On a rainy Saturday, or on a day spent baking a cake, I love pulling up a good old-fashioned rom com. My tastes trend toward the latter half of the 20th century. Something about the poofy hair and shoulder pads feels like a visual stuffed animal to me. To expand my repertoire, I polled my friends on social media. Collectively, we came up with this list of the best 80s rom coms and comedies. While everyone’s version of “comfort movie” varies widely, I’ve curated this list mostly with female-centric films.
80s Rom Coms
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)
Burt Reynolds! Dolly Parton! Shotguns! Musical numbers! This might be the perfect cult Southern film! I only wish I had watched it earlier in life so I could spend more years obsessed with it.
Fun Fact: The movie is based on an article that first appeared in Playboy.
Synopsis: A town sheriff and a madam band together to save the local beloved brothel when Christian media targets it for closure.
Valley Girl (1983)
Few movies have had the impact on pop culture of Valley Girl, despite its relative cult status! It introduced the world to the bubblegum popping, miniskirt wearing, up-speaking Valley Girl for the first time that has spawned decades of imitators.
Fun Fact: The club scenes were filmed at what would later become The Viper Room.
Synopsis: Julie, a princess from the San Fernando Valley, falls in love with Randy, a punk from LA, and they try to keep their worlds from clashing.
Footloose (1984)
Perhaps the strongest movie soundtrack of the 80s combined with some true powerhouse performances make Footloose far more than a cheesy teen move. I could write a dissertation on the genuine religious tension, but in reality, I just want to watch Kevin Bacon do angry gymnastics in an abandoned factory.
Fun Fact: Kenny Loggins (singer of the title song) appears as one of the pairs of dancing feet in the opening credits.
Synopsis: A young man moves to a deeply religious town in Texas, where he falls in love with the rebellious preacher’s daughter and throws a school dance.
The Money Pit (1986)
It should not shock you that this list has a LOT of Tom Hanks. I am just a bit ashamed to admit that this movie is my absolute favorite Tom Hanks film, terrible conducting and all. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a historic home.
Fun Fact: The first collaboration between Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg!
Synopsis: A young ambitious couple (Tom Hanks and Shelley Long) get more than they bargained for after buying a beautiful historic home.
Baby Boom (1987)
And speaking of historic homes… Baby Boom does its best to sell the idyllic life possible in Vermont, and baby, it WORKS on me. This movie is probably my ultimate comfort movie, both because of the setting, and because it reminds me of my mom. Plus, it’s the first movie to display that hallmark of late-century romcoms: the Nancy Meyers kitchen.
Fun Fact: Perhaps the only movie where Harold Ramis acted, but didn’t direct or write anything.
Synopsis: After inheriting her distant relative’s baby, ambitious career woman JC Wiatt (Diane Keaton) moves to an orchard in Vermont to make gourmet baby food and falls in love with the local vet.
Broadcast News (1987)
I unironically love Little Black Book, where Holly Hunter also plays a whip-smart, somewhat manipulative producer. But Broadcast News stands out as the better film by far, with an incredible character for Hunter and an eerie forecasting of the direction the news would take.
Fun Fact: Hunter shadowed CBS news producer Susan Zirinsky for the role, and even cut her hair to resemble Zirinsky’s.
Synopsis: A hard-hitting, intelligent news producer finds herself in a love triangle with a traditional, boring reporter and a charismatic, manipulative one.
Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
A favorite thanks to ABC Family, this movie has a classically sexist premise, but damn if I don’t love it anyway. Shockingly, Patrick Dempsey plays a nerd pretty dang convincingly in this movie (he didn’t have a big, square jaw yet).
Fun Fact: Patrick Dempsey used his pay from the film to buy his first car, a 1963 Porsche (meow).
Synopsis: The school nerd pays his popular crush $1,000 to pretend to be his boyfriend for a month in order to build his social cachet.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
While intellectually, I side with the parents in this movie, emotionally, I can’t help but love the romance. Grey and Swayze famously annoyed each other, making for incredible chemistry. It doesn’t hurt that they both danced incredibly well.
Fun Fact: According to Jennifer Grey’s memoir, no one expected this film to be a hit, thanks to its low budget and lack of promotion (she only attended 2 promotional events). Much to everyone’s surprise, it was an immediate smash.
Synopsis: While summering in the Catskills with her parents, a young woman falls in love with the camp dance instructor.
Mannequin (1987)
Besides birthing one of the best silly love songs of the 80s, this movie provides pure fun. Mannequin never took itself seriously and never tried to. Watch for maximum goofiness.
Fun Fact: Sculptors made mannequins based on Kim Cattrall’s actual body for the movie.
Synopsis: An artist (Andrew McCarthy) builds a mannequin he likes so much, he wishes it alive.
Moonstruck (1987)
Unequivocally, unambiguously my favorite movie of all time. It was a hard sell to my friends in high school – Cher and Nicholas Cage star as romantic leads. But damn if everyone I’ve ever shown it to hasn’t loved this extremely Italian movie as much as I do.
Fun Fact: Martin Scorcese’s parents have a cameo as a couple in Nicholas Cage’s bakery.
Synopsis: When plain, no-nonsense Loretta Castorini invites her fiancé’s estranged brother to their wedding, she ends up in a passionate love affair.
Overboard (1987)
Problematic? Sure. Hilarious? Of course. Adorable? You decide, but in my opinion – absolutely. Goldie Hawn’s costumes in this movie are the height of 80s glam, and the chemistry between this pair is unmatched.
Fun Fact: Because the movie was filmed primarily on a yacht, the rocking of the boat often put the crew to sleep!
Synopsis: When a wealthy heiress suffers a bump on the noggin, the carpenter she’s been torturing convinces her they’re married.
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
If you ever watched Pretty in Pink and thought, “she chose this chinless wonder over Duckie?!” Some Kind of Wonderful will make you feel so vindicated. Despite getting less attention than other brat pack films, it stands as one of the great hidden gems of the John Hughes cannon.
Fun Fact: All the main character names in this film reference The Rolling Stones.
Synopsis: An ambitious kid from the wrong side of the track tries to woo the popular girl at school, to the chagrin of his tomboy best friend.
Coming to America (1988)
Featuring some of the most fantastic costumes of the 80s, nothing captures joy for me like this movie. Of all the Eddie Murphy vehicles from this era, this one feels so fresh and beautifully naive, which adds a layer of tenderness to his usually acerbic persona.
Fun Fact: Eddie Murphy’s first film where he plays multiple characters using prosthetics.
Synopsis: A wealthy African prince who wants to experience the “real world” moves to New York and begins working in a McDonald’s.
Mystic Pizza (1988)
One of the most influential movies of my young life. I forced all my friends to watch it at my bachelorette party. It so perfectly captures the kind of confusion and high stakes that fill your early 20s, with just the right edge of cheesiness.
Fun Fact: Teeny baby Matt Damon appears in the movie in one scene, his feature film debut. The only other person who auditioned for the part was Ben Affleck.
Synopsis: Three working-class Portuguese girls who work at a pizza place together navigate love, life, and friendship.
Working Girl (1988)
With an iconic soundtrack and an arguably more iconic haircut, Working Girl inspired a generation of women to believe that if they went to night classes and stole their boss’s office, they too could fall in love with Harrison Ford.
Fun Fact: Melanie Griffith was Miss Golden Globes 1975, and won a Golden Globe for this role!
Synopsis: A working-class Staten Island woman impersonates her backstabbing boss to get ahead on a big business deal.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Perhaps the most realistic rom com ever filmed, the magic of this movie lies in the specific character details. Plus, it has my favorite romantic line of all time. “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Fun Fact: During a test screening of the movie, all the women in the audience laughed “uproariously” at the fake orgasm scene, while the men in the audience were silent.
Synopsis: Two best friends, Harry and Sally, navigate life, love, and their blossoming romance over the course of 15 years.
80s Comfort Comedies
9 to 5 (1980)
Not only did this movie produce A plus comedy, it also gave us one of Dolly Parton’s best songs. Many films of the 80s worked out the cultural conversation on women in the workplace on the silver screen, and 9 to 5 serves as one of the earliest examples.
Fun fact: This is Dolly Parton’s film debut!
Synopsis: Three women, tired of their sexist, egotistical, bone-headed boss, devise a plan to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Private Benjamin (1980)
With her sunny smile and big blue eyes, it’s no wonder Goldie Hawn was one of the biggest stars of the era. Written by Nancy Meyers, Goldie’s stint in the army shows off her comedic timing to a tee.
Fun Fact: Screenwriters wrote the movie and role specifically with Goldie Hawn in mind.
Synopsis: After her new husband admonishes her for her sheltered upbringing, a high society woman enrolls in the army on a whim.
The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
Sandwiched between The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan, this movie often gets overlooked. But it’s the most Miss Piggy-centric Muppets film! What’s not to love?!
Fun Fact: The title of the movie came from then-19-year-old Lisa Henson, Jim’s daughter.
Synopsis: Three reporters (Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo) travel to London to interview the victim of a jewel theft and her suspicious secretary (Miss Piggy).
Tootsie (1982)
So many things about this movie are deeply unrealistic. First of all, Dustin Hoffman does not make for a terribly attractive woman. Second, women have a harder time getting cast than men do, in general. However, none of that matters, because this is one of the most delightful films ever made.
Fun Fact: Tootsie often serves as instruction material in screenwriting classes thanks to its well-structured plot.
Synopsis: A struggling actor in New York devises a plot to disguise himself as a woman in order to get a role on a soap opera.
Mr. Mom (1983)
When DVDs were still new, Pizza Hut did a promotion where they distributed a free DVD with purchase of a large pizza, and my family picked this classic comedy! Probably the most-recommended movie on the list, Mr. Mom‘s excoriation against the devaluation of labor at home remains, sadly, quite relevant 40 years later.
Fun Fact: This is Michael Keaton’s breakout movie!
Synopsis: After losing his job, a newly-minted stay-at-home dad undergoes a series of wacky antics and learns to appreciate his wife.
Brewster’s Millions (1985)
Brewster’s Millions basically epitomizes the classic movie: the one with unfavorable reviews that nonetheless makes a ton of money and runs on cable ad nauseum. Starring two ridiculously funny men (Richard Pryor and John Candy), it’s simply a silly, fun movie.
Fun Fact: The Statue of Liberty is shown surrounded by scaffolding, as it was being restored for the centennial in 1986 at the time of filming.
Synopsis: A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million to earn a $300 million inheritance – without giving it away.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Perhaps no movie has captured the emotional brutality of the teen experience quite like The Breakfast Club. While some portions have not aged well (why oh why did Molly Ringwald put up with Bender’s abuse?!) overall, this movie defined a generation, and continues to speak to young adults.
Fun Fact: My husband’s father attended the high school in Chicago that they used for exterior shots!
Synopsis: Five high schoolers from different cliques – a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a arincess, and a criminal – bond over their teenage ennui in Saturday detention.
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
As a powerhouse of 80s fashion, Madonna had many iconic looks through the decade. Few had the wide influence that her over-the-top new-wave look had in this movie, though! Madonna, if you’re listening: please be in movies again.
Fun Fact: Madonna became a star during the making of this film, when “Like a Virgin” dropped.
Synopsis: After emulating the free-spirited woman she befriends from a personal column, a New Jersey housewife starts being mistaken for her.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1985)
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, this movie embedded itself into my psyche purely because of how often it played on ABC family. Good clean 80s fun, and perfect for a sleepover.
Fun Fact: The version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” used in the film was performed by Deborah Galli, not Cyndi Lauper.
Synopsis: A new girl in Catholic school (SJP) finds a kindred spirit in the wild in kooky Lynne (Hunt) thanks to their mutual love of dancing.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
As a not-espcially-emo teen, I always liked Ferris Bueller a lot more than The Breakfast Club. Ferris serves as the perfect archetype of the cool teen – not only does he do cool things, but Ferris obviously feels comfortable in his skin the way most teens don’t. At the end of the day, though, the basic appeal of this movie lies in how much pure delight it has.
Fun Fact: Ben Stein improvised his famous boring lecture, as he had an economics degree.
Synopsis: Popular teen Ferris Bueller enlists his best friend and his girlfriend to play hooky with him before he graduates from high school.
Three Men and a Baby (1987)
In the continued vein of men discovering that child rearing is actual work, enter the silliest male comedy of the decade. I love that all three men have artistic professions in this movie, because it adds to the melodrama. Is there a ghost in the window? You decide!
Fun Fact: Directed by Dr. Spock himself – Leonard Nimoy.
Synopsis: Three uninhibited bachelors are forced to shape up when a mysterious baby ends up on their doorstep.
Big Business (1988)
Have you ever thought, “what if The Parent Trap was less hinged?” Enter: Big Business. Part of the comedy of this movie is how laughably different Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler are while ostensibly playing twins. The kooky costumes really add to the subtle aura of camp that permeates every second of this movie.
Fun Fact: For the opening scenes set in the 1940s, the sound designer used old-school monophonic sound for a more nostalgic feel.
Synopsis: Two sets of identical twins realize they were switched at birth when all four meet to make a deal on a factory in a small town.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Few movies capture the tight alliance of long term female friendship quite like Steel Magnolias. Each woman at the helm – Sally Fields, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, and Dolly Parton – deliver a towering performance. Keep your tissues handy.
Fun Fact: The play the movie is based on has no male characters.
Synopsis: Centering around a beauty parlor in Louisiana, a group of women navigate the high highs and low lows of life.
Teen Witch (1989)
I’ll admit – this movie is bad. It is not a quality film. But it is undeniably entertaining. It plays into the teenage fantasy that you have some unique quality, that if you could only tap into, would deliver all of your wildest dreams. Plus, the bad raps are so hilarious.
Fun Fact: The creepy house used in the movie also appears in the “Thriller” music video!
Synopsis: A socially awkward teenage girl gains magical powers on her 16th birthday, and uses them to her advantage.
Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
Though critically panned at the time, this deeply adorable film has experienced a comeback tour over the past few years. Shelley Long’s hyper-tailored uniform is just the tip of the iceberg for the film’s amazing costumes.
Fun Fact: Footage from the filming process is used to train new assistant directors at the production studio.
Synopsis: Desperate to prove her soon-to-be-ex-husband wrong, a pampered Beverly Hills socialite becomes a local scout leader.
Uncle Buck (1989)
So tenderhearted, so silly, so wonderful. McCauley Culkin at his baby-est and John Candy at his most sharp have undeniable comedic chemistry. You won’t know which character you love best.
Fun Fact: All the interior sets, including the two-story ones, were built in a high school gym.
Synopsis: Desperate for a long-term babysitter, two parents are forced to call on the laid-back, unconventional Uncle Buck.
