JUSTIN’S TOP 10 “GIRLY MAN” MOVIES

I mean, it just makes sense, right?

With the release of The Expendables 2 finally here and the return of Arnold Schwarzeneggar at hand, I couldn’t resist christening the weekend with one of Arnold’s most famous political lines:

Oh, those girly men…

Anyway, here is a fun little list for you… In honor of the anti-girly man, I give you my Top 10 “Girly Man” Movies, which basically encompasses those movies about women, for women, and sometimes, by women. It’s a bit rushed (I’m back east right now, writing this from a hotel room in fact) so it will not be perfect – I implore you to let me know what I missed in the comments below!

HONORABLE MENTION: Little Manhattan

You may not have ever heard of this youngins love story, but it’s a winner. It stars a plump, very young Josh Hutcherson, who will soon be starring in the unnecessary Red Dawn remake after his Hunger Games success. But here, he’s a love struck 11-year-old (you’ll notice that quite a few of these selections involve young love – what can I say, I’m a sucker for ‘em) and he finds a lot of success in the role – I remember seeing this when it came out and thinking that he would go on to good things. Either way, throw a bit of Bradley Whitford in for good measure and this is a little classic that was surely underrated (and under-seen, to be sure).

10. Serendipity

I’m also a sucker for most things John Cusack, even when goes the rom-com route. Kate Beckinsale is actually charming here and Jeremy Piven as Cusack’s best friend brings enough humor into it to make it memorable. Whether you believe in fate, soul-mates, or just dumb luck, movie love is hard to top and it’s presented very well here.

9. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Oh, Kate Hudson, what happened to you? You used to be so hot, so funny, and then… well, I just don’t know. In this surprisingly funny rom-com, Kate and Matthew McConaughey throw around the banter like a couple of veteran actors at the top of their game. This one holds some sentimental value as it was a favorite of some of the girls that I hung around with in high school (and to this day, in fact) and we certainly had to watch (GOT to watch, I mean… haha) it enough that it slowly wore me down. Guys, if there’s one thing you learn from this one, it’s never to let a love fern die. Girls love them some plants!

8. Definitely, Maybe

I’ve gotten quite a bit of flak for enjoying this horribly titled film starring Ryan Reynolds. If you can get past the title, what you’ll find is a well-crafted, unpredictable, very original movie that features Reynolds, but also has some great stuff from young Abigail Breslin, old Kevin Kline, and Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, and Isla Fisher. It’s the story of a soon-to-be divorced father telling his daughter the story of his dating life, a “How I Met Your Mother”-type movie, if you will. It’s funny and it’s sweet and overall, it’s just a quality film.

7. Easy A

One more time from the archives: #EmmaStoneWillYouMarryMe

6. Clueless

The quintessential girly movie. This classic put Alicia Silverstone on the map. Unfortunately for her, all the vegan food she eats apparently made it so she didn’t stick to the map and she fell right off after people forgot about Clueless. It’s still hilarious and watching it now is fun, knowing that Paul Rudd is eventually going to be one of the funniest guys in Hollywood and Donald Faison is eventually going to become Turk and kill me with his “Safety Dance” on a show called “Scrubs.” But overall, you can’t go wrong with Clueless… as if!

5. 10 Things I Hate About You

R.I.P. Heath.

4. Mean Girls

Purely for the rewatchability factor, Mean Girls is one of the funniest movies to come out in the last ten years. It’s actually somewhat tough to watch, knowing that Lindsay Lohan would never get hotter than this, when she was at her absolute peak. She was funny and charming – a perfect blend that made her the best choice for the lead role. Rachel McAdams is great, too, but that supporting cast is what really carries the film. Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Tim Meadows, Neil Flynn, and of course Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who you’ll see here again in just a second…

3. When Harry Met Sally…

I know Kai believes this to be one of the best movies of all-time, and it’s certainly up there for me too. It’s about as close to perfect as you can get in this genre of film that it actually exceeds the rom-com label and is just a plain great movie. Billy Crystal is fantastic and Meg Ryan is her cutesy self (what happened to her, too?) and it’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with the characters, thanks to the amazing writing by Nora Ephron and the direction of Rob Reiner. This one will be watched for years and years.

2. Baby Mama

This movie slays me. It’s hilarious. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are about as funny of a combo as there is out there. While the overall story has its ups and downs, the hilarity that ensues in this, for me, makes it one of my favorite comedies  period.

1. Love, Actually

And then there was one.

Love, Actually has resided firmly in my All-Time Top 10 since my first viewing and I don’t foresee it going anywhere. It’s the best romantic comedy ever, highlighted by an all-star cast that is too large to write out here. Every story is fantastic and absolutely perfect (save for one; the Laura Linney stuff always bums me out, but it’s a necessary evil to show that not everyone has luck in love, something that many can relate to) and this stupid movie makes me cry every time I watch it. “Just in cases” always gets me for one, but the little kid running through the airport is just a fantastic scene. It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s real.

And it’s the best “Girly Man” movie that I’ve ever seen.

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Remember, we here at Man, I Love Films don’t do definitive lists. We do our favorites and we want to hear yours. So, make sure and tell us about them in the comments section below.