From "You had me at hello" to "I'm also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her," the best romantic comedies are full of swoon-worthy quotes and memorable one-liners. However, while popular rom-coms like all the best Julia Roberts movies, Meg Ryan classics and Reese Witherspoon favorites are generally packed with feel-good moments, sometimes they feature scenes of heartbreak, conflict, bad attitudes and poor behavior, which can often mean people saying quite hurtful things to each other. Here are 32 of the meanest things said to someone in a rom-com.
"Why Should I Listen To You, Anyway? You're A Virgin Who Can't Drive" - Clueless
Written by Amy Heckerling, the script for the '90s classic Clueless is full of iconic quotes and youthful slang. But one of the most brutal adolescent takedowns comes surprisingly from sweet transfer student-turned-cool girl Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), who manages to insult our leading lady Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) for not only the status of her virginity but also for failing her driver's test. Way harsh, Tai!
"That Was Yesterday. Today You're Just Some Girl Who Broke My Heart And Cut Up My Mother's Wedding Dress." - 27 Dresses
Katherine Heigl's Jane might be always a bridesmaid, never a bride, for much of the 2008 comedy 27 Dresses, but she's largely supportive of all of the newlyweds around her, even deeming to don some truly awful gowns as part of their bridal parties. However, when her own sister Tess (Malin Åkerman) manipulates her way into a proposal from the man Jane loves—all while wearing a chopped-up version of their mother's wedding dress—Jane rightfully lets her rage out.
"Waiting For You Is Like Waiting For Rain In This Drought. Useless And Disappointing." - A Cinderella Story
Like Cinderella meets You've Got Mail, the 2004 teen rom-com A Cinderella Story revolves around two internet pen pals from opposite ends of their high school's social scene: she, a lowly diner worker named Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) and he, the popular quarterback Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray). When their identities are unmasked and Sam is left humiliated, she marches into the football locker room and gives him a talking-to.
"Harry, You're Gonna Have To Move Back To New Jersey Because You've Slept With Everybody In New York And I Don't See That Turning Helen Into A Faint Memory For You." - When Harry Met Sally...
Some of the funniest quotes from the classic Meg Ryan rom-com When Harry Met Sally... feature hilariously charged banter between our titular friends-turned-lovers Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan). But some of the memorable lines from the Rob Reiner-directed, Nora Ephron-penned flick come more from a place of hurt than humor, such as this alfresco argument where they trade some brutally honest feedback about each other's love lives.
"Don't, For One Minute, Think That You Had Any Effect Whatsoever On My Panties." - 10 Things I Hate About You
Julia Stiles's prickly 10 Things I Hate About You protagonist Kat Stratford may protest too much that she's not totally charmed by the persistent interest of bad guy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). She may declare that the only effect he has is on her "upchuck reflex," but her reaction to that swoon-worthy soccer-field performance of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" certainly says otherwise.
"Sweetie, Your Skin Is So Dry It's Hurting My Face." - Crazy Rich Asians
To impress the wealthy and judgmental mother (Michelle Yeoh) of her beau, Nick Young (Henry Golding), while attending the lavish Singapore-set wedding of his best friend, Rachel Chu (Costance Wu) gets a much-welcome makeover from Nick's sassy second cousin Oliver T’sien (Nico Santos). Oliver's constructive criticism may have been admittedly harsh, but the reaction to Rachel's stunning wedding look was more than worth it.
"Where's The Cool, Fun, Smart, Beautiful Andie That I Knew? The One That Wanted To Be A Serious Journalist? You're Up, You're Down, You're Here, You're There, You're Like A Frickin' One-Woman Circus." - How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
To make Matthew McConaughey's Benjamin Barry fall out of love with her, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days heroine Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) begins behaving outrageously: we're talking weeping over a love fern, ruining boys' night, nicknaming his manhood "Princess Sophia," the works. It's unsurprising, then, that Benjamin loudly laments that Andie has chaotically turned into a "one-woman circus" during a fight between the couple.
"Lower. [You're] The Pus That Infects The Mucus... That Cruds Up The Fungus... That Feeds On The Pond Scum. On The Other Hand, Thank You... For Loving Me That Much." - My Best Friend's Wedding
Julia Roberts's Jules Potter exhibits some seriously poor judgment in the 1997 romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, kicking off a campaign to break up the nuptials of her lifelong friend Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) and his bubbly young bride Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz). When Jules eventually confesses to Michael all of the sabotage she's been up to, he rightly and imaginatively tells her off but then, kindly, forgives his friend immediately.
"You Know What? You Are Rude And Mean And Sloppy And Frizzy. I Don't Like You At All!" - 13 Going on 30
Before leading the rest of the 13 Going on 30 cast into that iconic "Thriller" dance sequence to liven up her company party, Jennifer Garner's Jenna Rink and her co-editor-slash-best friend Lucy Wyman (Judy Greer) get into some words with rival magazine editrix Trish Sackett (Kiersten Warren) of Sparkle magazine. When Trish trashes Poise and tells them to change the publication's name to "Poison or Pitiful, whatever's more pathetic," Jenna partakes in some hilariously innocent smack talk.
"I Love This Man, And There Is No Way I'm Gonna Give Him Up To Some Two-Faced, Big-Haired Food Critic!" - My Best Friend's Wedding
If anyone—even a veritable America's Sweetheart like Julia Roberts—tried to ruin our wedding by smooching the groom, we'd react pretty much exactly like Cameron Diaz does in My Best Friend's Wedding. Her character confronts Roberts's scheming Jules Potter in the women's bathroom of a baseball stadium, and with onlookers cheering her on, Diaz knocks her tirade out of the park.
"I Do Not Need A Blind Date. Particularly Not With Some Verbally Incontinent Spinster Who Drinks Like A Fish, Smokes Like A Chimney, And Dresses Like Her Mother." - Bridget Jones's Diary
Taking inspiration from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sharon Maguire's beloved 2001 title Bridget Jones's Diary features a similar enemies-to-lovers trajectory for our leading lady Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) and her eventual beau Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). However, after hearing Mark's harsh and haughty words about Bridget upon their first meeting at the Turkey Curry Buffet, we can't totally blame Bridge for initially writing him off as a wanker.
"Get Married, Make Babies! You Look So... Old! - My Big Fat Greek Wedding
A parent's criticism usually comes from a place of love, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt! In 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 30-year-old Toula Portokalos (actress-screenwriter Nia Vardalos) is living out her spinster days working at her parents' restaurant, with her dad Gus (Michael Constantine) giving her a hard time about settling down with a nice Greek man and making nice Greek babies. Instead, he gets John Corbett!
"If Staying Here Means Working Within 10 Yards Of You, Frankly, I'd Rather Have A Job Wiping Saddam Hussein's Arse." - Bridget Jones's Diary
Since he cheated on her and broke her heart—all while she was humiliatingly dressed as a Playboy Bunny—Bridget Jones' caddish boss-turned-boyfriend Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) deserved every bit of this verbal takedown from our eponymous heroine (Renée Zellweger).
"Do You Prefer 'Fashion Victim' Or 'Ensembly Challenged'? - Clueless
Beloved '90s movie Clueless is as much about the clothes as it is the comedy, with characters like Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash) and Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy) decked out in some majorly iconic outfits throughout the funny flick. However, style, or lack thereof, is also the subject of many insults in the movie, especially aimed at Cher's frenemy Amber Mariens (Elisa Donovan).
"Are You The Billionaire Owner Of Apple Computers? No? In That Case, You've Got No Right To Wear New Balance Sneakers, Ever." - Crazy, Stupid, Love.
At the center of the star-studded 2011 ensemble comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love is Cal Weaver (played by Steve Carell), a middle-aged dad and recently separated man who learns how to be more stylish and romantic to attract women. At his side is the debonair womanizer Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), who is fantastically funny and, yes, a little mean with his constructive criticism of Cal's dorky wardrobe.
"I Cannot Believe I Wasted My Prime Reproductive Years On You! I Hope You Have Terrible Karma And Come Back In The Next Life As A Nasty Little Lizard And Get Stepped On By Someone On A Hike! You Are Getting The Finger So Hard Right Now!" - Always Be My Maybe
In the 2019 friends-to-lovers flick Always Be My Maybe, comedienne Ali Wong plays Sasha Tran, a celebrity chef who is engaged to successful restaurateur Brandon Choi (Daniel Dae Kim). However, when Brandon delays their wedding yet again, Sasha brutally breaks up with him over the phone with increasingly colorful language.
"When Was The Last Time You Tweezed?...Ever Watch Sesame Street? You Know Bert?" - She's All That
One of the best makeover scenes in the rom-com genre can be found in the 1999 fan-favorite She's All That, where big-man-on-campus Zack Siler (played by Freddie Prinze Jr.) makes a bet to turn artsy nerd Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen. That requires ridding Laney of her paint-splattered overalls and thick-rimmed glasses, so Zack enlists his stylish sister Mack (Anna Paquin) to offer some mercilessly worded assistance.
"I Thought You Said She Was Thin?" - Bridget Jones's Diary
It's one thing to have your partner commit infidelity—with the leggy, young coworker from the New York office, no less—but it's another thing entirely when you find out that the leggy, young coworker not only knows about you but also insults you straight to your face. Such is the romantic horror that happens to Bridget Jones, made even worse by the fact that the Brit regularly displays insecurity about her weight throughout the 2001 comedy.
"You With Your Theme Park, Multi-Level, Homogenize-The-World Mochaccino Land. You've Deluded Yourself Into Thinking That You're Some Sort Of Benefactor, Bringing Books To The Masses. But No One Will Ever Remember You, Joe Fox...You Are Nothing But A Suit!" - You've Got Mail
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are two rom-com partners we think are overdue for an onscreen reunion, but in You've Got Mail, their characters couldn't want to spend less time with each other. Ryan plays Kathleen Kelly, who runs the quaint neighborhood bookseller The Shop Around the Corner; Hanks portrays Joe Fox, the head of major bookstore chain Fox Books. Their rivalry cuts deep, as evidenced by Kathleen's harsh words to Joe—but that rivalry soon turns to romance.
"Snap Out Of It!" - Moonstruck
Arguably, the worst reply to you telling someone that you love them is for them to smack you across the face and yell, "Snap out of it!" Though not the most romantic response to a declaration of love, the scene did cement Moonstruck as one of Cher's best movies, with the music icon winning an Oscar for playing a widowed Italian American woman who falls in love with her fiancé's estranged younger brother (played by Nicolas Cage).
"I Love Your Sweater. Does That Come In A V-Neck?" - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The infamous waxing scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin is the stuff of comedy legend, with Paul Rudd previously revealing that all of the actors' reactions were genuine as they watched star Steve Carell get his chest hair ripped off IRL. Making things even funnier is the savage, on-the-spot jokes that the cast came up with while watching the body-wax horror before them, including Rudd declaring that Carell's exceptionally hairy torso resembled a pullover sweater.
"Yeah, You Just Take Soupy-Sales To Prom I Can Think Of So Many Cooler Things To Do That Night. Like, You Know What, Bleek? I Might Pumice My Feet, Uh, I Might Go To Bren's Unitarian Church, Maybe Get Hit By A Truck Full Of Hot Garbage Juice, You Know? Cause All Those Things, Would Be Exponentially Cooler Than Going To Prom With You!" - Juno
The quirky love story between 16-year-old high-schooler Juno MacGuff (played by Elliot Page) and her track-team BFF Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) is certainly an unconventional one, seeing as how the teen girl falls pregnant with his baby before they've even begun dating. But just because they weren't technically together doesn't mean that Juno didn't clearly harbor romantic feelings for her longtime pal, as she gets plenty jealous when Paulie asks another girl to prom.
"I've Never Met Anyone So Manipulative, So Deceitful, And I'm in Politics!" - Sweet Home Alabama
They say you never forget your first love and that's certainly true for Melanie Smooter (Reese Witherspoon), the small-town girl turned big-city fashion designer who left her Alabama hometown as well as her estranged husband Jake Perry (played by Josh Lucas and not Matthew McConaughey, despite popular belief) behind. However, years later, at her wedding to the wealthy Andrew Hennings (Patrick Demsey), she not only comes clean about her rural roots but also her lingering feelings for Jake. It goes without saying that Andrew's powerful mother, New York City mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen), is not pleased to hear about Melanie's deception.
"You Didn't Think You Became Popular For Real, Did You? Oh, You Did? That's So Sweet." - She's All That
A late-'90s retelling of Pygmalion, She's All That centers on Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a popular jock who boasts he could make any girl at his high school popular. His buddy Deah (Paul Walker) suggests artsy outsider Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) and, using his own popularity as well as a strategic makeover as a status boost, Zack manages to get Laney nominated for prom queen. However, when the bet is revealed to Laney, Zack's ex-girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) digs the knife in even further with her cruel words.
"You Are Afraid To Be Alive. You Are Afraid To Live. You're A Hypocrite. You're A Conformist. You're A Liar. I Opened Up To You And You Judged Me." - Silver Linings Playbook
Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning performance as widow Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook is an unflinchingly alive and bracingly funny one. Equal parts volatile and vulnerable, Tiffany is not one to back down from a fight, and that's certainly the case in this scene-causing blowup between her and Bradley Cooper's Pat Solitano Jr.
"I've Never Treated You Like A Prostitute." - Pretty Woman
With all of its Roy Orbison-soundtracked shopping montages and flower-filled grand gestures, it's easy to forget at times that Pretty Women is very much about a street worker, a fact that Richard Gere's Edward Lewis unkindly reminds street walker Vivian Ward (a dazzling Julia Roberts) of after offering her an apartment, a car and money with which to take care of herself—everything but his heart.
"It's Sentimental Tacky Crap! Do We Look Like The Kind Of Store That Sells 'I Just Called to Say I Love You'? Go To The Mall." - High Fidelity
The Jon Cusack-led rom-com High Fidelity centers on the romantic antics of record-store manager Rob Gordon, and along with offering up a fittingly fantastic soundtrack, the 2000 title is filled with memorable music-related moments. Several of them revolve around Rob's Championship Vinyl cohorts Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black), the latter of whom does not hold back when it comes to rudely judging their customers' musical tastes.
"You Old, She Pregnant. Can't Have A Bunch Of Old Pregnant Women Running Around!" - Knocked Up
This interaction from Judd Apatow's Knocked Up is actually doubly mean, as it kicks off with Leslie Mann's mom-of-two Debbie hilariously rages against a nightclub bouncer (Craig Robinson) who went let her and her pregnant sister Alison (Katherine Heigl) through the venue's velvet ropes. ("You know what, you may have power now, but you are not God. You're a DOORMAN!") But said bouncer makes things even more hilarious when he plainly lays out exactly why he's denying the women entry.
"I Don't Think We Have Anything For You. You're Obviously In The Wrong Place. Please Leave!" - Pretty Woman
The scene birthed one of the greatest clapbacks in cinema history: "You work on commission, right? Big mistake! Big, huge!" But before Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) could get that delicious revenge against the snooty shopkeepers who slighted her in Pretty Woman, the sex worker was sadly on the receiving end of the boutique employees' mean condescension.
"I Don't Think You're Supposed To Wear White Jeans After 1983." - Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed may be one of Drew Barrymore's best movies, but admittedly, if undercover reporter Josie Gellar really wanted to blend into the crowd while posing as a high-school student, an all-white outfit complete with a feather boa might not have been the most inconspicuous ensemble for her first day. Still, Josie did not deserve the mean-girl comments of South Glen South High's resident popular clique Kirsten (Jessica Alba), Gibby (Jordan Ladd) and Kristin (Marley Shelton).
"I'm Going To Help You Rediscover Your Manhood. Do You Have Any Idea Where You Could Have Lost It?" - Crazy, Stupid, Love.
In Crazy, Stupid, Love., sleek Casanova Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) gives newly separated dad of three Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) some much-needed pointers on how to dress well, how to talk to women, and so on. And though his intentions are charitable and kind, the way he offers up criticism to Cal could be a bit kinder.
"Thank You Josh. I SO Need Lessons From You On How To Be Cool. Tell Me The Part About Kenny G Again?" - Clueless
The back-and-forth banter between Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz and Paul Rudd's Josh Lucas are some of the best parts of that mid-'90s favorite, Clueless. And though Cher certainly gives him a hard time about his clothes. his classes and his Nietzsche-reading ways, it's not long until she realizes that she's "majorly, totally, butt crazy in love with Josh!"
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