The Sam Sanders Show What Are The Best Rom-Coms Ever?
Apr 3, 2026
Ryan Mitchell, entertainment journalist and pop culture connector, and Liz Plank, author and commentator on gender and relationships, debate rom-com greatness. They define the genre, champion picks like Last Holiday, The Notebook, Bridesmaids and Crazy Rich Asians. Conversations touch on representation, female friendship, queer coding, and why these films still comfort and provoke.
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Rom Coms Include Messy Patriarchy
- Rom-coms often include a messy dose of misogyny or patriarchy as part of their cultural DNA.
- Ryan Mitchell argues that transformation-of-women tropes (glasses off, makeover) are baked into the genre and part of its appeal and critique.
Dysfunction Drives Rom Com Plots
- A defining rom-com element is dysfunction: one main character behaves poorly and still gets rewarded.
- Sam Sanders says boundary-crossing or criminal-seeming pursuit is common because well-adjusted people would make boring plots.
Last Holiday As Pure Comfort Movie
- Ryan Mitchell champions Last Holiday for its pure feel-good payoff and Queen Latifah's leading performance.
- He describes her department-store demo, the mistaken terminal diagnosis, and her globe-trotting “possibilities” spree that resets her life.