You may love a good Oscar-winning drama [1], but when you think of your favorite movies, they probably include "classics" that aren't necessarily critically appreciated. Maybe they're so-bad-they're-good comedies, maybe they're romantic comedies [2] (much maligned as a genre), but regardless, you love them. We love them. The reviews may not have been good (or nice), but it's kind of fun to look back on all the movies that everyone seems to love now.
The Holiday
This Kate Winslet [3]/Cameron Diaz [4] romantic comedy may not have been reviewed well, but it just makes us happy. Really happy.
[5]47 percent [6]
The Notebook
The Notebook may have made you cry a thousand tears [7], but it has a surprisingly low rating on the Tomatometer. Rolling Stone's review snarked [8], "There's no way to endure the movie without earplugs and a blindfold."
[9]52 percent [10]
The Wedding Planner
Romantic comedies often suffer with critics, and The Wedding Planner is no different. The Village Voice charged the movie [11] with "neutering Jennifer Lopez." What we can we say? We still love that meet-cute.
[12]17 percent [13]
The Sweetest Thing
In his review, Roger Ebert succinctly said, "This is not a good movie," and gave it one and a half stars. Still, that hasn't discouraged any of us who know all the words to "Too Big to Fit in Here" or have a different kind of appreciation for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."
[14]26 percent [15]
Dude, Where's My Car?
I know this one is hard to believe, but modern comedy classic Dude, Where's My Car? was not appreciated immediately for its absurdist humor.
[16]18 percent [17]
Cruel Intentions
Ryan Phillippe [18]'s hands-down greatest performance in this movie did not get all the credit it deserved when the film came out in 1999. Rolling Stone's critic skewered the movie [19]: "Watching Cruel Intentions is like sitting through a high school production of a classic play done in modern dress by actors who don't have a clue what's going on."
[20]49 percent [21]
Miss Congeniality
Rolling Stone's deflating critic wrote, "Unless you think it's a riot to watch [Sandra] Bullock fall over herself repeatedly in high heels, this Miss is a mess." That's where we disagree.
[22]42 percent [23]
Stepmom
We think this tearjerker is also uplifting and a pretty good time, but critics generally disagreed when the movie came out. Entertainment Weekly gave it a D+ [24]. Youch.
[25]44 percent [26]
Never Been Kissed
Reviews of Drew Barrymore [27]'s now-beloved comedy were harsh, like "Embarrassing" via Entertainment Weekly [28] and "hopelessly cartoonish," according to The New York Times [29].
[30]57 percent [31]
She's All That
The '90s high school classic is still quotable and may have inspired other schools to have a coordinated dance at prom, but the Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy rates a pretty low 38 percent on the Tomatometer.
[32]38 percent [33]
Source: Miramax [34]
Sweet Home Alabama
Entertainment Weekly's review called the Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy [35] "shallow," but we've always enjoyed Felony Melanie and her romantic dilemma. Did we mention Josh Lucas [36]?
[37]38 percent [38]
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
This movie is cute, funny, and a valuable guide to what not to do while dating. Let's just hope that a decade has made critics realize this movie is a romantic comedy gem.
[39]42 percent [40]
Step Brothers
Brennan and Dale would be outraged at reviews, like Variety's write-up, which accused the movie [41] of "seesawing from the gleefully stupid to the desperately stupid."
[42]55 percent [43]
Wet Hot American Summer
You may call it a cult classic, but let's just say that critics didn't "get" this 2001 comedy. Roger Ebert went so far as to make up a camp song [44] about how much he hated it. Sample verse: "Wow I hate it/Something fierce/Except the astrophysicist David Hyde Pierce."
[45]31 percent [46]
Source: USA Films [47]
Can't Hardly Wait
We may still be obsessed with all the quotes from this late '90s high school movie, but critics weren't impressed. Washington Post's critic declared [48], "John Hughes must be spinning in his grave."
[49]40 percent [50]
Tommy Boy
Yes, Tommy Boy suffered bad reviews when it came out too, despite inspiring legions of folks to put on tiny coats and dance around.
[51]44 percent [52]
Billy Madison
You may know every line to this Adam Sandler [53] comedy masterpiece, but the words used in the reviews of this movie were much harsher. Entertainment Weekly's D-grade review included [54], "Even on its own dim-bulb terms, this runt of a comedy never locates its central joke."
[55]46 percent [56]
Hocus Pocus
Though it's now widely considered a Halloween [57] classic, Hocus Pocus [58] failed to impress critics. We're pretty sure the Sanderson sisters used their magic to make everyone fall in love with it since then, though.
[59]32 percent [60]