Many of the all-time best romantic-comedy movies came out in the 1980s. However, there are also plenty of great ’80s movies under said category that have gotten lost in the shuffle over the years. We figured we would give those funny and romantic ’80s hidden gems the attention they deserve.
One Crazy Summer (1986)
From writer and director Savage Steve Holland, One Crazy Summer stars John Cusack as a cartoonist who crosses paths with an aspiring singer, played by Demi Moore. Despite its star power, the funny summer comedy is not nearly as popular today as it was when it first came out.
The Night Before (1988)
The Night Before is a movie that shares its name with a completely different film from 2015 starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie as friends spending a disastrous Christmas Eve together. However, this coming-of-age rom-com stars a young Keanu Reeves as a teen struck with amnesia, which makes locating his missing prom date (played by Lori Loughlin) a real issue.
Mischief (1985)
Set in the mid-1950s, Mischief follows geeky Jonathan (Doug McKeon), who becomes friends with “bad boy” Gene (Chris Nash), who helps him win the heart of the beautiful Marilyn (the late Kelly Preston). The otherwise sweet teen dramedy, which also stars Jami Gertz, received middling reviews and was even called forgettable by The New York Times, which appears to have been right on the money given its relative lack of notoriety today.
It Takes Two (1988)
Not to be confused with a family film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen from seven years later, It Takes Two stars George Newbern as Travis Rogers who, just days before he is meant to marry Stephanie (Leslie Hope), leaves for Dallas to buy himself a wedding gift: the sports car of his dreams. However, his unexpected attraction to car salesperson Jonni Tigersmith (Kimberly Foster) and trouble with his brand-new vehicle threaten to stop him from making it to the altar.
Legal Eagles (1986)
Legal Eagles might be the best movie directed by Ivan Reitman that you’ve never seen. It stars Robert Redford as a sleazy DA and Debra Winger as a no-nonsense defense attorney who both collaborate on a case involving an attractive murder suspect played by Daryl Hannah, who comes between them on a personal and professional level.
The Rachel Papers (1989)
Years before Dexter Fletcher was known for Guy Ritchie movies (namely Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and directing films like Rocketman, his definitive role was Charles Highway in The Rachel Papers. The 19-year-old finds his life sent in a spiral when he falls for the beautiful title character (played by Ione Skye) but issues like Rachel’s boyfriend, Deforest (James Spader), and his father’s mistress get in the way.
The Heavenly Kid (1985)
The opening scene of The Heavenly Kid takes place in the late 1960s and sees a game of chicken go badly for young rebel Bobby Fontana (Lewis Smith), who ends up fatally crashing his car at the bottom of a cliff. However, before he can get to Heaven, he must help a lonely modern-day teen (played by Jason Gedrick) navigate his high school social scene and find love.
Seems Like Old Times (1980)
From the mind of writer Neil Simon, Seems Like Old Times was the second romantic pairing of Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn after 1978’s Foul Play. The play former spouses who are unceremoniously reunited when Chevy’s Nick is forced to rob a bank and, when caught, seeks the help of Glenda (Hawn) whose new husband (played by Charles Grodin) has been appointed California’s Attorney General.
The Woman In Red (1984)
Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were a real-life Hollywood power couple in the 1980s but the late SNL star does not play the object of her husband’s affection in The Woman in Red. Wilder also writes and directs this comedy in which his character, Theodore Pierce, becomes smitten with a beautiful woman (played by Kelly LeBrock) he spots on his way to work, which causes issues with his marriage to Didi (Judith Ivey).
Roxanne (1987)
One of the best Steve Martin movies (but also the most underrated) is Roxanne — a modernized retelling of Edmond Rostand’s seminal 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, written by the legendary comedian. Martin stars as witty, long-nosed firefighter C.D. Bales, who helps his new colleague, Chris (Rick Rossovich) woo the beautiful title character (Daryl Hannah) while secretly pining for her.
Secret Admirer (1985)
Just a year before 1986’s Soul Man ruined the actor’s career, C. Thomas Howell led a funny teen rom-com called Secret Admirer, in which his character, Michael, finds an anonymous love note in his locker. He is convinced that it comes from the woman of his dreams, Deborah (Kelly Preston) but could it really be from his platonic friend Toni (Lori Loughlin)?
Chances Are (1989)
A funny movie about the concept of past lives is the Oscar-nominated Chances Are, which stars future Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr. as college graduate Alex Finch, who falls for Miranda. However, upon meeting her mother, Corinne (Cybill Shepherd), he realizes he is the reincarnation of Miranda’s father and Corinne’s late husband, Louie.
Best Friends (1982)
Filmmaker Barry Levinson collaborated with then spouse Valerie Curtin on the screenplay for a movie about the difficulties of marriage, which coincidentally came out the year they divorced. The film was director Norman Jewison’s Best Friends, which stars Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn as writing partners and lovers whose one-sided decision to get married ends up causing trouble in their relationship.
Continental Divide (1981)
In one of John Belushi’s final films, Continental Divide, the late Saturday Night Live cast member plays Chicago columnist Ernie Souchak, whose sharp investigative skills nearly cost him his life, forcing him to take a trip to the Rocky Mountains. It is there where he meets a passionate eagle researcher named Nell Porter (Blair Brown), who could not be more different than Ernie but something causes a spark between them.
The Four Seasons (1981)
One of Carol Burnett’s best performances on the big screen comes from writer and director Alan Alda’s The Four Seasons, in which the comedian and the MASH star play spouses. In fact, they play one of the three adult couples (the rest of which are played by Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, and Jack Weston) who all take vacations together four times out of the year and struggle to stay out of each other’s hair each time.
The Sure Thing (1985)
While not quite a classic ’80s comedy, director Rob Reiner’s The Sure Thing is a charming coming-of-age romance starring John Cusack as a college student who has a beautiful woman (played by Nicolette Sheridan) waiting to bed him in California. He finds an unlikely travel companion in his organized, no-nonsense classmate (played by Daphne Zuniga), who causes him to question what he really wants.
All Of Me (1984)
Every couple has imagined walking a mile in each other’s shoes but Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin’s characters in director Carl Reiner’s All of Me would fall in love after both of them took a walk in his shoes at the same time. Tomlin’s wealthy, terminally ill Edwina Cutwater wants to transfer her soul into another, young woman but, due to an accident, ends up sharing a body with her lawyer, Roger Cobb (Steve Martin).
Class (1983)
From director Lewis John Carlino, Class boasts similarities to the plot of The Graduate, save the fact that it follows a student at an all-boys preparatory high school named Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy) who has an affair with an older woman named Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset). However, he soon discovers that Ellen is the mother of his roommate and best friend, Skip (Rob Lowe).
Romantic Comedy (1983)
Based on the title alone, you might assume that Romantic Comedy is a spoof movie meant to send up the tropes of the eponymous genre. Yet, the film, from Academy Award-nominated director Arthur Hiller, is an earnestly heartwarming and irresistibly witty tale of a married New York playwright (played by Dudley Moore) and his newly hired creative partner (played by Academy Award winner Mary Steenburgen) who struggle to suppress their feelings for each other to maintain a successful professional relationship.
The Pick-Up Artist (1987)
You have never seen a rom-com pairing quite as charming and funny as the ’80s It Girl, Molly Ringwald, and the Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr., in The Pick-up Artist. The future Marvel movie star plays a serial womanizer named Jack Jericho, who finally finds the woman he wants to settle down with in Randy Jensen (Ringwald) but her connections to the mob make things even more complicated between them.
Cross My Heart (1987)
Instead of a will-they-won’t-they dynamic or a story of unrequited love, Cross My Heart focuses on a couple who are already crazy for each other and are about to go on their third date but the only thing stands in each other’s way: their own insecurities. David Morgan (Martin Short) is reeling from the shame of losing his job and Kathy (Annette O’Toole) is afraid he will get cold feet if he discovers she has a daughter.
Making Mr. Right (1987)
Academy Award nominee John Malkovich gives, just about, the most charming performance of his career as a robot named Ulysses in Making Mr. Right. He is the creation of an anti-social scientist (also played by Malkovich), who hires a PR representative named Frankie Stone (Ann Magnuson) to teach him how to be more human to prepare for a seven-year mission in outer space.
Murphy’s Romance (1985)
Two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field stars in director Martin Ritt’s adaptation of Max Schott’s novella, Murphy’s Romance, as single mother Emma Moriarty, who moves her son, Jake (Corey Haim), to rural Arizona to become a horse trainer. There, she strikes up a friendship with the older title character (played by James Garner), which could evolve into something more, if not for the sudden, unwanted return of her ex-husband, Bobby Jack (Bryan Kerwin).
The Slugger’s Wife (1985)
Neil Simon pens, not only one of the most underrated ’80s rom-coms, but also an underrated sports movie with director Hal Ashby’s The Slugger’s Wife. It stars Michael O’Keefe as a major league baseball player who falls for and weds a singer played by Rebecca De Mornay but their devotion to their respective careers threatens to
Tomboy (1985)
In director Herb Freed’s aptly titled R-rated comedy, Tomboy, Betsy Russell plays Tomasina Boyd, who is not like other women her age (in that decade, at least) and would rather work on cars and ride her motorbike. However, when she falls for a chauvinist named Randy Starr (Gerard Christopher), she intends to win his heart by winning against him in a stock car race.
They All Laughed (1981)
Fans of detective stories and comedic romances will get the best of both worlds with co-writer and director Peter Bogdanovich’s They All Laughed. Ben Gazzara and John Ritter play two New York private eyes hired to keep an eye on two women (played by Audrey Hepburn and Dorothy Stratten, in her final acting performance) by their suspicious husbands, only to find themselves falling for the ladies.
Coast To Coast (1980)
In Coast to Coast, Dyan Cannon plays Madie Levrington — a wealthy woman whose husband (Quinn K. Redeker) has her institutionalized in New York in order to avoid a costly divorce. Madie manages to escape and enlists the help of trucker Charles Callahan (Robert Blake) to drive her back to California.
You Can’t Hurry Love (1988)
In the tradition of naming movies after hit songs (especially rom-coms), we have You Can’t Hurry Love, which actually features Phil Collins’ cover of The Supremes’ 1966 Motown hit in the soundtrack. The film from writer and director Richard Martini stars David Packer as Eddie, who tries to stretch the truth about himself in hopes of landing a date after joining a dating service at the request of Peggy (Bridget Fonda).
How I Got Into College (1989)
How I Got Into College is another zany coming-of-age comedy from director Savage Steve Holland with the twist that it is billed as a horror story that sheds light on the terrors of facing your post-high school future. The central focus is Marlon Browne (Corey Parker) who aspires to follow straight-A student Jessica Kailo (Lara Flynn Boyle) wherever she goes, if not for his poor SAT scores.
Micki & Maude (1984)
From director Blake Edwards, Micki & Maude stars Dudley Moore as TV reporter Rob Salinger, who becomes fed up with his wife, Micki (Ann Reinking), who never has time for him. When he meets, eventually marries, and becomes an expectant father with Maude (Amy Irving), he decides (a little too late) to confess to Micki, until she blindsides him with news that she is pregnant. Can Rick prevent his two pregnant wives from meeting each other while trying to devote his time equally to both?
Back Roads (1981)
Academy Award winners Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones star in Back Roads. It’s a classic tale of two complete opposites who find themselves falling for each other while traveling through the rural south together.
Electric Dreams (1984)
Electric Dreams is a rom-com with a story that feels ripped straight from one of the best episodes of Black Mirror. It stars Lenny von Dohlen as Miles, whose relationship with Madeline (Virginia Madsen), along with everything else in his life, is threatened by his new computer, which has a mind of its own.