Chris Evans names his favourite romantic comedies: “The writing and acting is so good”
Everybody loves a romantic comedy, right? The chance to sit back and watch two people fall in love while having a few laughs along the way? Sounds great! From the early days of It Happened One Night and Bringing Up Baby to more modern instalments like Anyone But You and Bros, the genre has thrown up some real classics. Nobody is more aware of this fact than Chris Evans, who has starred in his fair share of them.
He starred opposite Anna Faris in What’s Your Number?, a movie about a woman searching for her 20th (and hopefully final) romantic partner. One of his earliest appearances was in 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie, which spoofed a lot of the tropes of other romantic flicks. You could even argue that his most famous character, Captain America, was motivated by his love for Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter. Evans clearly loves love, and he confirmed this while promoting one of his films in 2023.
Alongside Ana de Armas, Evans appeared in Dexter Fletcher’s action-oriented romcom Ghosted. He plays a man named Cole, who is disappointed when Sadie (de Armas) doesn’t text him back after they spent the night together. Determined to track her down, Cole follows her to London, only to discover that his one-time lover is actually a CIA operative. Cole has unknowingly placed himself in grave danger, and it’s up to Sadie to get him (and herself) out of it.
On the press circuit for Ghosted, both actors spoke to Entertainment Weekly. The leading man was asked to name some of his favourite examples from the genre, and he was more than happy to oblige. “I like Notting Hill. I like Love Actually,” he said, name-dropping two works by everybody’s problematic fave, Richard Curtis. “When Harry Met Sally is a classic,” he continued, “I like Grosse Pointe Blank. That’s a rom-com, kinda. Again, it’s almost like an elevated romcom. The writing and acting is so good. Sleepless in Seattle is great.”
Grosse Pointe Blank is definitely an interesting pick. Released in 1997, the film stars John Cusack as Martin Blank, a man attending his high school reunion. There, he reconnects with Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver), an old girlfriend he abandoned on their prom night many years ago. After reconnecting, Martin starts to tide over some of the issues he’s been having at work. What’s his job, you ask? He’s only a professional assassin! Who saw that one coming…
This is clearly the exception that proves the rule, as the rest of Evans’ choices are stone cold classics. Most fans of the genre would agree that the other four films he mentioned belong in the upper echelons, although a few would probably have something to say about his more obtuse selection.
As for Ghosted, which no doubt took some cues from Grosse Pointe Blank, that ended up being a bit of a disaster. Critics completely hated it, lambasting its routine plot, lack of thrills, and the anti-chemistry between Evans and de Armas. Both stars were nominated for Golden Raspberry Awards in their respective acting categories and as a duo in the ‘Worst Screen Couple’ category. Evans will be hoping for much better reviews for his next romcom, Celine Song’s Materialists. The movie, which also stars Pedro Pascal and Dakota Johnson, will see its release in summer 2025.
