25 Great Movies Like The Proposal That Are Worth Your Time

In 2009, Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock starred in the romantic comedy "The Proposal." Margaret (Bullock) is the chief editor for a major New York book publishing company, while Andrew (Reynolds) works as her assistant and dreams of taking over Margaret's position some day. Despite her success, Margaret's abrasive personality has made her thoroughly disliked by everyone, particularly Andrew. When an issue arises with her visa, the Canadian Margaret is faced with the prospect of getting deported, unless she can prove that she is in a serious relationship with a local resident. Margaret persuades Andrew to pose as her fiancé in return for helping him with his dream of becoming chief editor. 

After getting to know each other better, and encountering a few humorous rom-com obstacles along the way, Margaret and Andrew end up actually falling in love and turn their engagement into a genuine thing. "The Proposal" was a big hit at the time of its release, grossing nearly $164 million in the U.S. and coming in as the 13th biggest domestic film of 2009 (via Box Office Mojo). It was also a welcome win for both Bullock and Reynolds, with Lisa Schwarzbaum noting for EW that "The chemical energy between Bullock and Reynolds is fresh and irresistible." So, here are some more love stories from around the world, which explore the lives of dysfunctional couples, who (eventually) find their way to a happy union.  

Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) is a tough and spirited woman whose independent nature has caused her to butt heads with the men in her world. Gracie works as an FBI agent, but when her headstrong attitude compromises a sting operation, she gets demoted to a menial desk job. While working off her punishment at the desk, Gracie discovers the plan of a domestic terrorist, who has threatened to set off a bomb at the upcoming Miss United States beauty pageant. The FBI decides to send in an undercover agent to keep the contestants safe and find the person behind the threat. To everyone's surprise, they pick Gracie, who has to learn to pass herself off as a pageant contestant in record time. 

 "Miss Congeniality" was a high point for Bullock's career, drawing in more than $200 million at the global box office and establishing her both as a leading lady and a skilled comedic actor. The film moves along at a brisk, breezy pace with some daring physical comedy on Bullock's part that any fan of "The Proposal" will love. She's ably assisted by Michael Caine as Victor Melling, a pageant coach, who helps Gracie unearth her inner swan after years of viewing herself as an ugly duckling. 

Based on a series of blogs written by Kim Ho-sik, 2001's "My Sassy Girl" was one of the first Korean movies to achieve breakout success outside its home country, as many people around East Asia and elsewhere fell for this romance. The film has been remade in many other countries, and spawned an international franchise due to its enduring appeal.

Gyeon-woo (Cha Tae-hyun) is an engineering student, who is not the most "manly" guy on campus, and whose dating record suffers as a result. His life is turned upside down, however, with the arrival of a beautiful and unconventional young woman, referred to only as "the Girl" (Jun Ji-hyun). Despite frequently getting in trouble due to her wild and erratic behavior, Gyeon-woo feels compelled to look after the Girl and try to help her deal with her issues. 

Much like "The Proposal," "My Sassy Girl" pairs up a headstrong woman with a more laidback male lead. But "My Sassy Girl" goes into much more dramatic territory, as Gyeon-woo begins to fall in love with the Girl and seeks to understand the reason behind her unusual behavior. The intriguing romance is bolstered by the unusually winsome chemistry between the leads, to the point where you actually feel Gyeon-woo's heartbreak over his doomed preoccupation with the Girl.

In an enchanted and animated land far, far away, there live a prince and a princess. Prince Edward (James Marsden) falls in love with a beauteous young maid named Giselle (Amy Adams). But their "happily ever after" spells doom for Edward's evil stepmother Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who is desperate to maintain her hold on the throne and plots to keep the lovers apart. 

Thanks to Narissa's machinations, Giselle is transported as a human form of herself to real-life Manhattan. Lost and frightened, Giselle is helped out by world-weary lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), whose wife passed away, which has left him struggling to take care of their daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). Thanks to Giselle's unreasonably sunny disposition, Robert begins to see the lighter side of life again. And he's helped along by some catchy song-and-dance numbers like "That's How You Know." Meanwhile, Edward has also jumped into our world to track down Giselle, while Narissa and her minions are hot on their trail, as she intends to take care of the prince and would-be princess once and for all. 

"Enchanted" is a charming modern taken on typical "Disney Princess" films, bolstered by a star-making performance by Amy Adams, which she will soon be reprising in an upcoming sequel. "Amy Adams spreads a contagion of delight," Joe Morgenstern notes in his review of "Enchanted" for The Wall Street Journal. He adds, "The movie is great fun, but [Adams is] enchanting" and fans of "The Proposal" will be sure to agree. 

Theodore "Ted" Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) is one of the less popular guys in school, who nurses a hopeless crush on the beautiful and popular Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz). A fortuitous turn of events wins Ted a date with Mary for the school dance, while a later more disastrous turn of events gets Ted wheeled away in an ambulance and out of Mary's life on the day of their date. 

Despite never actually getting that date with Mary, Ted never stops thinking about her. So much so that he hires private eye Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to track her down. Healy discovers that plenty of other men are also interested in Mary, and he starts falling for her himself. Using a number of underhanded tricks, Healy manages to worm his way into Mary's good graces. Meanwhile, Ted and Mary start up their almost-relationship from high school once again. 

"There's Something About Mary" is considered a classic of the rom-com genre, and was a hit with critics and audiences alike. It's been included in many lists of the "funniest movies of all time" and made $369 million globally. Stiller and Diaz bring a fresh chemistry to their unlikely pairing. Diaz in particular eschews the role of the blonde bombshell she was known for at the time to instead play a warm and relatable young woman, who's just trying to find her "Prince Charming" among a sea of frogs.   

There are few rom-com couples who enjoy as much sparkling chemistry as Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, as seen in their first film together, "The Wedding Singer." The duo put that chemistry to good use again in "50 First Dates," in which Sandler plays Henry Roth, a veterinarian, who works with exotic animals at a sea-life park in Oahu, Hawaii.

One day in a café, Henry notices Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), who plays with the waffles on her plate before eating them. The next day, Henry talks to Lucy, and the two arrange to meet for a date at the same time next morning. But when Henry sees Lucy again, she has no recollection of him. It turns out that Lucy suffers from a memory disorder that leaves her unable to remember anything for more than a day. 

Despite the complications, Henry is unable to stop himself from going back to see Lucy, even though he has to introduce himself to her over and over again. "50 First Dates" has a charming edge that puts it over most other Adam Sandler "romedies" of the past two decades. This is thanks to the pairing of the actor with the charming Barrymore, as well as the bittersweet nature of the relationship between Henry and Lucy. The storyline feels more heartfelt than "The Proposal," since there is no desire for personal gain in Henry's seeking out of Lucy, beyond the fact that he feels a strong attraction to her.  

There was a time when "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl was seen as Hollywood's new "It" girl. While her career in movies did not quite pan out the way her fans wanted, "27 Dresses" remains a valuable reminder of Heigl's potential as a leading actress, as well as a sad reminder of how female stars can have their careers destroyed just for expressing their opinions. 

Jane Nichols (Heigl) has been a bridesmaid for 27 of her friends, and has had to wear a different dress for each wedding. A chance encounter brings Jane's story to the attention of reporter Kevin Doyle (James Marsden), who decides to write about Jane's career as a "forever-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride." While getting to know Jane, Kevin begins to realize there is more to her life than the fact that she's not getting married. For example, Jane is busy arranging the wedding of her sister to her boss, whom Jane has secretly been in love with for years. 

Anne Fletcher directed both "The Proposal" and "27 Dresses," and both films share an exploration of the relationships between adults whose feelings for each other sometimes get in the way of their practical goals in life. There are also traces of "The Proposal's" Margaret in Jane, who finds that life has passed her by, and now she's feeling empty and alone despite her determined efforts to have it all.

Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor) is a young man, who possesses great wealth and resources, but also secret troubles that no one else knows. For, Aditya is locked in a power struggle with his own mother over control of their family's telephone company, while the love of his life has just married someone else, all of which has put him into a depression. 

Thinking dark thoughts about ending it all, Aditya intends to jump off a railway train, but his plan gets foiled thanks to the inquisitive and talkative nature of Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor), a woman he's just met. Geet's interest forces Aditya to get out of his head, and instead, he focuses on helping her reach Bhatinda to reunite with her family. As Aditya and Geet make the journey together through a number of bizarre situations, Geet reveals that she is planning to elope with the love of her life Anshuman (Tarun Arora). Despite having fallen in love with Geet himself, Aditya decides to help her get to Anshuman and step out of her life. But can Aditya truly stay away from Geet for long?

Like "The Proposal," "Jab We Met" looks at how two people can fall in love while traveling together, as Aditya and Geet find their lives transformed by this unexpected road trip that they take. The film's colorful cinematography enhances the beauty of this journey, as "Jab We Met" explores different parts of India that Aditya and Geet cross on their trip.

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts were A-list Hollywood stars in the '90s, and much of this success came from their star-making pairing in 1990's "Pretty Woman." The film set the trend for high-profile, fluffy rom-coms starring big name actors, despite initially being intended as a dark and gritty feature about the dangers of prostitution.

The version of the film audiences know and love stars Gere as big-time businessman Edward Lewis, who gets dumped and left him alone on a business trip in LA. As he drives down Hollywood Boulevard, Edward suffers from engine trouble, so he enlists the help of bubbly prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) to get him to his hotel. On an impulse, Edward hires Vivian's services for the night. The two get on well together, despite Vivian's confusion regarding Edward's apparent lack of sexual interest in her. 

Their relationship deepens to the point that Edward pays for Vivian to get an expensive new wardrobe and also opens up to her about his painful past. "Pretty Woman" works as an inversion of "The Proposal," since in this '90s classic, it is the male lead who asks the woman for a favor. The Roberts-Gere pairing is also one of the most iconic in the rom-com genre, and you get to see two charismatic stars at the peak of their careers spinning a heart-warming yarn about finding love in the most unlikely of places.

Daniel "Danny" Maccabee (Adam Sandler) is a successful plastic surgeon, who has hit upon a winning formula for his romantic life: He pretends to be in an unhappy marriage, so he can get women to trust him and then sleep with him, but not want to get involved with him. 

No one knows about Danny's scheme, other than his assistant, the single mother Katherine Murphy (Jennifer Aniston), who does not enjoy being a part of her boss' efforts at duping women. Things hit a hitch when Danny meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), who refuses to get involved with a married man. So, Danny tells her about his fictional wife "Devlin," whom he's going to divorce because she cheated on him, and in an effort to keep up this ruse, Danny convinces Katherine to pose as Devlin on a family vacation. Danny, "Devlin," and their kids (a.k.a. Katherine's kids) take a trip to Hawaii with Palmer, and the lies start to get even more complicated.

"Just Go With It" has echoes of "The Proposal" in its story of a boss who asks a subordinate to pretend to be in a relationship, which opens the door to a genuinely loving relationship in the end. Sandler and Aniston enjoy an easy camaraderie that adds credence to this tale of two people who have known each other for a long time, but suddenly find themselves on an unexpected path of falling in love. 

Generally, rom-coms don't mix with the coming-of-age genre unless the story is set in high school. "13 Going on 30" manages this feat with some judicious use of the body-switching trope to tell the tale of a 13-year-old-girl, who accidentally finds herself in the body of a 30-year-old woman. 

Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen) is the aforementioned 13-year-old, who dreams of being in the popular clique at school. After a humiliating prank is played on Jenna on her 13th birthday, she makes a wish to be 30 instead of 13. The wish comes true, and Jenna wakes up as a 30-year-old, now played by Jennifer Garner. This older Jenna is a successful editor at a popular fashion magazine, and seems to have a dream life. But as time passes, Jenna comes to realize her life is not as perfect as it seems. 

As with "The Proposal," "13 going on 30" serves as a cautionary tale for a lead character, who puts all her energy into succeeding at work but in the process, alienates those closest to her and almost misses out on true happiness. The movie rests on the shoulders of Garner, who is totally convincing as a young teenager trapped in the body of an older woman, and she takes on the resulting challenges with giddy enthusiasm.

Lee Seung-min (Uhm Tae-woong) is a hot-shot young architect living in Seoul. One day, he is approached by Yang Seo-yeon (Han Ga-in) to oversee the building of her dream house on her family's property. As Tae-woong and Seo-yeon work together on designing the house, it is revealed that the two knew each other in college more than a decade ago.

Through flashbacks, we see the relationship that Tae-woong and Seo-yeon had in college: Tae-woong is in love with Seo-yeon, but she is enamored with their dashing fellow student Jae-wook (Yoo Yeon-seok). Tae-woong yearns to tell Seo-yeon about his true feelings, but feels himself to be unworthy of her love. Tae-woong finally gathers the courage to ask Seo-yeon to meet him at a special spot to tell her about his feelings, but that's when things go all wrong. In the present, these two discover more about what's happened in each of their lives in the years since college, and what really happened that one fateful night.

"Architecture 101" explores the idea of whether "first loves" are ever really as perfect as people remember them, and whether it is possible to move ahead in life if you insist on clinging to the past. It is a more tender love story than "The Proposal," but rests on similar narrative trappings of misunderstandings and secret longings.

The world of rom-coms experienced a case of déjà vu in 2011, when the films "Friends with Benefits" and "No Strings Attached" were released within a few months of each other. Both movies bore a curious similarity in terms of the plots and their lead characters. But only one film can be selected for the purpose of this list, and we're choosing "Friends with Benefits." 

Dylan (Justin Timberlake) is a hotshot L.A. art director, who gets head-hunted by hotshot job recruiter Jamie Rellis (Mila Kunis) for a job in New York. Although Dylan is initially hesitant about the opportunity, he decides to move to New York after spending a fun night with Jamie, who shows him around the city. Although the two are attracted to each other, neither Dylan nor Jamie is looking for a serious relationship at the moment. So, they decide that the grown-up thing to do is to sleep with each other without getting emotionally involved. 

"Friends with Benefits" explores a similar dynamic as "The Proposal:" Two colleagues mistakenly believe they can get involved, without the relationship impacting their personal or professional lives. Kunis and Timberlake have a breezy chemistry that makes it easy to see why they become best friends, which makes the ensuing romantic relationship and inevitable heartbreak all the more satisfying (and difficult) to watch.   

There was a time when Hugh Grant was known as the king of rom-coms. Although this status declined, in part, as Hollywood shifted its focus to big-budget franchise movies. But Grant's status as a heartthrob still occasionally resulted in some well-received returns to the genre that first made him a star, as happened with 2011's "Two Weeks Notice."

Grant stars as George Wade, a reckless billionaire playboy, who does not care about much beyond his own personal satisfaction. Despite having endless resources available to him, George is also quite naïve about the way the world works. He hires dedicated environmental conservation lawyer Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) as his chief counsel, even though they differ greatly in their views on sustainable real-estate development. 

As the two work together, a mutual attraction develops. But those feelings are tempered by George's need to be coddled by Lucy and her frustration at his often infantile conduct. Sandra Bullock's character in "Two Weeks Notice" is a lot like the one she plays in "The Proposal," while her chemistry with Hugh Grant is a lot more acerbic. As seasoned vets of the rom-com genre, both Bullock and Grant know how to imbue this rather predictable plot with charm and personality, and keep you watching even when their characters aren't behaving very nicely towards each other. 

In the '90s, while Hollywood was seeing a cultural renaissance in the romance genre thanks to movies like "Pretty Woman," "Notting Hill," and "Titanic" making undreamt of money at the box office, the Indian film industry was experiencing something similar. "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" was the most prominent Bollywood romantic movie of that era, which came to redefine the industry through its success.

Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) are two non-resident Indians living in the U.K. Simran's life has already been decided for her, since her father has arranged for her to marry the son of his old friend back in India. Before the impending nuptials, Simran convinces her father to let her take a train trip across Europe with her friends. Raj and Simran meet during the trip, and after a rocky start, they end up falling in love.

"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" is considered an all-time Bollywood classic, establishing its lead pair as the most in-demand actors of the era. It's so beloved that it holds the distinction of playing daily in an Indian movie theater for 20 consecutive years. The film's impact isn't just limited to India though, as there are still regular "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" tours in Switzerland, where fans can find their own love story in the same place where Raj and Simran fell in love.

Before Matthew McConaughey reinvented himself as a serious dramatic actor with award-winning performances, he made a name for himself as a star of rom-coms. One of McConaughey's most popular romantic comedies is "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," where he stars opposite Kate Hudson. The movie follows Andie (Hudson), a writer who specializes in giving tips to women on how to conduct their romantic affairs. 

Bored of writing about the usual subjects, Andie decides that her next article will be based on her real-life experience of successfully making a man lose interest in her in just 10 days. Meanwhile, Ben (McConaughey) is an advertising executive, whose landing of a new account requires taking a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in — you guessed it — 10 days. Naturally, Ben and Andie start dating. She's determined to drive him away, while he's committed to holding on no matter what, and many hijinks ensue.

Just like with "The Proposal," the somewhat predictable nature of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" is alleviated thanks to the charisma and acting chops of the lead pair. Some of the best parts of the movie are when McConaughey and Hudson are clearly just having fun together. McConaughey best explained his dynamic with his co-star during an interview with BBC, saying, "It's not necessarily what's being said, but the stuff between the lines that makes [the chemistry] sexy and fun." 

Shruti (Anushka Sharma) is a hard-working and ambitious woman, who works as an assistant wedding coordinator, but dreams of opening her own wedding planning company. Meanwhile, Bittoo (Ranveer Singh) is a lazy and unambitious college student, who feels no inclination to work, until his father threatens to bring him back to the village to work their farm. 

Backed into a corner, Bittoo declares that he will not be able to work with his father because he is planning to launch a wedding planning business with his friend, Shruti. Bittoo begs Shruti to let him work under her for a few days until his father backs off. Although at first she's extremely reluctant, Shruti decides to make Bittoo her full-time partner after she sees his unexpected business acumen and willingness to put in serious effort. As they work closely together, Bitto and Shruti realize they have feelings for each other, which threaten to undo all the hard work they've done with their company.

"Band Baaja Baaraat" marked the film debut of Ranveer Singh, and his performance as a laid-back slacker, who transforms into a serious businessman and later a tortured lover, was praised by critics. Audiences and critics alike also responded to the undeniable chemistry between Singh and Anushka Sharma. The success of "Band Baaja Baraat" led to it being remade in other languages, while its peppy song-and-dance numbers became huge favorites in real-life Indian wedding functions. 

While the usual rom-com features a single couple learning to move past their differences to find happiness together, "He's Just Not That into You" features a whole bunch of such stricken souls, who operate in the same loose social circle. The concept behind the film is based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is naïve and often misinterprets the meaning behind the actions of her dates. Janine (Jennifer Connelly) is stuck in an unhappy relationship with her husband Ben (Bradley Cooper), who is cheating on her with Anna (Scarlett Johansson). Meanwhile, Anna is struggling with her own feelings for this married man, while her close friend Conor struggles to let her know he wants to have a deeper relationship with her. Finally, Beth (Jennifer Aniston) has been living with Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years, and hopes the relationship will turn into marriage, but she comes to the realization that it is never going to happen. 

While at times "He's Just Not That into You" threatens to get hopelessly tangled in its own intersecting plot lines, the talented cast helps keep the narrative afloat. As Richard Propes notes in his review, "What makes 'He's Just Not That Into You' rise above mediocrity is a cast that manages to infuse the entire affair with moments of sheer, sparkly humanity and hilarious wonder."

While many may remember Heath Ledger best for his Oscar-winning and genre-defining performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," the late actor had a number of other notable hits to his name. Ledger first started getting attention outside of his native Australia thanks to his breakout role as Patrick Verona in "10 Things I Hate About You." 

Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to date his schoolmate Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but Bianca's father has made it a rule that she is only allowed to go on dates once her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does so. Unfortunately, Kat is famously dismissive of the whole dating thing. So, Cameron convinces affluent teen Joey Donner, who is also interested in Bianca, to pay "bad boy" Patrick Verona to start dating Kat. The ruse works a little too well though, and both Patrick and Kat begin to genuinely care for each other. 

Despite starting out as a stereotypical teen rom-com, "10 Things I Hate About You" sets itself apart from the crowd due to an excellent screenplay that drips with snarky humor and clever narrative twists, and a cast of soon-to-be-superstar actors just starting out in their careers. Not surprisingly, the movie is considered a cult classic today. Much like "The Proposal," it is the tension-laden chemistry between the lead pairing of Kat and Patrick that gives a special heft to the entire movie.  

"Step Up" has become a franchise that focuses on scrappy dancers from disadvantaged backgrounds, who win respect, championships, or admission to prestigious schools thanks to dazzling choreography and elaborate props. But 2006's original "Step Up" seems far removed from this world, as this flashy franchise actually started as a low-key love story between two dancers. 

Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) is a young man who comes from a poor background, and spends his days hanging out, break-dancing, and going to parties. A night out ends with Tyler and his friends vandalizing the Maryland School of Arts. Tyler takes the fall and gets sentenced to perform community service as a janitor at the school. There, Tyler observes ballet dancer Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan) trying to choreograph a routine that will be good enough to get her admitted into a professional dance company. When Nora runs out of potential male partners for the dance, Tyler volunteers his street-dancing skills. 

While later films in the franchise contend with entire groups of dancers, "Step Up" keeps its focus sharply on the chemistry between Nora and Tyler. In fact, this chemistry is so palpable that it led to the real-life marriage between Tatum and Dewan. The dance scenes in the movie are also a treat for the eyes and ears, as Tatum and Dewan put their well-honed skills to good use in solo and duet performances. Plus, fans of "The Proposal" can delight in the extra bonus of watching this feature film debut of director Anne Fletcher.

Young or teenage marriage is not a subject that Hollywood or the West deals with very often, in part because it's seen as a difficult or fraught topic. But the practice is much more widespread in Asia to this day, so film industries in the region explore the issue more frequently. One of the best movies that does so is the 2004 South Korean film "My Little Bride," which is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong feature "My Wife is 18."

In "My Little Bride," 15-year-old student Bo-eun (Moon Geun-young) lives a typical life, where she splits her time between studying, playing with her friends, and mooning over a hot classmate named Jung-woo (Park Jin-woo). But Bo-eun's life is turned upside down when her family forces her to marry 23-year-old college student Sang-min (Kim Rae-won). Bo-eun feels torn between her arranged marriage and her love for Jung-woo.

Although the central subject of child marriage in the movie may raise some eyebrows amongst western audiences, the winning chemistry of the cast helps bolster the movie's unusual storyline. The movie's success also rests on Moon Geun-young's able shoulders, as she comfortably straddles the line between carefree school kid, and a young person on the cusp of womanhood, who is faced with difficult decisions.  

It is a rare thing for a romantic comedy movie to become a franchise, but that is exactly what happened with 2000's "Meet the Parents." The picture was followed by two sequels, and all three films made over $1.1 billion worldwide. The series may continue to grow, as the cast and crew are open to making another sequel somewhere down the line.

"Meet the Parents" kicks off with the story of Gaylord "Greg" Focker (Ben Stiller), a nurse who wants to pop the question to his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo). But Greg's plan has to be postponed, as he and Pam have to attend her sister's wedding. They're staying at Pam's parents' house, so Greg decides to impress Pam's parents first and then use their help to pull off the perfect proposal. However, that plan also gets derailed when he finally meets Pam's father Jack (Robert De Niro), who isn't going to let Greg into the family so easily. 

Unusually for a rom-com, the chemistry between the lead romantic pair in "Meet the Parents" is overshadowed by that between Stiller and De Niro. The latter was mostly known for dramatic roles at the time, but here he shows a delightful willingness to go all-out in a comedic role as a paranoid and suspicious father of the bride, who gradually softens up to his would-be son-in-law.  

While Will Smith has mostly been seen as an established action, comedy, and drama actor, there have been a few times when the actor has put his blazing charisma to use in the romance genre as well. One of his most successful turns in that space is in 2005's "Hitch."

Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is a self-proclaimed "date doctor," who specializes in coaching men in the dating game, so they can get with any woman they want. But it looks like Hitch has finally met his match when his services are enlisted by Albert (Kevin James), a shy, awkward, and insecure investment manager, who wants to date the famed socialite and glamorous celebrity, Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta).  

While most rom-coms like "The Proposal" focus on one main lead couple, "Hitch" draws its power from three different pairings. There's Hitch and Albert, who have hilarious chemistry as a mentor and his bumbling mentee. Meanwhile, Albert and Allegra also develop a sweet rapport, once the former starts his clumsy efforts to woo her. Finally, Smith's character begins his own engaging love story with the journalist Sara (Eva Mendes), who falls for Hitch without realizing he is the mysterious "Date Doctor" that she is determined to expose to her public. 

While people don't usually connect Jim Carrey with the romance genre, the fact is, most of the actor's biggest box-office hits – from "The Mask" to "Bruce, Almighty — have strong elements of romance in them. Such is the case with the 2000 black comedy, "Me, Myself & Irene," which has rom-com elements in it as well.

Carrey stars as the mild-tempered Rhode Island State Trooper Charlie, whose loved ones have taken advantage of him for years. Charlie feels broken on the inside, but he maintains a cheerful demeanor to show to the rest of the world. However, all of this rage and grief that Charlie has kept bottled up finally lets loose in the form of a split personality. Where Charlie is meek and passive, his new self, Hank, is brash and confrontational. One day, Charlie is assigned the task of escorting Irene Waters (Renée Zellweger) across state borders in relation to a crime that she insists she did not commit. 

The split personality premise of the movie allows Carrey to indulge in some of the most inspired physical comedy of his entire career. But it is his character's relationship with Irene that gives emotional heft to the narrative. The chemistry between the lead actors of the film is a clear high point, so much so that Carrey and Zellweger became involved with each other after finishing the movie. In fact, Carrey later described the actress as "his last great love," and this on-and-off-screen love connection is sure to appeal to any fan of romantic films like "The Proposal."

While Hollywood is well aware of the potential of the Chinese box office for their movies, Western audiences may be less aware of the fact that China has its own thriving film industry, which churns out a staggering number of movies every year. These films range from big-budget fantasy features to low-budget dramas and romances.

2011's "Love is not Blind" falls into the latter category, and is a highly successful rom-com adapted from a novel by Bao Jingjing. Huang Xiaoxian (Bai Baihe) has been with her boyfriend for seven years, but their relationship comes to a sudden end when she catches him on a date with her friend. Xiaoxian feels devastated by the incident, which causes her to spiral emotionally. Her personal life begins to fall apart, but she soon finds love in a surprising place.

Similarly to "The Proposal," "Love Is Not Blind" focuses on a romance in the work place, as Xiaoxian finds unlikely solace with a co-worker. She's had difficulty in getting along with him in the past, but she now learns to see him in a new light. Audiences and critics alike appreciated this love story, as the movie was nominated for a number of major awards in China, and even won the prestigious Golden Horse for best adapted screenplay. 

Musicals may be seen as something of a lost art in Hollywood. But the film industry does occasionally still turn out movies that combine rousing song-and-dance numbers with touching storylines, which can result in a rollicking time for audiences. What better way to produce that effect than with the help of classic songs by legendary Swedish pop group ABBA, as seen in 2008's "Mamma Mia!"

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is planning to marry the love of her life Sky (Dominic Cooper) at their Greek island home. She lives there with her single mom Donna (Meryl Streep), who has kept the identity of Sophie's father a secret. Determined to learn more about who she is and unbeknownst to anyone else, Sophie invites three of her mother's ex-lovers to the wedding, one of whom is her real father. As the three potential dads arrive along with the rest of the party guests, Sophie and Donna's lives are turned upside down.

Like Maggie and Andrew in "The Proposal," Sophie and Donna both tell lies to try to protect their loved ones, but things quickly fall apart. Punctuated by peppy musical numbers, "Mamma Mia!" makes excellent use of its cast — particularly Streep and Seyfried — to tell a fun and genuinely moving story about growing up and learning to live with past regrets. The film was a huge hit at the box office, which resulted in a 2018 sequel, and the franchise's producer has hinted that a third part is currently in development.