Pink floating hearts on a dark background

Ranking the 3 Greatest Nancy Meyers Movies

There are few people who have made as big an impact on romcoms in the 1990s and 2000s as Nancy Meyers has. The writer and director has given us dozens of hits like “Father of the Bride” and “It’s Complicated”. Each of her movies has a compelling plotline, beautiful scenery, hilarity, and romance abound.

On top of that, this romcom legend’s movies star some of the biggest names in the business. You can watch Nancy Meyers movies with stars like Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn. But which Meyers movies are the best? To help us decide, we’re ranking the 3 greatest Nancy Meyers movies, regardless of decade.

Something’s Gotta Give

Something’s Gotta Give is one of those romcoms that stays with you. The story begins with Harry Sanborn, an aging record company owner, dating Marin Klein, who is under 30 years old. The two go to the Hamptons where they run into Marin’s mother, successful playwright Erica Barry, played by the late, great Diane Keaton. Erica has retreated to her Hamptons home to find inspiration to write. So, when Harry has his second heart attack in as many days, they are forced to stay there together.

Still from "Something's Gotta Give" of the leads in Paris

This movie has a fantastic enemies-to-lovers plotline because our leads start out hating each other. Erica thinks he is sleazy; Harry thinks she is stuck up. But, the more time they spend together, practically isolated from the world, the more they fall in love. From masterful performances by Keaton and Nicholson, to a house that feels like it belongs in a dream, this is the perfect summer romcom.

The Parent Trap

When talking about the 3 greatest Nancy Meyers movies, we can’t skip “The Parent Trap”. Although not an original plot, Nancy Meyers’ directorial debut remains one of Hollywood’s most iconic movies with 86% on Tomatometer. Lindsey Lohan shines in her film debut as twins Halle and Annie, separated at birth by their parents. With a budget of only $15 million, the movie surpassed $91 million worldwide, making it a commercial and critical success.

Still of "The Parent Trap" when the twins realize they have the same parents

The story begins with 11-year-olds Halle and Annie arriving at a summer camp in Maine. When they realize they are twins separated at birth, they hatch a plan to get to know the parents they had never met. But their plan gets complicated when their dad announces his engagement to Meredith, a 26-year-old woman. This story has a compelling villain in would-be stepmother Meredith and fantastic supporting characters like Chessy and Martin. But, the family of four, consisting of the twins, played by Lohan, their mother, Elizabeth, played by Natasha Richardson, and their father, Nick, played by Dennis Quaid, make this movie such a great watch.

The Holiday

The Holiday may be Nancy Meyers’ single biggest movie hit. Although critics have panned it as predictable, audiences absolutely love it. It’s a romcom that focuses on human connections, self-discovery, and love, set during Christmastime. Its leads are the show-stopping Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, as Amanda and Iris, two strangers who decide to swap homes for the holidays.

Still from "The Holiday" in which Amanda kisses Graham

Both of them are reeling from relationships that have fallen apart due to infidelity, so they relish the change, though Amanda struggles to adjust at first. Both ladies go on individual journeys of healing and falling in love. Amanda’s love interest is Graham, Iris’ brother and a widowed father of two. Iris’ love interest, on the other hand, is Miles, a movie composer and colleague of Amanda’s ex. Because Amanda ends up with Iris’ brother, the movie wraps up with a happy family celebration including the two leads, their love interests, and the two children.

It is an ode to Christmas movies and romcoms alike, making it one of the greatest Nancy Meyers movies.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *