From classics like “When Harry Met Sally” to recent movies like “Leap Year,” romantic comedies are almost as common a genre as they are popular. Often hilarious and heartwarming, “rom coms” can offer the escape many crave when watching movies. Many students — and teachers — at RM would agree, so here are three RM favorites (in no particular order).

Leap Year

According to an Irish tradition, a woman can propose to her boyfriend once every four years, on Leap Day. Anna Brady, however, is absolutely sure that her boyfriend is going to propose to her. But, when she opens the box, there are… earrings? Wait, what?

She decides to take action in the form of a plane trip to Dublin, but things don’t exactly go as planned. The plane crashes in Wales and Anna is left terrified and alone, looking for someone to drive her to Dublin. The man who agrees is not exactly the nicest person, and they don’t quite start off on the right foot.

“They start off completely hating each other, so there are a lot of funny moments from that,” explained freshman Annabelle Sargent, who wholeheartedly recommended the film.

Despite the rocky start to their relationship, things slowly start to change around halfway through the movie. The chemistry between the two seems natural as they make their way from complete loathing to grudging companionship to, finally, romance.

Just one problem: Anna still has a boyfriend, who seems to offer her everything she’s ever wanted. Is the girl who has her entire life planned out willing to change her mind for a sarcastic, risk-loving Irishman?

Love Actually

Recently re-popularized by an SNL sketch about Hillary Clinton, “Love Actually” is a British romantic comedy that involves three separate love stories, loosely intertwined throughout. Hugh Grant, the new British Prime Minister, is introduced to one of the household staff, Natalie, and is instantly smitten, and completely unhappy at the prospect.

Mark is the best man at a friend Peter’s wedding, and also has apparent contempt for the bride, Juliet. His friend calls him up to ask if Juliet could have some of the wedding footage, begging Mark to be kind. Grudgingly, Mark searches for the footage, and spends a long time making excuses about why he can’t show her. When, he finally does show her, there is a surprise: Almost all the footage is of her.

Jamie, meanwhile fresh off of his own breakup, falls in love with a lovely Portugese woman in his French cottage, despite neither of them speaking the same language. When he leaves for England again, they both expect never to see each other again.

Math teacher Laura Goetz said that she liked the movie because she likes happy endings “I want to be able to root for the couple the entire time,” Ms. Goetz explained. In this movie, there are three couples to be able root for.

A lot of the comedy aspect of the film comes not from the relationships but from the personalities of the characters. Additionally, the three storylines of the movie don’t always obviously intertwine, and it occasionally seems like there are three separate stories rather than just one involving three couples. There is also a lot more conflict than in a usual romantic comedy, but there are also plenty of lighter moments to break up the tension.

The Proposal

Margaret Tate, a rather cold editor, is told that she has violated the terms of her visa, and will be deported soon. Rather than face deportation, she forces an employee, Andrew, to marry her, telling everyone that they are engaged.

Andrew’s family is overjoyed, and invites the “couple” to stay over at their house. This means sharing a room, a bed, and far too many personal details for anyone’s comfort.

Over the course of the weekend, they surprise themselves by becoming, at the very least, friends. Like “Leap Year,” this is another romantic comedy where the protagonists start out hating each other and slowly grow closer.

The funny interactions between Margaret and the rest of the family, as she and Andrew fumble to make their relationship believable, contribute to the comedy of the film. There are also plenty of awkward moments between Margaret and Andrew, as they toe the fine line between having as little physical contact as possible and trying to appear in love.

Due to these encounters, it is a fun movie to watch. “The comedy part needs to be a part of [the movie],” Ms. Goetz explained, listing off criteria for a good romantic comedy and explaining why this movie met them.

Whether you are looking for an interesting plot, something fun, or a nice romance, these movies are a good place to start.