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Are These 2000s "Chick Flicks" Secretly Masterpieces, Or As Bad As They're Rated?
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I'm reclaiming the term "chick flick." The men saying that as an insult WISH they were a woman who enjoyed FUN and not pathetic, bitter losers who tear apart every single thing that isn't made specifically for them because they literally have no concept of other people deserving enjoyment. This movie is THE rom-com. It nails every trope — but not in a tired way. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey have amazing chemistry, and having them both conning each other is just hilarious and clever. I refuse to accept this rating. You hear me? I REFUSE. J.Lo really was THAT GIRL in the '90s and 2000s. No one was doing it like she was. Have these critics even SEEN the movie???? Anne Hathaway is perfectly cast, and don't even get me started on THE Julie Andrews. Millions of young girls thought Genovia was a real place because of this movie. The impact!!! Also, the wish fulfillment of getting to be a PRINCESS??? Side note: I was also obsessed with these books, and this movie is NOT a good adaptation at all, but on its own, it's a great movie. This is the movie that started a lifelong love of enemies-to-lovers, and TBH, I've never seen it done better. I don't know why Chris Pine and Anne Hathaway haven't done more movies together, because their chemistry is IMMACULATE. The banter is great. Also, the sleepover scene has stayed with me for YEARS. I wanted to be there so badly. We get Young Emma Stone!!! A man paying for his crimes (even better, that man is — you guess it — Matthew McConaughey! The man was staying booked and busy)!!! I feel like, even in this era of constant remakes, sequels, and movies based on existing IP, we don't make movies based on classic literature anymore. Can we bring that back? I love a good revenge story. I was SHOCKED this was so low, and I'm not even trolling. I feel like women are so often the butt of the joke in high school comedies — seeing women across different cliques team up to take down a terrible man was SO satisfying, and I loved their friendship! Were there some problematic moments, sure, but what 2000s movie didn't have those? This movie holds up overall, IMO. Not the estrogen part, though. I have mixed feelings on this one. Loved parts of this movie, but I wanted her to end up with Patrick Dempsey's character. The other guy was rude. Enemies-to-lovers? Yay. Jackass ex-husband and Reese freaking Witherspoon to lovers? No, thank you! Still, that shouldn't mean it's sub-50%. More wish fulfillment! Hilary Duff is the perfect everygirl, and I love a fairytale retelling. Chad Michael Murray was never hotter, though he kind of sucks as a character. Still, we get some iconic quotes. And don't forget Jennifer Coolidge!!! I always liked this better than The Wedding Singer as far as Drew and Adam movies go...as long as you don't think too deeply about this one. Hey, that's not what it's for! I've never been a huge Adam Sandler fan, but I feel like he's mostly inoffensive/not a giant man-child here. I'd give it at least 50%. This movie is so good, my sister literally played it on a huge projection screen the night before her wedding, and that is so valid of her!!! Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock are so, so funny, AND THIS MOVIE HAS BETTY WHITE. Sometimes I still randomly sing "it takes two to make a thing go right!", Ryan Reynolds-style. Along with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, this is THE 2000s rom-com to me. J.Lo has never been better. And Matthew McConaughey is, as we've demonstrated, rom-com royalty. This is the movie where I first fell in love with Rachel McAdams. Also, the queer undertones??? Iconic. This deserves a higher rating for the fashion alone. Next! To be real with y'all...I hate a vignette movie. I did not care for this one. But if you did, I support you. I do love Drew Barrymore! I always used to confuse this with What A Girl Wants, since being the daughter of the president is basically like being the daughter of a lord/earl/whatever her dad was? Great movie; I mean, it's Mandy Moore...who is a princess herself. Tell me this — why do dumb comedy movies featuring men, like Dodgeball, get in the 60s and 70s, but chick flicks like this get in the 30s and 40s? Just think about that. The House Bunny is funny. Anna Faris is hilarious. It's got young Emma Stone!!! Playboy propaganda aside, this movie is fun. Say it with me: the eyes are the nipples of the face. MORE PRINCESS (queen???) WISH FULFILLMENT. And her pink dress might be one of my fave movie gowns EVER. Four percent is wild. I haven't seen it in two decades, but I remember this being a perfectly enjoyable movie!!! Plus, present drama aside, it's good to see Hilary and Haylie Duff together. Looking back, James Marsden's character was a dick and shouldn't have ended up with Katherine Heigl's character. But this movie is fun!!! The karaoke "Bennie and the Jets" scene will go down in rom-com history. I'm not even joking when I say this is in my top ten movies of all time. It's genuinely hilarious. This is Amanda Bynes at her best!!! It's wildly quotable. Genuinely, they need some teenage girls to be critics here. At the middle-aged men writing reviews...this movie wasn't FOR YOU. It was FOR US. And we loved it. Also, the fact that this is based on Twelfth Night...genius. The soundtrack??? Inspired. Okay, I need to stop talking about it, or I'll end up watching it right now. I'm going to be incredibly honest right now and admit I never saw this movie. I know!!! Can I even call myself a rom-com fan? Still, I know people like it. In solidarity with you, I will declare that this movie should have a higher rating. I also love Amy Adams, so there's that. It's cute! It's Isla Fisher! She's funny! There's shopping! It's surprisingly kind of heartfelt! What's not to love? This is the movie that brought us Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus...which eventually brought us "Flowers." Folks, this movie directly led to Miley Cyrus's first Grammy!!!! Let's celebrate it for that reason alone. I am once again aghast. The second one, sure. But the first movie??? I love a good undercover movie, and having this set in a pageant was perfect. Sandra Bullock is perfect here, and the whole bomb in the crown thing was genuinely terrifying. I hate it here, y'all just hate women and think everything we like is dumb. Obviously, this one was not as good as the first one, BUT I give it points for adding Regina King. Are there dumb jokes??? Of course. Is it still hilarious? YES. Of course, the first is better, but it's still Bridget Jones!!! The Katherine Heigl love continues. Also, if I had a nickel for every rom-com on this list featuring loved ones dying and leaving the main characters their children, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Once again, I'm convinced people just hate women! This was such an inspiring movie to me growing up. When they all scratch because of the bullshit rules...that was POWERFUL. We had this one on DVD, and you know what that means — I watched it a ton of times. Casting Tommy Lee Jones was a genius choice, and it was my introduction to him. His best role, TBH. This rating is offensive. The show is a gem, of course, but it's the movie that went triple platinum in my house. Watching this was like celebrating a special occasion. It was like Christmas. I mean, the wish fulfillment??? Of course, the show is about being relatable, but getting to see Lizzie live out her wildest dreams made it seem like we could, too. 12/10. Poetic cinema. Now that Hilary's in her comeback era, can we bring all her movies back, too? Please and thank you. There's something I love about movies that take place over one night. The challenges were so fun to watch — especially the store window one. It's also just so satisfying to see the underdogs win! Plus, having a pre-The Office Steve Carell is a wild flex. Like Wild Child, this should have a higher rating for the fashion alone. It's a parody, but I didn't understand that at the time (I watched this WAY too young), so I'm counting it. Also, the Chris Evans whipped cream scene...I know it was supposed to be funny, but young me was too busy staring at his abs. I feel like this movie was probably too adult for me when I watched it at like seven, but it had my idol, Britney Spears, so of course I watched it. Also, a young Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning! Great cast, great concept, honestly very sad but good! The soundtrack to this movie is ELITE. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is possibly my favorite Hannah Montana song, and it's got "The Climb"!!!! (Still one of my fave Miley songs.) Also, Taylor Swift herself appears in this movie, singing "Crazier," which is WILDLY underrated. And I still know ALL the moves to the "Hoedown Throwdown." Seriously, I pull it out as a party trick. Did they always play this on ABC Family, or am I misremembering? Sob-fest. Every time. And the chemistry between these to??? I wish they'd dated IRL. Sure, a lot of 2000s movies were "insufferable man learns to be a person," but at least the insufferable man is HUGH GRANT. Sandra Bullock is always the great no-nonsense lead, and they're charming together. I'm going to take this moment to flex that I met Christina Milian in a clothing store once, and she was SO nice. I know this movie is a remake, but I don't need to watch the original because this nails it! I still think this movie is really sad and sweet, and Brittany Murphy is SO GOOD in it. So is Dakota Fanning!!! She plays wise beyond her years SO well. This movie made the idea of being a nanny seem a lot more dramatic than it really was. 5/10. Points off for being unrealistic. Another Amanda Bynes classic! The catwalk scene is ICONIQUE. Katherine Heigl could do no wrong in the 2000s, IMO. Grey's and Knocked Up drama??? Never heard of it. I was too busy enjoying her movies. I'm so sorry for what they did to you, Katherine. I've always been in your corner!!!! Sorry to include another tragic romance, but I'M SORRY??? THIS IS ONLY 30%??? I LOVED this movie growing up. Mandy Moore is literally perfect in it — she has the voice and face of an actual angel. And her chemistry with Shane West...smh. This movie deserves better. I love the bad boy falling for the good girl trope. This is a dark premise, but it still manages to be a really sweet and nice little rom-com and family story! It did get me scared about my siblings dying and leaving their kids to me at age nine, though. Or friends. See #28. Honestly, I stanned every Amanda Bynes movie in the 2000s, and I'm not sorry about it. Snow White set in a sorority was genius. Look, the Hayden Panetierre krumping scene is cringe. I can't lie. But the base plot of this movie is good — so good they turned it into a musical!!!! Seriously, in case you didn't know, the Bring It On musical is NOT the plot of the first film. And the music is great! Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on it!!! Okay, I'm getting off topic here, but this movie slaps. End of story. I gotta be honest, I vividly remember the trailer of this movie and nothing else. Did Jake Gyllenhaal's character suck in this? I feel like Jake Gyllenhaal's character sucked in this. I preferred Last Holiday, but c'mon, any Queen Latifah film is a good film! This movie is just cute. Now, it's obviously not as good as the original. Still, it's a clever idea, and it has its moments! Patrick Dempsey really looked like he was gonna be a big movie star that for a second. Alas... I didn't even watch the show, but I watched this movie multiple times for the clothes alone. (Her wedding dress!!!!) Still...fuck Big. I always hated that guy, and watching Carrie discover he isn't coming to their wedding is still genuinely heartbreaking. Kristin Davis's acting in particular feels so real. Look, it's no Barbie, but I had fun!!!! I grew up watching Mary-Kate and Ashley movies, and to me, this felt like their first grown-up one. I also loved NYC growing up, so a movie full of basically everything going wrong in NYC was elite. Yes, the whole beauty salon scene was VERY problematic, but as a kid, I LOVED a good makeover scene. Also, Eugene Levy is in this! Look, I don't know if this holds up, but it introduced young me to Jane Fonda, and for that reason alone, I appreciate it. We had it on DVD, and I can't tell you how many times I watched this film. Sometimes, it's not about the quality of the movie. It's about the quality of the cast. Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, and Selma Blair can do no wrong. I don't like pitting two women against each other, but there were some good tricks/pranks in this one, and I love a wedding-themed movie. Plus, Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson together are magic. Not as good as the other J.Lo options, but I still had fun. I vividly remember seeing this in theaters at the mall. Using bread as a napkin for your hands then eating the bread is also more clever than gross, and I stand by that. I'll admit this movie is dumb. But it's got Cameron Diaz, and it's FUN. Sorry for enjoying myself!!! This movie isn't good, but 0% feels harsh. It's Lindsay Lohan, c'mon! That deserves a couple points at least. God grant me an ounce of the aura and confidence Lola has. She really was "that girl." I'm gonna be honest, I got bored and never finished this movie. But if you love it, you're valid!!! Don't let me take that away from you!!!! This deserves lower than its score, TBH. Super problematic. Sorry, I can't defend this one, as much as I adore Jack Black. Definitely on the lower end of my favorite Matthew McConaughey films list, but he could do no wrong in this period to me. I SOBBED at this movie. Yet I would keep watching it...and keep sobbing. Still would, TBH. I'll watch anything with Jennifer Garner. Not my fave Amanda Bynes movie, but it's still got her, so this is worth watching. And Brittany Murphy. Though I could do without Kutcher. You want me to hate a Mandy Moore movie? I'm sorry, I just can't do it. Another one I did not see, but this cast is stacked. Ashley Judd? Greg Kinnear? Hugh Jackman? Marisa Tomei? What could have gone wrong??? Okay, fine, this isn't really a chick flick, but I feel like it falls in the same category as a lot of these films, where it's female led and people dismissed it as dumb and frivolous...when this movie is legitimately SO GOOD. People weren't watching it right. It's obviously a high school satire, with campy, quotable dialogue that would be right at home on something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The horror elements aren't really meant to be scary, IMO. Also, Seyfried and Fox CARRY this movie; their chemistry is off the charts, and reading this as a queer movie (which you totally, TOTALLY should; Fox's character basically says she's bisexual; they make out; there is very clear sexual tension) makes it even more interesting. I also appreciate how Chip actually feels like a high school boy. He's a sort of lovable dummy. RIP to a real one. Want to get your very own quizzes and posts featured on BuzzFeed’s homepage and app?