Hollywood romcoms where the girl falls in love first
For eternity, Hollywood romcoms have showcased the timeless trope of love at first sight or the guy's pursuit of affection. But it is a breath of fresh air when women take charge of things and become the leading ladies who take the reins of their hearts. We have curated a list of romantic movies where women defy conventions and boldly embrace love first.
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
Starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in the lead, Pretty Woman is one of the most iconic Hollywood romcoms. It follows a female prostitute hired by a businessman to escort him to all his business and social functions during his week-long stay in Beverly Hills. During this time, she falls in love and later he becomes her knight in shining armor.
'She's the Man' (2006)
Inspired by the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, the 2006 teen romcom sports film She's the Man stars Channing Tatum, Amanda Bynes, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. When Viola (Bynes) goes to her brother's male-exclusive boarding school to stay for a couple of weeks disguised as her brother, she falls for the school's star soccer player Duke (Tatum).
'Another Cinderella Story' (2008)
The modern retelling of Cinderella fairy tale, Another Cinderella Story, is a popular teen musical rom-com film starring Selena Gomez. It's a Zune (portable media player) instead of a shoe here. A sequel to the 2004 film A Cinderella Story, this film follows Mary (Gomez), a talented dancer living with her stepmom falling in love with a high school heartthrob-turned-pop idol.
'Plus One' (2019)
The 2019 rom-com film Plus One is one of the underrated films in the genre with the best friends-turn-lovers trope. When two best friends, Ben and Alice, decide to be each other's plus one for a series of summer weddings, Alice realizes she has feelings for Ben and is ready to put their friendship at stake to keep him close.
'Last Christmas' (2019)
The title of the film is inspired by Wham! and George Michael's song Last Christmas. The film stars Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding as Kate and Tom. The life of Kate, a Christmas shop employee, takes a new turn as she meets Tom. Though in the beginning, it seems like Tom falls in love with Kate first, the climax of the film reveals otherwise.
