Truth be told, the art of the rom-com will never die. It can be twisted, shaped, and molded to however the filmmaker wants it, but in the end, it’s still a romantic comedy that will be loved and seen by thousands of people. One of the more recent romantic comedies that is being hailed as one of the best in a long time, is Set It Up, starring Glenn Powell and Zoey Deutch. Fansided states that the 2018 Netflix film succeeds so greatly because of the flaws it has, as well as the chemistry between all of its characters. It’s important to have a good and likable story when writing such a rom-com, and even more important to have a scene that sticks to audiences after they watch it. For some fans of happy endings and sweet stories, a scene that’s above the others is when the characters become a bit goofy. Maybe it’s a grand gesture, or they’re drunk, but several great romantic comedies have a great dance scene, or something of the sort, and here’s a list of the best.
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6 27 Dresses (2008)
20th Century Fox
If you find yourself out and about, maybe at a bar and hear the beginning of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets”, you might think of the iconic scene from 27 Dresses. It’s a classic romantic comedy that should be in your rotation of sappy movies when you need a pick-me-up, and the bar scene is entirely too memorable to forget. One of the best parts of this scene is that James Marsden and Katherine Heigl were actually tipsy while filming, Buzzfeed says, making it that much more authentic to audiences and also how they interacted during that scene.
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5 Something Borrowed (2011)
Alcon Entertainment
Now, you might not consider Something Borrowed to be the best romantic comedy there is, simply because of the ending and the amount of betrayal shown throughout the film, but the dance scene is worthy enough to make this list. Darcy and Rachel have been friends for years (which makes the betrayal that much worse), and when they were younger, they created a dance routine to “Push It” by Salt N Pepper. Now that they’re adult women, it’s funny to watch as they both take the dance that they created as children very seriously, hitting every point, and every turn, all while wearing matching outfits. It’s iconic.
4 13 Going on 30 (2004)
Thirteen Productions
One of the most well-known rom-coms to date, the film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo is still getting its snaps almost 20 years later. How can one forget the dress that Jenna wears to the office party, upset when she shows up and absolutely no one is dancing? She rushes over to the DJ and requests him to play Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”; the entire party stops in its tracks as she makes her way to the middle of the dance floor. Matty reluctantly joins her, and together they do the “Thriller” dance in front of everyone, which apparently Ruffalo despised. However, if he didn’t push through the embarrassment, we wouldn’t have the memorable scene today.
3 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Lynda Obst Productions
Lovers of rom-coms know how iconic the yellow dress is in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; there’s simply no denying it’s influence. There’s no denying that the entire premise of this movie revolves around the enemies-to-lovers trope, the slow-burn of it all, making it that much more satisfactory when they finally end up together at the end. Who could deny a movie such as this? And while it’s technically not a dance scene, even though there’s some awkward swaying as they sing to each other, the “You’re So Vain” duet had to make the list. They’re equally mad at each other, but deep down there’s that nagging feeling of love between them.
2 My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Zucker Brothers Productions
Julia Roberts’ laugh is infectious, as she’s spun around the dance floor at the end of this movie, which has one of the most realistic endings to a rom-com that revolves around being in love with someone who’s to be married. My Best Friend’s Wedding has everything you could possibly need in a romantic comedy, that has huge stars that have great chemistry together. When George shows up at the wedding, it’s proof that he’s one of the best friends that Julianne has, being there for her when she needs him the most. And as they dance with the other wedding guests, audiences are able to feel content that Julianne and Michael didn’t end up together.
1 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
It’s the grand gesture of all grand gestures, and Heath Ledger’s performance will have you swooning in your seat, wishing it was you he was dedicating it to. It lands Patrick in detention, but it’s worth it at the sight of Kat’s smile as she watches him slide down the flag pole before dancing along the stairs. It almost looks like he could trip and fall at any second, as he graciously glides down the stone steps, all while belting out every word into the microphone. When he starts to get chased around by security, he busts out some moves as he leaps and gallops away from the two guards.
