Why Anne Hathaway’s favourite rom-com is a blood-soaked thriller: “Think about it”
Anne Hathaway has appeared in her fair share of romantic comedies since she started acting in the early 2000s, proving herself to be well-equipped when it comes to the cinematic world of meet-cutes, will-they won’t-they friendships, and dramatic declarations of love. The actor made her film debut in the coming-of-age rom-com The Princess Diaries back in 2001, before appearing in a mixture of romantic and comedic roles, from Ella Enchanted and The Devil Wears Prada to Bride Wars and Love & Other Drugs, becoming a Hollywood heavyweight.
The actor hasn’t limited herself to rom-coms, however, with parts in The Dark Knight Rises and Les Misérables (she even won an Oscar for the latter) cementing her place in the industry as a versatile star. While you’re just as likely to see Hathaway in a dramatic film like Interstellar or Eileen, it seems as though she’ll always come back to the beloved world of romantic comedies, though, with her most high-profile role of the last few years coming in 2023 with The Idea of You, in which her character embarks on an age-gap relationship with a Harry Styles-esque boyband member.
There is a particular allure to the rom-com genre that makes it easy to see why Hathaway continuously gravitates towards it. We all dream of fairytale romance, and while rom-coms often feature tumultuous ups and downs, they almost always end happily, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy indulging in a feel-good romantic comedy from time to time.
There’s a reason why they’re so popular. It’s a genre that is inherently female, occupying a space where women are given centre stage, with emphasis on friendship, careers, self-discovery, and fulfilment often explored as equally as romantic relationships.
Yet, when Hathaway was once asked to pick her favourite rom-com while appearing on The Late Late Show With James Corden, she selected a rather violent film. “I have two. It’s Notting Hill, yeah, it’s a classic. And more recently, Gone Girl,” Hathaway said. The thriller, in which Rosamund Pike plays a woman who fakes her death, frames it on her husband, and kills someone in the process, isn’t exactly what you’d call a rom-com.
Hathaway is convinced that it certainly is one, though, adding, “Think about it. It’s like a David Fincher rom-com!” The crowd immediately goes quiet when Hathaway reveals her controversial pick, clearly unable to take the actor’s choice as a dark joke. The movie might not be a rom-com in the typical sense, but to be fair to Hathaway, there are certainly elements of the film that are darkly comedic, although ‘romantic’ might be pushing it.
She described the scene in which Amy faints as “so rom-com,” but Corden and the other guests on the sofa don’t seem to agree. Perhaps you could look at Gone Girl as a rom-com gone wrong, with Amy and Nick’s initially perfect relationship quickly deteriorating as the pair are affected by financial issues and family illness, ultimately resulting in the breakdown of their marriage and infidelity. Regardless of how you look at it, Gone Girl is a great film, although if you’re looking for a good rom-com to watch, Notting Hill is definitely a safer option.
