So many romantic comedies have been truly awful lately — “Fool’s Gold,” anyone? — that trying to think of a better one sent me to the box office totals for last year.
You have to go pretty far down the list to find any romantic comedies at all that might be fit for tweens or teenagers. “P.S. I Love You”? Or “Music and Lyrics”? Are they not making much money because dating couples preferred “Transformers”? Or do they fail at the box office because they’re so bad?
Impossible question, so let’s go to the archives instead. There are plenty of winning romantic comedies that 12-year- old girls can watch with their moms, or that parents can pop in the DVD player and hope their teenagers stick around. One of my sentimental favorites is “Notting Hill” from 1999, boasting the face appeal and acting skills of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
“Notting Hill” is pure reverse-Cinderella escapism that works because of a good script and adept casting. Grant owns a tiny travel-book store in London’s fashionably sleepy Notting Hill neighborhood. He’s unlucky in love but rich in friends.
Julia Roberts plays a world-famous American movie actress (looking remarkably like Julia Roberts), who pops into his bookstore to escape papparazzi. They flirt, they date cute, but of course they could never actually be together. Could they?
One of the best scenes in the film is when she agrees to a date, and he happens to be going to his sister’s house for a family dinner. The reactions as The American Queen walks through the door are priceless, and wholly believable.
Quick word of warning — “Notting Hill” has some profanity, and implied sex. Compared with a movie like “Juno” or “Superbad,” though, it’s positively Disneyesque.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
“Notting Hill”
PG-13 for profanity and implied sexuality. Best suited for girls 12 to 15, watching with their mothers.
