I had high hopes for this movie because Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are the leads. Sadly, it did disappoint. It was slow-paced, devoid of any real plot, and honestly, kind of depressing. The romantic angle was also hard to believe because neither Tom nor Julia showed any type of interest in each other until the last 30 minutes of the film. It’s a very easily forgotten movie.

You would think a super sexy spy rom-com would really spice up this list, but the convoluted storyline and constant plot twists made it hard to glean anything from this film. It had all the makings of a perfect rom-com, but the product was not at all satisfying. I typically love spy movies, especially ones like this where there are no good guys or bad guys, but with this movie, it wasn’t even enjoyable because I had no clue what was going on. I was so busy trying to figure out what was happening that it was hard to appreciate when there were moments of flirting or sweetness between Julia and Clive Owen. 

I’m not sure why more people aren’t aware of this film; it’s actually quite unique and interesting. Unlike other romantic comedies, this one is definitely indie style, and is packed with adventure. Julia and Brad Pitt play passionate lovers, torn apart by their separate life goals, and then literally torn apart when Brad’s mobster character’s life goes haywire. Although Brad and Julia are apart for most of the movie, you can still feel the love they have for each other in all of their dialogue and angry rants. The added bonus plot-wise is the adorable relationship between Julia’s character and the hitman assigned to kidnap her. There are also some surprisingly insightful takes on love and life throughout the movie.

Say what you want about all of these movies, but I think they are heartwarming and sweet. Julia’s character doesn’t necessarily take up any passionate lovers in this movie, but her role as a loving mother doing whatever it takes to get home to her son is heartbreakingly beautiful. She and Bradley Cooper’s banter is what makes this movie. 

Ah yes, the classic love triangle. Acting-wise, I can see why this movie fell flat in award-winning discourse, but it’s certainly fun. It was exciting to watch Julia and Catherine Zeta-Jones play polar opposite sisters, both competing for the same man. And the romance between Julia’s character and John Cusack was sweet and developed over a long time. Julia made the cutest, shy nerd, and the messy plot was fun to watch unfold. 

I remember when this movie came out, the expectations were high for a book adaptation of such a worldwide bestseller. But Julia Roberts was the perfect Liz. She was delightfully charming, incredibly down to earth, and annoyingly relatable. She and Javier Bardem were the perfect recipe for a movie about sex, love, and good food. Their passion for each other almost burned through the screen, and this is a prime example of a film where Julia acted with her whole face in every scene. Every vein in her face was giving a top-notch performance. 

For a movie featuring Dennis Quaid and Julia Roberts as the leads, I expected more, but this film has an extremely unsatisfying ending. The movie is really about relationships in all forms, not just romantic ones. There’s the cheating husband, the father-daughter dynamic, the sisterly bond, and two daughters who love, but are disappointed in their mother. Overall, the dynamic between Julia Roberts and Kyra Sedgwick, who plays her sister, was one of the best parts of the movie. It was empowering to watch so many strong female characters fight for what they want, which is why the ending was such a let down. To me, this whole movie was leaning toward a message of strength and empowerment, so ending with Julia’s character getting back with a man who cheated on her felt like it missed the mark. Although, on the one hand, I do appreciate the message that even when you grow apart, the love that remains between two people is strong. 

I had personally never heard of this movie until writing this roundup, but it was excellent. Beyond being a unique, film noir style romantic comedy, it’s just a great movie. It was fun to see Julia Roberts in a role where she wasn’t the fiery, magnetic dream girl, and instead was a dedicated, career-driven reporter. There was mystery, intrigue, and romance, of course, but it’s the witty banter and competitive nature of the two leads that really drove this movie. My favorite exchange: “You read the Chronicle?” “Well, I figured somebody in town still should.” 

This movie tends to fly under the radar, but it’s a beautiful coming-of-age romantic comedy, and it’s also Julia’s breakout role. Everything about this movie is great, but Julia was clearly the standout. Playing the carefree, stubborn, and mesmerizing Daisy, it’s easy to see how she cemented her role in Hollywood as the choice actor for strong female leads. Beyond just the romantic angle, this film also tells a beautiful story of ever-evolving friendships.

Julia’s character is chaotic in this movie, and I loved every minute of it. Leave it to Julia Roberts to play the perfect rough and tough type who fixes cars and knows about machinery, but isn’t annoying or in your face about it. Once again, she and Richard Gere deliver the perfect level of witty banter and enemies to lovers trope. She’s in her element in this film — a woman with a magnetic charm and air of mystery in everything she does. My main question is how did she get every boy in town to fall in love with her?

“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” Ohhh yes. It is this line and this line delivery, specifically, that make the entire film. Julia Roberts could have won an Oscar for this scene alone. I have never seen someone so perfectly eat up such a short line. Besides this scene, the rest of the film feels quaint, like a salt breeze by the seaside, warm scarf on a cold day type rom-com — the kind that sneaks up on you in its excellence. It’s not fast-paced, and not a lot happens. It’s just a beautiful story of two people who fell in love and ultimately decided to be together against all odds. 

Props to this movie for featuring some genuine laugh-out-loud comedy. The end scene with Julia chasing Dermot Mulroney who is chasing Cameron Diaz is such a perfectly chaotic way to illustrate unrequited love. The dialogue drives the plot forward, and viewers remain guessing the whole time on who will actually end up together in the end. One thing I’ve always loved about Julia Roberts as an actor is her ability to convey such strong emotions with her facial expressions — and this movie is a true testament to that as we see her yearn for Dermot with every ounce of her being. 

Not only is this Julia Roberts’ best rom-com, but hands down, this is one of the greatest romantic comedies ever. Period. It’s got all of the elements of a perfect rom-com: star-crossed lovers, perfect flirting, lingering looks, excellent chemistry between the leads, and some genuinely endearing comedic moments. Plus, the movie is well made, and Julia was an absolute standout. She was so captivating in this role that no matter how many times I’ve seen it, I can never look away.