Anatomy of a Romantic Comedy: ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’

‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ is a perfect romcom and here’s why.

I’ve been watching a lot of romcoms lately. When you’re stuck in isolation, there’s no better way to cheer yourself up than with a happy, sappy romcom.

As a self-proclaimed expert in romcoms, I have a lot favorites in the genre. From You’ve Got Mail to Pretty Woman, there’s so many that I could tout the virtues of.

But there is one that has always had my heart as a true frontrunner. And it is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

It’s probably not the most expected choice. It’s certainly not lauded by critics as an exceptional film. And it wasn’t made by Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers.

But I believe it deserves its place in the Romcom Hall of Fame. Here’s why:

The Clever Concept

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is the story of Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), an advice columnist whose newest article will discuss the dating faux pas women make. In the course of her research, Andie plans to date a guy and drive him away using those dating faux pas as an experiment for the article.

Ben Barry (Matthew McConaughey), on the other hand, is an advertising executive who…