Frugal Date Night Movies to Make you Laugh

Written by Nicole Dean

Romance is serious business, right? Or is it? If you’re taking your romance too seriously, and it’s not working, try a little humor.

You and your husband have decided to rent a movie, open a bottle of wine, and farm out the kids tonight for an inexpensive date night. Before you pick out a movie, take this short test. Would your husband stay awake long enough to a) watch The Notebook, a painfully bittersweet love story or b) see the end of any Jim Carey movie.

My answer is easy. My husband would opt for a root canal rather than sitting through a movie like The Notebook or Terms of Endearment. Now don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean he isn’t romantic. He loves me and our family very deeply. He’s simply not a fan of traditional, serious romance movies.

A date night at home has to be relaxing. Otherwise, where’s the romance? If I’ve learned anything about my husband, it’s that a few laughs in a relaxed atmosphere is the best romantic remedy we can have in our busy lives. Thanks to Bill Murray, Jim Carrey, Matt Dillon, Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller, we have wonderful, warm laughs… with kisses mixed in!

If your husband is like mine, he’s feeling the same need for romance with a healthy dose of belly laughs. These are some of our favorite fun movies.

The Princess Bride (1987): Many men may feel the same as the little boy in the beginning of the movie; being read a book by Grandpa that starts out with the kissing part. Yuk! Well, the boy finds out very quickly, and so will your husband, that this love story is a rough and tumble story of a Pirate, evil Prince, and the Princess who is betrothed to the Prince but loves the Pirate. There’s a lot of swashbuckling and ridiculously funny slapstick and innuendo. I dare you to watch this movie and NOT fall in love with it!

Groundhog Day (1993): This movie is not only funny, it’s a look into human potential for love and living life through the repetition of one, dreary Groundhog Day… over and over and over… until a miserably cryptic weatherman, played by Bill Murray, can get it right. Through the process, he tries to figure out how to win the love of the woman who, well, starts out really not liking him in the least. The movie is a classic and one that you’ll want to watch over and over and over and over…

Wedding Crashers (2005): Two divorce mediators have the whole “guaranteed date” thing figured out. They crash weddings to meet women. They don’t just hide out at these weddings, they jump right in, joining the family in pictures, dancing, and making up stories right along to get them in with the “chicks”. Of course, there’s love in the air so the story has a few twists and the guys have to learn a few lessons about love and life. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are hilariously loveable goofs.

The Wedding Singer (1998): Adam Sandler plays a 1980’s wedding singer, Robbie, who is a classic example of everything we knew and loved… even the mullet hairstyle! He meets and befriends the lovely Julia, the waitress at the wedding reception hall. Robbie sinks into despair when his fiance leaves him at the altar. Julia is going to marry a man that is just all wrong. There are so many funny and touching moments, that you’ll want to watch this movie over again and again to catch it all. Oh, and, the song Robbie sings to Julia, ‘Grow Old With You’, will brings tears to your eyes… and your husband, too.

Fun With Dick and Jane (2005): Dick and Jane’s ‘good life’ comes to an abrupt halt when their plans for a comfortable future crumble with the collapse of the company stock, pension fund, and Dick’s job. Dick, as a middle manager, gets hung out to dry and blamed for the stock collapse. Humiliated, Dick and Jane snap and start doing whatever they can to hang on, which includes going on a wildly funny blue-collar crime spree. But, things change and they end up getting retribution for their co-workers and revenge on the person who really caused the collapse. Jim Carrey is hilariously funny, but with a very gentle heart. You’ll be cheering the victors at the end.

Love Actually (2003): These are eight short stories of love and life, with a good spattering of laughs and light moments woven all through the movie. You’ll see some romance, as well as love between a father and his son, siblings, and warm friendships. These are beautifully written stories that illustrate that there are many forms of love and that Love Actually is all around us. You’ll laugh, yes, but be prepared to have your heart touched a little, too.

Taking romance seriously can really be hard to do, especially if your husband is like so many others. They need a laugh or two to relax and start to enjoy themselves… and you! Pick out a funny romantic movie, get cozy, and enjoy your time together.

You are invited to www.RomanceYourHusband.com , a website dedicated to helping married couples stay friends and to help them remember why they married each other in the first place. Our disclaimer is: If he’s a jerk, this won’t work. But, if he’s sweet, rub his feet.

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