Summary
- '90s rom-coms can feel outdated and less relatable today due to their reliance on dated jokes, references, and predictable conflict tropes.
- The same few actors and actresses often starred in multiple '90s rom-coms, making many of these films feel repetitive and indistinguishable from one another.
- '90s rom-coms frequently made jokes at the expense of minorities and portrayed certain behaviors, such as pushy or obsessive actions, as romantic, which can be uncomfortable or concerning in today's context.
There's nothing like getting cozied up to watch a classic 1990s romantic comedy, but rewatching some of these titles today can be a little jolting. The world has come a long way in the last 30 years, which means the perspective on romance and entertainment has changed. What's more, it's easier now to see the repeated tropes and trends ever present in titles like You've Got Mail and She's All That. This meant these films hit differently when watching in the 2020s.
Rom-coms from decades past can be reliably comforting. They make us laugh, swoon, and cry with romantic gestures, long kisses in the rain, and comedic conflicts that keep the plot rolling. Movies like Notting Hill and Never Been Kissed have been endlessly binged over tubs of ice cream and, therefore, hold a special place in romance fans' hearts. Still, since society and the entertainment world have taken a somewhat different direction in the past few decades, certain realities of '90s rom-coms are a little tougher to swallow today.
10 ‘90s Rom-Coms Are Full Of Dated Jokes & References
It can be fun to watch an older film and reminisce about the good old days, but some romantic comedy movies feel a little more outdated than others. Jokes and references about what is happening in the present world make a film feel hip and on-trend, but this keeps it from remaining relevant for decades to come. This means that movies like You've Got Mail, which pivoted on "love in the modern age," are no longer relatable—and a particular flavor is lost. There's still plenty to love, but the realization that these scenarios don't make much sense anymore puts a damper on the experience.
9 The Same Actors Are In Most Of The Big ‘90s Rom-Coms
Big actor names have always been a key way to sell a movie, but Hollywood in the 1990s really steered into this fact. It seemed that every rom-com of the decade starred the same few actors and actresses. Julia Roberts played in Runaway Bride, My Best Friend's Wedding, Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, and more. Drew Berrymore had Never Been Kissed, The Wedding Singer, and Ever After. Tom Hanks had You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seatle—the list goes on. Ultimately, the same actors on repeat contributed to many of these 1990s rom-coms feeling like the same movie.
8 ‘90s Rom-Coms Reuse The Same Predictable Conflict Tropes
Pretty much every plotline needs a conflict. It serves as the film's emotional high point, where audiences wonder how on earth the characters will work it all out. In a romantic comedy, this conflict is often between the two love birds. Of course, there are countless ways that two people falling in love could end up in a disagreement. However, in the 1990s, it seemed this always came down to a couple of predictable tropes—a great big misunderstanding or the reveal of one of the characters' big secrets. This is something that Not Another Teen Movie poked fun at since the character's learning that they had been a part of some kind of "bet" has always been a '90s rom-com staple.
7 ‘90s Rom-Com Jokes Are Often At The Expense Of Minorities
The idea of a good joke has changed over the years, which means that watching '90s rom-coms can sometimes be a little uncomfortable. This comes down to the frequent use of minorities as a subject of comedy. Characters portrayed as overweight are typically somewhere on the sideline, going through exaggerated difficulties just for the sake of comedy. Being gay is often a punchline, and Black characters become frustrating caricatures. With a better understanding of how these kinds of jokes affect society, they really lose their appeal.
6 Many Male Leads In ‘90s Rom-Coms Are Uncomfortably Pushy
One of the most significant controversies of '90s rom-coms is the way they often spin pushy or obsessive behavior as being romantic. A guy who follows a girl to her house and sings outside her door is considered a gentleman. If a girl says no a hundred times, the male character is expected to prove his love by refusing to relent. This is supposed to demonstrate these male characters' dedication, but what seems sweet in a movie feels downright dangerous in real life. For this reason, modern rom-coms have tried to steer away from this, representing men who respect women's boundaries instead. This makes going back and watching '90s romances an even more shocking contrast.
5 Female Leads In ‘90s Rom-Coms Are Typically Clumsy/Quirky
Male characters in '90s rom-coms often fall within a common archetype, and the same is true for women. Especially in teen comedies, the girl character is often seen as clumsy and quirky—likely with some talent for art or writing. She will trip and fall right into the male protagonist's arms, and he will fall madly in love with her in an instant. Though this type of character seemed to be preferred in the '90s, she's become a little overdone in the modern age.
4 ‘90s Rom-Com Leads Are Predominantly White & Straight
If a mainstream '90s rom-com has BIPOC or LGBTQ+ characters, they are most likely left on the sidelines. The protagonists are nearly always white and straight, which has never adequately reflected the real-world US population. This has contributed to '90s rom-coms feeling all the same. With only one culture represented, the stories and characters are bound to feel monotonous. Today, audiences are far more likely to see a rom-com about a queer woman of color, but that certainly wasn't the case in the '90s.
3 ‘90s Rom-Coms Repeat The Same Side-Character Tropes
Just as the protagonists of '90s rom-coms are likely to fall within the same few archetypes, the side characters also tend to look the same. Though these characters can be a little more diverse, they often carry the brunt of the comedic relief and, therefore, can't be taken too seriously. The guy protagonist will probably have a friend who is a bit of a jerk (who will probably spill the "big secret" to the girl protagonist). Then, there's always likely to be a girl best friend (or sometimes a gay best friend) who only serves to give bad advice. They are essentially one-note characters that are hard to care too much about, especially today.
2 Professional Women Are Often Criticized In ‘90s Rom-Coms
Not every female protagonist falls into the "clumsy and quirky" archetype—the rest tend to be work-obsessed professionals. This character is typically seen as rigid and bossy (even though she is really just killing it at her job) until a guy comes around to remind her that she needs love in her life. Though movies like Sweet Home Alabama are supposed to remind audiences of the simpler things in life, they can also come across as a criticism of the working woman—making this trope a frustrating feature of '90s rom-coms.
1 ‘90s Rom-Coms Largely Contain The Same Giant Romantic Gestures
The greatest staple of a '90s rom-com—the romantic gesture. This would be when audiences would pull out the tissues and dream that someone would kiss them in the rain or announce their love on stage at the senior prom. Still, as time goes on, even these beautiful moments begin to lose their appeal. More often than not, they include the central protagonist apologizing for whatever they did during the main conflict and begging the other to love them forever—all somewhere very public. Though they were adorable when we first watched them, they've been so overdone in '90s rom-coms that they fall flat on a rewatch.
