My 7 Favorite Black Romantic Comedies
February is the month of love, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so romance is in the air.
Do you know what I love just as much as a good romance novel? A great romantic comedy. They’re my weakness and I’ll watch my favorites over and over again. You know what I love even more? Seeing someone who looks like me on the screen, falling in love. Call me sentimental, corny, or whatever you choose. Dangle a good romantic comedy premise in front of me, I will watch it every time.
Since it’s February, we’ll see a lot of old favorites played on television. So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, here are my 7 favorite black romantic comedies.
Boomerang
“Marcussss!!!”
I watched this movie at a young age when I had no business watching it. None whatsoever. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand half of the innuendos in this film at the time. That didn’t stop me because I surely snuck and watched this film many times. Bo0merang tells the story of what happens when a certified player gets played. Marcus learns the true meaning of love and realizes that the perfect one for him may have been under his nose the whole time.
Think Like A Man
It’s men vs. women in this film when the women in this film start taking advice from Steve Harvey’s bestselling book, Think Like A Man. The men and women were equally sexy, the chemistry was evident between all main characters and the storyline was solid. Kevin Hart provided great comic relief and the soundtrack was A1.
Brown Sugar
Romantic comedies and great music go together like wine and brownies. #dontjudgeme.
Given my stance on this, Brown Sugar is close to my heart. Sidney and Dre, played by Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs respectively, shared a love for hip hop since early childhood. Joined at the hip, they remain best friends who work in the music industry with him being a music executive and she a noted journalist. In the end, they realize they not only share a deep love for music but for each other.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Taye Diggs’ Jamaican accent in this film but damn if I didn’t fall in love with Winston. Stella, played by Angela Bassett, goes down to Jamaica for a little vacation but picks up more than she bargained for. Listen, Winston almost gave Stella more than she can handle. He made sure he groove was back at full force! That shower scene is what great romantic comedies are made of. Fans of the film know what I’m talking about. 🙂
Love and Basketball
This is a film that is on everyone’s list. Starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, Monica and Quincy bond over basketball at a very young age. Early drama temporarily push them apart, putting their lifelong friendship and budding relationship on pause. These two, however, prove that they aren’t afraid to compete for each other’s love. For this couple, only two things mattered: love and basketball.
The Best Man
I absolutely love a movie with a great soundtrack and The Best Man did not disappoint. Any soundtrack that has, After All is Said and Done, Turn Your Lights Down Low, and The Best Man I Can Be is a winner in my book! You hear me? A winner!
Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is soon to be a best-selling author when he returns home for his friend Lance’s (Morris Chestnut) wedding. He doesn’t make his impending book’s success known to his friends because he wants to hide the fact that the salacious book is somewhat based on the lives and loves of his best friends. Hiding this proves to be difficult, however, when his old boo Jordan (Nia Long) gets her hands on an advanced copy.
(Worth noting: while this film did not need a follow-up, The Best Man Holiday was also a well-done movie that made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with these characters all over again.)
Two Can Play That Game
Listen! This movie solidified my love for romantic comedies. Anyone who knows me will tell you I can still recite just about every word in this movie. Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut were gold in this film. Fox’s character Shante has a laundry list of rules she plays by that helps keep a man in check. However, Keith (Chestnut) doesn’t play by her, or anyone’s, rules. What results is a tricky game that tests the boundaries of love. Two Can Play That Game is a romantic comedy classic. Don’t debate me. This particular statement isn’t up for discussion.
There you have it: my 7 favorite black romantic comedies! One thing that’s evident from this list? Taye Diggs knows his way around a classic romantic comedy. I know some of you will think it’s blasphemy that I didn’t have Love Jones on this list and while it is a fantastic film, it didn’t connect with me like it does with many. Honorable mention also has to go to Poetic Justice, Jason’s Lyric, and Deliver Us From Eva. I honestly had to stop myself at 7 because this list could have easily been 20.
What are you favorite romantic comedies? Let me know in the comments below!
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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