Not Only 'Pretty Woman': 5 Best Romantic Movies From the 90s, Ranked by RT
From stories of first love to whirlwind dates.
The 1990s are rightly considered the golden age of romantic cinema – it was then that films were released that continue to warm the hearts of viewers worldwide.
Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, became the decade's symbol, yet romantic comedy and melodrama were far richer and more diverse genres during those years.
5. 'You've Got Mail', 1998
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
The main characters, played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, meet in an AOL chat room. They are unaware that they already know each other in real life and consider themselves sworn enemies.
The light, romantic atmosphere between the two bookstore owners contrasts with their real-life rivalry, adding an edge to their interactions.
Despite the unusual circumstances of the on-screen couple's meeting, You've Got Mail is, in many ways, a traditional Hollywood romantic comedy based on the popular enemies-to-lovers trope.
4. 'Sleepless in Seattle', 1993
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Sam, a young widower, becomes a highly sought-after bachelor after sharing his heart-wrenching story of loneliness following his wife's death on the radio.
Among his listeners is Annie, a reporter on the verge of marriage, who decides to travel across the country to meet this melancholy man. With the help of Sam's young son, Annie arranges to meet Sam on the observation deck of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Eve.
Sleepless in Seattle has all the elements necessary to execute the genre perfectly: painful loss of a loved one, discovery of new love, supportive friends, concerned relatives, and even a jilted fiancé.
3. 'While You Were Sleeping', 1995
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Jon Turteltaub's While You Were Sleeping is a wistful romantic drama about loneliness in the big city and the importance of having a genuine family to lean on during times of emotional hardship.
The story centers on Lucy, a transit worker who saves Peter, a successful lawyer, from an attack by thugs.
Peter ends up in intensive care, and when his family arrives, they mistake Lucy for his fiancée. She cannot bring herself to tell them the truth.
2. 'Notting Hill', 1999
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
The story centers on Anna Scott, a famous Hollywood actress who comes to London to film a new movie. One day, while out for a walk, she wanders into a small bookshop owned by the charming yet deeply unhappy William.
The two immediately hit it off, and their friendship quickly flares into a romance that threatens to ruin their reputations.
Roger Michell's Notting Hill is a modern-day fairy tale about a princess who falls in love with a commoner, only to find herself held captive by her own social status.
1. 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', 1994
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The movie by Mike Newell and Richard Curtis launched Hugh Grant into the world of romantic comedies for decades to come.
Grant played Charles, a socially awkward man who attends friends' weddings and repeatedly encounters the charming American, Carrie, played by Andie MacDowell. Of course, he falls in love.
Richard Curtis, one of the world's leading romantics, crafted a screenplay in which witty dialogue is interspersed with subtle pauses and comic situations are balanced by dramatic revelations.
