A fresh wave of romance films emerged in the 80s and this wave got bigger through the 90s. Hollywood films in the 80s and 90s reached a wider audience globally. Furthermore, the decades spawned a new era in romance movies and romantic comedies. While romance films have been associated with Hollywood since the film industry came into being, many purists agree it was the 80s that paved the way for romantic comedies.
Hollywood Romance Movies: 80s and 90s
While romance films focused on passion and emotion and romantic involvement of main characters in the movie, romantic comedies centered on aspects of love
and comical situations. The light-hearted comedy and humor in romantic comedies have made the genre exceedingly popular with young audiences globally.A number of big budget Hollywood films were made in the 80s. Production costs on movies got bigger in the 90s. The formulated love stories which were popular in the 60s and 70s took backseat during the 80s. Thanks, to a dynamic new league of script writers, romance movies with unconventional storylines became cult hits with global audiences.
Themes often showcased in romance films are love at first sight, sentimental love, young and older love, sacrificial love, forbidden romance/love, tragic love, sexual and passionate love, obsessive love, spiritual love, unrequited romantic love, platonic love and destructive or explosive love. Romantic love stories are popular globally because they explore various sentiments of pure love through the journey of characters.
Plots that showcase myriad ways of relationships are popular in romance movies. Obstacles lovers face such as finances, discrimination, physical illness, family displeasure, day-to-day life struggles, strife, infidelity and differences in compatibility have been explored exceedingly well in romantic movies. Hollywood romance movies of the 80s and 90s are known for their memorable lines. Dialogues between central characters in romance movies of the 80s and 90s have been exemplary. Furthermore, the one-liner trend which is an integral part of films today was popularized in sleeper hits in the 80s.
By the mid-80s few independent filmmakers started experimenting with comedy in romantic films. This experimentation led to the romantic comedy explosion. Romantic comedies popularly referred to as rom coms have gone onto become one of the most popular genres with young audiences, teenagers in particular. While Hollywood romance movies have evolved in every decade, the 80s and 90s remain special in the realms of film romance.
The space below showcases a colossal list of the best Hollywood romance movies and romantic comedies. The list also includes British movies with a Hollywood star cast.
100 Greatest Hollywood Romance Movies and Romantic Comedies of the 80s and 90s
- As Good As It Gets- 1997
- When Harry Met Sally- 1989
- Sleepless in Seattle- 1993
- You’ve Got Mail- 1998
- The Bridges of Madison County- 1995
- Dirty Dancing- 1987
- An Officer and the Gentleman- 1982
- Before Sunrise- 1995
- Tootsie- 1982
- Clueless- 1995
- Forest Gump- 1994
- 10 Things I Hate About You- 1990
- Notting Hill- 1999 (BRIT)
- Pretty Woman- 1993
- The English Patient- 1996
- Edward Scissorhands- 1990
- Jerry Maguire- 1996
- The Truth about Cats- 1996
- Four Weddings & a Funeral- 1994
- The Princess Bride- 1987
- While You Were Sleeping- 1995
- Shakespeare In Love- 1998
- Runaway Bride- 1999
- Can’t Buy Me Love- 1987
- One Fine Day- 1996
- It Could Happen To You- 1994
- Top Gun- 1986
- Some Kind of Wonderful- 1987
- Titanic- 1997
- The Wedding Singer- 1998
- Pretty in Pink- 1986
- Footloose- 1984
- Addicted to Love- 1997
- Bull Durham- 1988
- Now and Then- 1995
- Coming to America- 1988
- Fools Rush In- 1997
- Groundhog Day- 1993
- Green Card- 1990
- Better Off Dead- 1985
- There’s Something About Mary- 1998
- Roxanne- 1987
- My Best Friend’s Wedding- 1997
- Chasing Amy- 1997
- Meet Joe Black- 1998
- Ghost- 1990
- Working Girl- 1988
- The American President- 1995
- The Pick-up Artist- 1987
- Overboard- 1987
- City of Angels- 1998
- Singles- 1992
- The Sure Thing- 1985
- Never Been Kissed- 1999
- Picture Perfect- 1997
- Chances Are- 1989
- Sense and Sensibility- 1995
- Flashdance- 1983
- About Last Night- 1986
- Reality Bites- 1994
- Big- 1988
- St. Elmo’s Fire- 1985
- Secret Admirer- 1985
- Risky Business- 1983
- Sliding Doors- 1998
- Can’t Hardly Wait- 1998
- Look Who’s Talking- 1989
- But I’m a Cheerleader- 1999
- Mannequin- 1987
- She’s All That- 1999
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off- 1986
- Say Anything- 1989
- Weird Science- 1985
- Emma- 1996
- Peggy Sue Got Married- 1986
- The Best Man- 1999
- Ever After- 1998
- Arthur- 1981
- Moonstruck- 1987
- Joe Versus the Volcano- 1990
- Out of Africa- 1985
- French Kiss- 1995
- Muriel’s Wedding- 1994
- Broadcast News- 1987
- Just one of the Guys- 1985
- Drive Me Crazy- 1999
- Valley Girl- 1983
- Somewhere in Time- 1980
- A Room With A View- 1985
- Sixteen Candles- 1984
- Romeo + Juliet- 1996
- Beautiful Girls- 1996
- The Blue Lagoon- 1980
- The Bodyguard- 1992
- Desperately Seeking Susan- 1985
- Endless Love- 1981
- Mystic Pizza- 1988
- Romancing the Stone- 1984
- Splash- 1984
- Micki & Maude- 1984
More Hollywood Romance Movies and Romantic comedies of the 80s & 90s
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back- 1998
- The Purple Rose of Cairo- 1985
- The Thing Called Love- 1993
- Murphy’s Romance- 1985
- Best Friends- 1982
- Kissing a Fool- 1998
- The Woman in Red- 1984
- Her Alibi- 1989
- The Money Pit- 1986
- No Small Affair- 1984
- She’s Gotta Have It- 1986
- He Said, She Said- 1991
- Blind Date- 1987
- Cousins- 1989
- Two of a Kind- 1983
