5 Most Lovable & 5 Most Hateable Characters in Rom-Coms
Some rom-com characters are easier to hate than love. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for characters from romantic comedies we love, and those we can’t stand.
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00:00How can you possibly-
00:01Hey, Lassie, the show's called The Ugly Truth.
00:04If you can't face it, don't call.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07And today we're counting down our picks for characters from romantic comedies we love
00:11and those we can't stand.
00:14Beware of spoilers.
00:17Number five.
00:19Lovable.
00:19Ty Frazier.
00:21Clueless.
00:21Would you look at that girl?
00:23She is so adorably clueless.
00:25We've got to adopt her.
00:26Cher, she is toe up.
00:28Our stock would plummet.
00:30Dee, don't you want to use your popularity for a good cause?
00:33Played by Brittany Murphy, Ty Frazier is one of many standout characters in this 90s classic.
00:40It's also one of the actress's breakout roles, and for good reason.
00:44She plays the transfer student with a quirky energy that's nothing short of relatable.
00:49Whether or not you have the same personality,
00:51anyone can identify with her attempts to fit in with a new crowd.
00:55Fresh goes better when man is fresh and full of life.
00:59Mentos, the Freshmaker.
01:01Be seeing ya.
01:02Yeah, I hope not sporadically.
01:04It's not easy, and she's not perfect, but she navigates it in a real and raw way.
01:10Moreover, Murphy's bubbliness makes Frazier an essential part of the incredible ensemble.
01:15Funny and lovable, she's a friend we all wish we could have.
01:19Entire floral motif.
01:21Very floral garlands.
01:23No, no, no, when I get married, I'm gonna have a sailor dress, but it's gonna be a gown.
01:27And then all my bridesmaids are gonna wear sailor hats with veil.
01:30Number 5.
01:31Hatable.
01:32Benjamin Braddock, The Graduate.
01:34We are.
01:34You got me into your house.
01:36You give me a drink.
01:36You put on music.
01:38Now you start opening up your personal life to me and tell me your husband won't be home for hours.
01:42So?
01:43Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me.
01:45This might be a controversial choice, but Ben Braddock doesn't exactly make for a terrific
01:51person.
01:52All of his goofy and endearing moments are overpowered by selfishness.
01:56Lost after graduation, Braddock starts an affair with Mrs. Robinson.
02:00Take my arms and have my hand reach you, but my words like silent raindrops fell.
02:11He sleepwalks through life until falling for his lover's daughter Elaine.
02:15Just when you think he can't get any worse,
02:17he stalks the younger woman before interrupting her wedding.
02:20He's not exactly a knight in shining armor when you reconsider his actions.
02:24While he might have a rebellious spirit,
02:27the college graduate doesn't seem to consider how his decisions affect others.
02:31Where's that guy?
02:32What's he doing?
02:33I'll take care of him.
02:34He's too late.
02:38The ending shot underscores this, as the lead boards a bus with his
02:42supposed love without realizing that he might be in the wrong.
02:47Number 4.
02:48Lovable.
02:49Sandy Lyle.
02:50Along Came Pauly.
02:51This man is in the house.
02:54Oh my god.
02:55Sandy, you okay?
02:57Jorge, ice.
02:58The best man went down.
02:59That was more like a slip and slide, dude.
03:01Philip Seymour Hoffman never gave anything less than 100%.
03:05Along Came Pauly is a perfect example of his versatility,
03:09as he provides some of the rom-com's funniest moments.
03:12Sandy is an actor that lives life to the fullest.
03:15He can even turn a simple hangout at a basketball court into something memorable.
03:31There's multiple points in the story where we wish
03:34the hilarious friend could take over the film.
03:36Indeed, Hoffman both parodies his profession
03:39and becomes the perfect counterpoint to Ben Stiller's hero.
03:43You might not remember the main plot of Along Came Pauly,
03:46but you'll definitely love this side character upon re-watch.
03:50Are you that kid from Crocodile Tears?
03:56You're goddamn right I am.
03:57Number 4.
03:58Hatable.
03:59Joey Donner.
04:0010 Things I Hate About You.
04:02It's fair to say that the rich kids in high school movies are often villains.
04:07If they're anything like Joey Donner,
04:09they're unequivocally the most loathsome character.
04:12Would you be willing to make it your problem if I provide generous compensation?
04:19You're gonna pay me to take out some chick.
04:21He's nothing short of a vapid teenager that's mostly concerned with his own looks.
04:26When he's not being narcissistic, Donner only chases and manipulates girls.
04:31He's totally fine with paying Patrick to go out with Cat
04:34in order to date the latter's younger sister.
04:36I'm sick of playing your little game.
04:39Okay, wait, wait, wait.
04:40You, uh, you sick of, let's say, 300?
04:44Oh, and did we mention he also dated and mistreated Cat before the events of the movie?
04:49The only silver lining might be that you can laugh at him for being so self-centered.
04:53While there may be other flawed characters in 10 Things I Hate About You,
04:57he's the least redeemable of them all.
05:00That's for making my date bleed.
05:02That's for my sister.
05:04And that's for me.
05:07Number 3.
05:08Lovable.
05:08Philip F. Ducky Dale, Pretty in Pink.
05:11John Cryer's performance as this sidekick is a quintessential part
05:15of what makes Pretty in Pink so iconic.
05:18He's constantly wearing his heart on his sleeve while also making us laugh.
05:22Can you at least give me a ride home?
05:24Yeah, get in.
05:27Can I, like, put my head in your lap?
05:29No, wait.
05:30Can I rest my head on your shoulder and let you steer?
05:32Get in, Ducky.
05:33Okay.
05:34The eccentric Ducky is clearly in love with Andy and is willing to protect her at all costs.
05:40He might be a little much sometimes, but his kind heart outweighs any flaws.
05:44He's gonna use your ass and throw you away.
05:46God, I would have died for you.
05:48There's also his trademark outfits that make him something of a style guru we can't ignore.
05:54He might not end up with a girl, but he shows us that he'll be a friend for life.
05:58He's not like the others.
06:04If you don't go to him now, I'm never gonna take you to another prom ever again.
06:08Cryer's honest portrayal still tugs at our heartstrings all these years later.
06:14Number three hateable, Mike Chadway, The Ugly Truth.
06:18In this critically derided film, TV producer Abby Richter becomes rivals with host Mike Chadway.
06:24The latter character specializes in relationship advice,
06:27but he just caters to stereotypical male wants.
06:30Because at the end of the day all we're interested in is looks
06:34and no one falls in love with your personality at first sight.
06:37Gerard Butler brings this annoying character to life,
06:40having him poke and prod the heroine with his every controversial thought.
06:45He doesn't seem to really care how his ideas might rightfully infuriate women like Richter.
06:50Remember the bark? Last night a little phone conversation we had.
06:54Yeah! Hey, what do you know? You're not ugly at all.
06:59Oh, imagine my relief.
07:01Yet by the end Mike somehow turns into Mr. Right and falls for Abby.
07:05Even the rom-com logic seems off here.
07:08We're not sure we'd want the guy anywhere near us after half the stunts he pulled.
07:12Shut up! Yet again I just told you I'm in love with you
07:17and you're standing here giving me a vocabulary lesson.
07:19Number two lovable, Annie Hall, Annie Hall.
07:23Here you are! Don't give it to me!
07:26Look! One crawl behind the refrigerator. It'll turn up in our bed at night.
07:33Winning an Oscar for her performance,
07:35Diane Keaton absolutely steals the show as the title character in Annie Hall.
07:40She's quirky, authentic and funny at the same time.
07:44Keaton gives the character added nuances
07:46that separates her from the typical romantic comedy heroine.
07:49To me, I mean, it's all instinctive, you know?
07:53I mean, I just try to feel it, you know?
07:55I try to get a sense of it and not think about it so much.
07:58She's relatable enough that we can empathize with her,
08:00but also flawed in a realistic way.
08:03Her three-dimensional presence grounds the entire story.
08:07She's also a great match for Alvy Singer for pushing him further
08:11and fully able to compete with him.
08:13Alvy, you're incapable of enjoying life, you know that?
08:15I mean, you're like New York City.
08:17You're just this person. You're like this island unto yourself.
08:21It arguably raised the bar for female roles in the genre.
08:39Long before the days of The Hangover or A Star is Born,
08:42Bradley Cooper played this jerk in Wedding Crashers.
08:46It shows his range as an actor that he can play such a scummy guy.
08:49As Claire's macho partner,
08:51Zack Lodge is among the worst boyfriends in recent movie history.
08:56Why don't you tell her, John?
08:59I don't know what's going on. I'm playing catch-up, too.
09:03Zack, what are you doing?
09:04Remembering yet?
09:05He's dishonest, aggressive, and violent when he wants to be.
09:09Regardless on how you feel about John's behavior,
09:12you want him to save the day just to watch Lodge lose.
09:15Cooper's hyper-performance takes the attitude to the next level,
09:19giving us a despicable villain to root against.
09:22Getting a nice preview of what marriage is going to be like with Ike Turner here.
09:27Zack!
09:28Okay, here goes.
09:31Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:35Hatable.
09:36Steph McKee.
09:37Pretty in Pink.
09:38The preppy villain who embodies the worst memories of high school.
09:42If you want your little piece of low-grade ass, fine, take it, you know.
09:45But if you do, you're not going to have a friend.
09:47Is that right?
09:49Yeah, that's right.
09:50Lovable.
09:51Ronnie Camareri.
09:52Moonstruck.
09:53Nicolas Cage goes all out playing this exuberant and unexpected love interest.
09:58I lost my hand!
10:00I lost my bride!
10:02Johnny has his hand!
10:03Johnny has his bride!
10:04You want me to take my heartbreak, put it away, and forget?
10:08Hatable.
10:09Catherine Parker.
10:10Working girl.
10:11A corporate villain with a calm and calculated presence.
10:14Better make one more round.
10:16Right.
10:17I'd love to help you, but we can't busy the quarterback with passing out the Gatorade.
10:21Arnie, my hero, you've come.
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10:39Number one lovable.
10:41Amélie Poulain.
10:43Amélie.
10:44Through the power of good deeds, the heroine of this story becomes nothing short of lovable.
10:49Amélie is a waitress who's compelled to help others.
11:03She does everything from returning a sentimental box to matchmaking,
11:07and these simple acts show how much everyday kindness can make an impact.
11:11Audrey Tateau brings a joyful presence to every scene.
11:15Not only that, she taps into such a genuine and human quality within the character.
11:30Tateau endears us so much to the role that we're
11:33also invested in the protagonist's eventual romantic adventures.
11:37Helping to make this feel-good movie into a magic experience,
11:41Amélie makes you want to be a better person by the end.
11:56Number one hateable.
11:58Mr. Yuniyoshi.
11:59Breakfast at Tiffany's.
12:01For this classic comedy, Mickey Rooney was cast to play Holly Golightly's landlord, Mr. Yuniyoshi.
12:07Unfortunately, the entire character is a racist caricature of Japanese culture
12:11played by a white actor.
12:23The performance doesn't do the problematic role any favors,
12:26being both offensive and over-the-top.
12:29It's even more unfortunate to know that this wasn't exactly rare in older Hollywood films.
12:34While the part could have been rewritten or recast, it's hard to justify its existence at
12:39all. The character doesn't necessarily matter for the larger story and mainly exists as a
12:45poor attempt at comic relief. Through everything from his appearance to his voice,
12:50Yuniyoshi's presence is a negative aspect of an otherwise iconic movie.
12:54Good evening, Mr. Yuniyoshi.
12:58Did we forget another lovable or hateable rom-com character?
13:01Let us know in the comments below.
13:03This is Meredith Blake.
13:09Hi.
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