Love Actually is one of the biggest rom-coms of recent decades, but what other heartwarming films should fans watch?
Love Actually is considered one of the best holiday-season films of all time, but it's more than that. The notable aspects of the films are that it tells more than one love story at a time and it also features a large cast with each character getting plenty of screentime. Despite having unique stories, individuals are shown to be interlinked.
Several films have attempted to use this structure but only a few have managed to be entertaining while at it. While the holiday theme is an added bonus, the films don't necessarily have to adhere to it. The love experiences of different individuals are what stand out. Here are the ten films that have the most similar structures and themes like Love Actually.
In The Family Stone, a man named Everett brings his girlfriend Meredith to his family home in New England with the intention of proposing. Sadly, due to her uptight personality, his family doesn't receive her well. She thus asks her sister Julie to join her for support. But then Everett ends up getting attracted to Julie. Elsewhere, Everett's gay brother happens to have a brilliant relationship with his partner and he can't help but wonder what the fuss is all about.
The film had an ensemble cast but it was Sarah Jessica Parker who was outstanding. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. This was thanks to her portrayal of Everett's girlfriend Meredith.
Despite being panned by critics, Four Christmases was a hit with audiences. After its release, it went on to make $164 million globally. The comedy also had a stellar cast that included Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, and John Voigt.
In the movie, Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon), a couple from San Fransisco, who decide to go on a getaway during the Christmas holidays. Sadly, flights get canceled, and they decide to visit their parents. The problem is that both their parents are divorced and each is living with their new partner. They are thus forced to visit four homes and end up learning a lot about the four elderly couples.
10 Things I Hate About You is a modern take on William Shakespeare's play The Taming Of The Shrew. Many elements of the play are sampled and retold in a modern-day high school setting.
In the film, a student named Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls for a good-looking female student named Bianca but he has a huge challenge ahead of him since her father is overprotective. In order to go around his rile, he sets Bianca's sister up with a bad boy so that her father can focus on keeping him away. The love lives of the two sisters thus end up getting very complicated.
The film which is the sequel to The Best Man (1999) was received favorably by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 71%. At the box office, it made a decent amount of $71 million.
The plot revolves around a group of nine college friends who reunite after 15 years over the Christmas holidays. It doesn't take long for old romances and old rivalries to be reignited. Instead of the getaway being peaceful, dirty secrets are revealed. These end up making or breaking most of the characters.
Think Like A Man has a star-studded cast that includes Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall, Megan Good, and Sherri Shepard. Chris Brown and Steven Harvey make appearances too.
Just like Love Actually, the 2012 romantic comedy follows the love lives of different people. The plot revolves around different women who read Harvey's popular book Think Like A Man and decide to implement the teachings in it. After learning what they are up to, their boyfriends seek to counter their moves.
The Holiday had a stellar cast that included Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, and Jude Law. Eli Wallach—famous for playing the smooth-talking outlaw Tuco Ramirez in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly—also had a supporting role.
In the movie, a female executive whose company produces movie trailers swaps homes with a columnist for the Daily Telegraph during the Christmas period so that they both can escape their complicated love lives. But things become even more complicated for them when they both end up falling for local men.
Trust The Man wasn't received so well by critics but it was highly praised for emphasizing the importance of making a marriage work. The plot closely follows three different relations.
In the film, a married couple that has sacrificed so much for each other begins to grow apart. They only have sex once a year so they end up cheating. Their two friends who are also a couple also become involved in their lives in ways they didn't expect. Eventually, they come to the realization of what really went wrong.
He's Just Not That Into You is based on Greg Behrendt's and Liz Tuccillo's similarly titled self-help best-selling book that was released in 2004. The story follows the romantic lives of nine people.
With an ensemble cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, and Ben Affleck, the film follows various people who struggle with their relationships - and who are all connected, just like Love Actually. He's Just Not That Into You had a worldwide gross of $178,866,158.
The Netflix film is based on a series of stories penned by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson. Events take place on Christmas Eve in a small fictional town in Chicago, Illinois.
The plot revolves around a group of teenage friends who end up getting stranded in a snowstorm. Within a short time, conflicts arise between them, testing their love lives s well as their friendships. Let It Snow was received well by critics. At the moment, it has a score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Bridget Jones's Diary is based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. Fielding also served as a screenwriter in the movie. For her performance as Bridget, Renee Zellweger received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. This marked the first time that a cast member of a rom-com had received a Best Actress nomination.
The plot revolves around Bridget, a 32-year-old woman, who decides to pen down every little wish she has in her diary, including getting the perfect man. Her desire to have a loving partner is more than fulfilled when several strong suitors show up in her life and try to win her affection.
