ve read a number of good contemporary romances which gives me hope that romantic comedies in my books (and maybe my movies?) will make a comeback as well. If not, perhaps they can discover brand new talent and make a series of movies based on Cindy Gerard’s BOI’s characters. I volunteer to handle casting for that, and I can start immediately.
What romance books that are funny would you like to see as a movie – or do you simply recommend? I’d love to hear it!
I know! Where are they? And then I see movies and it says they are rom com and then it’s drama com, black comedy, everything else but rom com
Yes! Exactly.
–or, it’s a buddy movie packaged as a rom com, i.e. knocked up or the 40 year old virgin. Knocked up was ok but I don’t really want to think about Seth Rogen having sex with anyone. Just… no.
Nice Article.
yes. I mean, no. As in you’re right. I do NOT want to think of that man in a sexual way!!
Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson. The first book had me laughing all the way through it. Just think of all the shoes that could be promoted!
that could be super cute.
In my experience the rom-com is still very much alive and kicking and definitely not a thing of the past. I can think of the following movies off the top of my head. The amount released each year is enough rom-com for us all LOL I will say that there seems to be a huge amount of comic style movies released though. The book I would love to see as a rom-com movie would be Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. Great post! :)
Morning Glory (2010)
The Switch (2010)
Life As We Know It (2010)
New Year’s Eve (2011)
Just Go With It (2011)
Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)
The Change-Up (2011)
Friends With Benefits (2011)
Hall Pass (2011)
What’s Your Number (2011)
Something Borrowed (2011)
This Means War (2012)
The Vow (2012)
Friends With Kids (2012)
The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
What To Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)
Playing for Keeps (2012)
Wallbanger for sure! :)
Loved Wallbanger, so funny and sexy. Can’t wait to read the Red Head series.
But did you love all of these movies you’re listing? Most of the ones I see there were so bad I couldn’t even watch. My point isn’t so much that they aren’t making ANY movies that they try to call rom/com…. it is that the few that are being made are not good or aren’t really the kind of rom/com I have always loved.
And bottom line – the idea of the article is to highlight some books that might be fun to see on screen. :)
I suppose the fact you say “a thing of the past” and ask the question “where are they all?” made me think you were making the point that there weren’t as many being released. I didn’t get that you were actually asking if the one’s that were released were any good. I think that’s a completely different point.
I also think that If they are funny and romantic rom-com, then they are rom-com and not just trying to be called rom-com. Funny and romantic is all the definition I need. I’d say all the movies I listed are in that category.
I would probably say half of the list I REALLY enjoyed, the others were just meh. But just because I didn’t rate some of them too highly doesn’t mean they’re not rom-com. It just means they weren’t for me.
And yes, you should definitely read Wallbanger – fun and sexy. Tori enjoyed it too :)
I’m right there with you on Love is A Battlefield, I LOVED that book. I remember thinking that it would be a really fun rom com movie. Between the kilts, the historical dress up, and the camping on the field, it would be a hoot to watch :) Book Savvy Babe
yes!! I picture strong backs and lots of male toplessness…
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton is something I would absolutely LOVE to see! Honestly, anything by Alice Clayton would make an awesome rom-com…her Redhead series made me LOL but Wallbanger took the cake for me!
it sounds like I need to read Wallbanger!!!
I have not enjoyed a rom com since 27 dresses :(
I enjoyed This Means War, and I feel like if RomCom was still a strong genre I would NOT have. I am so in need of good romantic comedy…
Great article. I really don’t like to watch movies of books I liked. I do nothing but comparisons the whole time and inevitably ruin the experience.
I agree, most of the time movie adaptations of books are crap. There have been a couple of exceptions but most of the time I just can’t bear them butchering my books – I just end up screaming at the TV or ranting to my other half like a crazy woman.
yeah… book to movie RARELY works. But I think it can if all the pieces come together just right.
the key is if movie execs cock it all up with bad cuts & casting I think.
Oh wow, Olivia Joules! I so loved that book, but you never hear about it. Totes agree that rom coms lately have been utter failures. Can’t think of any good ones after the first Bridget movie. (The second one DEFINITELY sucked.)
Wallbanger. That one, for sure. Sigh…
ok. that’s it. Wallbanger downloaded and up next to read!!
Maybe the problem is we’ve lost Cary Grant and Hollywood has no one to replace him.
Are the Sandra Bullock movies rom com? I really enjoy those. For the rest I don’t watch that many movies (except the super hero ones).
And I agree with some other commenters: I hate movies made from books if I have read and loved the book, as they most often really ruin the story. They change things, leave important things out of the movie. I’ll never watch one again.
Left overs by Stella Newman fab