From 1989 to 2001, Meg Ryan was one of the major leading ladies of romantic comedies. With her cute girl next door vibe, you couldn’t resist her charm, especially not when paired with frequent collaborator Tom Hanks. Today, we’re going to rank her top romantic comedies from that golden era. Keep in mind, this does not include romantic dramas, nor her animated classic Anastasia.
You may guess what the top one is going to be, but what about the rest of the list? Take a look below!
9. I.Q. (1994)
Honestly? Unless you really want to make sure you’ve seen the full Meg Ryan library of romantic comedies, I.Q. is not worth checking out. Even just the concept of the movie sounds hokey, let alone the actual plot that unfolds. Listen to this – a mechanic (Tim Robbins) romances a mathematician (Ryan), who just happens to be the niece of Albert Einstein… and Einstein helps the mechanic romance said niece. It’s just not very good, and that’s all there is to say, really.
8. Prelude to a Kiss (1992)
To be frank, Prelude to a Kiss is kinda weird. It’s got an odd fantasy element that only becomes apparent a good portion into the movie. Essentially, Alec Baldwin marries Meg Ryan, and starts to notice she’s acting weird after their wedding. Now if you don’t want any spoilers, stop reading here, but if you don’t care, or if you’ve already seen the movie — eventually Baldwin’s character discovers that his wife has switched bodies with an old man that’s been following him around, and he must figure out a way to switch them back. It’s not nearly as full of silly hijinks as you might expect, either.
7. Kate and Leopold (2001)
Hugh Jackman stars alongside Ryan in Kate and Leopold, a time travel romance about an English Duke, Leopold, from 1876 transported to modern day New York, where he meets Ryan’s advertising executive, Kate. Kate used to date Leopold’s distant descendant, who is responsible for bringing his ancestor to the present day. A strange twist to all of that, of course, is that Kate (spoiler alert!) actually ends up going back in time to be with Leopold, which also makes her the ancestor of her former boyfriend as well. Creepy, or no big deal?
6. Joe vs. the Volcano (1990)
While Tom Hanks is really the star of Joe Versus the Volcano as the titular Joe, Ryan plays multiple roles throughout the film — 1) Joe’s coworker, 2) a woman hiring him to go to the volcanic island, and 3) the sister of the woman who hired him that he ends up falling for on the island. It’s a bit of a wacky movie – Joe decides to go to this island to throw himself into a volcano after being told he’s dying even though he’s really not. What does it mean that each woman looks similar to the rest? Hmm.
5. Addicted to Love (1997)
Some of you may disagree with the positioning of Addicted to Love, but if you haven’t seen it recently, give it a rewatch, it’s probably funnier than you remember. It’s definitely one with a darker tinge to it than Ryan’s other movies. She and Matthew Broderick star as two jilted lovers whose former paramours are now together – Ryan and Broderick’s characters decide to work together to break their exes up, so Broderick can get back together with his, and Ryan can get revenge on hers. Of course, amidst the scheming, they fall for each other.
4. French Kiss (1995)
Many people haven’t seen French Kiss, and that’s a real shame — you should remedy that immediately if you’re one of those people. It’s a mystery why this movie doesn’t get as much love as Ryan’s other films, as it not only stars Ryan in prime form as a woman chasing after her straying fiance, but also features Kevin Kline as a dashing French thief who really just wants to start a vineyard. There are some great comedic moments throughout, and their chemistry is awesome as well.
3. You've Got Mail (1998)
At the height of the AOL craze came You’ve Got Mail, a lovely David vs Goliath comedy starring Ryan and Tom Hanks as rival book store owners who unknowingly fall in love online. This movie really shines when Hanks’ character finds out that Ryan is his online mystery love, but doesn’t reveal it to her. They share a lot of banter throughout, and are both at their most charming. Plus, if you grew up during the AOL rage, it’ll give you a nice bit of nostalgia to hear those login bings and that distinctive, “You’ve Got Mail!”
2. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
What do you call a romantic comedy where the two leads hardly share any screen time together? Yep, that would be Sleepless in Seattle. After Hanks’ wife dies, his son tricks him into talking to a radio talk show host, and Ryan, along with a bunch of other women, hear his story and immediately fall for this stranger. Yet, even though they hardly interact, as a viewer you root for them to get together, and though you don’t see how it goes once they do meet, with one handhold, you just know it’s going to go well.
1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
There’s a reason When Harry Met Sally is not only number one here, but also ranks highly on many different lists of the best romantic comedies of all time. It’s just a great movie, period. You’ve got Ryan and Billy Crystal, meeting at random moments throughout the years until they finally decide to try becoming friends — at least until they have sex with each other, which complicates everything. It’s a demonstration of great witty dialogue and character development throughout, and features not only Harry and Sally’s love story, but also that of their best friends Marie and Jess, played by Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby. Yes, we’ll have what she’s having, always.
What’s your favorite Meg Ryan romantic comedy? Do you agree with our list? Let us know in the comments!
- Meg was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra, but ended up using the surname Ryan for her stage name, which is her maternal grandmother’s maiden name.
- She was the prom queen at her high school in Bethel, CT.
- She originally studied journalism at NYU, but when she started acting on the side and it took off, she dropped out just a semester before graduation.
- She met future husband Dennis Quaid while filming Innerspace. Their son Jack is now an actor as well, recently starring on the Amazon Prime show The Boys.
- She has been nominated for three Golden Globes for best actress in a comedy or musical for the top three films on our list – When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.
- Meg was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra, but ended up using the surname Ryan for her stage name, which is her maternal grandmother’s maiden name.
- She was the prom queen at her high school in Bethel, CT.
- She originally studied journalism at NYU, but when she started acting on the side and it took off, she dropped out just a semester before graduation.
- She met future husband Dennis Quaid while filming Innerspace. Their son Jack is now an actor as well, recently starring on the Amazon Prime show The Boys.
- She has been nominated for three Golden Globes for best actress in a comedy or musical for the top three films on our list – When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.
