Jennifer Lopezs Rom-Coms Ranked, From Maid in Manhattan to Shotgun Wedding

Jennifer Lopez’s latest film “Shotgun Wedding” has landed on Amazon Prime Video.

The action rom-com arrives in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day, but also serves as a reminder of Lopez’s commanding presence as the queen of romantic comedies.

Lopez is the queen of the rom-com genre. Her movies range from true timeless classics to others that simply entertain. She’s had her share of dashing leading men who take audiences and her character through the tears, the laughter and joy.

No matter what, Lopez never fails to deliver the glamor, the heart and the happily ever after.

In honor of “Shotgun Wedding’s” release, Variety ranks Lopez’s rom-com films.

• The Wedding Planner

  

  “The Wedding Planner” is the creme de la creme of rom-coms. Over 20 years later, the film stands the test of time as a brilliant comedy and romance.

  This 2001 film is a classic. It’s perfect. And hence it claims the top spot as the best J.Lo romantic comedy of all time.

  Not only did it solidify Lopez’s stature as a leading lady, but the chemistry between her and Matthew McConaughey is also undeniable.

  They meet when her heel gets caught in a grate and she’s about to be run over by a runaway garbage dumpster. Cue McConaughey’s Steve, a pediatrician who happens to be close by, who swoops in to save her from getting hit by that dumpster.

  They date and she’s smitten. Naturally, they’re perfect for each other.

  The snag is that Steve is engaged to her biggest client, and Lopez’s Mary has a suitor, Massimo, in the form of Justin Chambers.

  By the time she learns about Steve, it’s too late, they’ve fallen hard for one another.

  The film is charming with plenty of elegance and funny moments. “The Wedding Planner” continues to be one of the best romcoms of all time, and undeniably one of Lopez’s finest roles as she turns on all the charm and you want her character to live happily ever after.

• Maid in Manhattan

  

  Lopez plays Marisa Ventura, a single mother who works as a maid in a sleek mid-town Manhattan hotel.

  Ralph Fiennes plays Chris, a Senate candidate staying at the hotel, who stumbles on Marisa as she’s trying on a crisp Dolce & Gabbana suit belonging to Natasha Richardson’s Caroline. He asks her out and complications arise as Marisa has to find a way to tell him the truth.

  Fiennes and Lopez have perfect chemistry and a young Tyler Posey as Ty, Marisa’s son, makes this all the more spellbinding in a film that cemented Lopez as the queen of rom-com.

  Finnes is charming and Lopez is irresistible.

  The absolute highlight is when Marisa emerges at the MET party wearing an unforgettable strapless peach chiffon gown searching for Chris in the crowd.

  Overall, it leans more to the dramatic side of rom-coms, but there are funny moments – a brief dance scene to “I’m Coming Out.”

  When Ty pleads for Chris to give his mother a second chance, that’s all the audience wants, and that’s enough for “Maid in Manhattan” to secure second place. How can you resist the boy’s plea?

• Monster-in-Law

  

  “Monster-In-Law” is simply a riot.

  Michael Vartan plays Dr. Kevin Fields, and while he and Lopez’s Charlie are adorable, the best moments are between Jane Fonda as the monster-mother-in-law-to-be who will stop at nothing to keep Charlie and Kevin from being together.

  There’s nothing like seeing physical comedy in action like when Viola (Fonda) repeatedly slams Charlie’s face into a wedding cake, or Charlie slaps Viola and the two engage in a slap fight.

  “Monster-in-Law” is a classic, rounded out with a cast of supporting characters that includes Wanda Skyes, Adam Scott, and the late Elaine Stritch.

  This is just delicious, delightful and altogether fun.

• Shotgun Wedding

  

  All hail a new title for Lopez. Queen of the action rom-com!

  Josh Duhamel steps in as Lopez’s leading man in “Shotgun Wedding.”

  Darcy (Lopez) and Tom have planned the perfect wedding, a private island on the Phillippines with their closest friends and family gathered for the big day.

  It’s heaven on earth amid this paradise setting until pirates show up while the pair are mid-fight and moments away from calling off the wedding.

  Cue the action, adventure and a ton of comedy. Jennifer Coolidge plays Tom’s mother who easily steals every line she delivers.

  There’s non-stop action, there’s zip-lining, there’s Lopez trying not to drop a live hand grenade and there are plenty of laughs to go around.

  Duhamel and Lopez are brilliant together and ooze plenty of chemistry. There is sheer delight in watching the duo bicker and banter their way through the situation as they try to figure things out and save their guests as well as their own relationship.

• Marry Me

  

  In “Marry Me,” Lopez plays Kat, a global singing sensation. She’s set to marry Bastian (Maluma) a pop star from Puerto Rico. The duo plan to perform their hit song “Marry Me” and swap vows at Kat’s concert.

  What could possibly go wrong? Moments before going on stage, Kat learns Bastian has been cheating on her. Kat appears in front of her fans and a global audience who have tuned in for the nuptials, wearing a glamorous, embellished wedding gown with sequins covering a massive skirt and veil.

  Enter Owen Wilson’s Charlie, a divorced, single dad who teaches at a school in Brooklyn. She spots him and on a whim, marries him.

  The chemistry is a slow burn as Charlie and Kat try to assimilate into each other’s world, but by God, in the end, you’re beaming the cheesiest grin, rooting for them to get their act together and work it out.

• Shall We Dance?

  

  Richard Gere is Lopez’s man of the hour here, and they do provide a romantic spark, but sadly this is not so much about Lopez’s character getting the man of her dreams.

  “Shall We Dance?” has plenty of sweetness as Gere’s John takes ballroom dancing classes. Here, she serves as the catalyst to help inject love and a passionate flame back into John’s loveless marriage. But the woman in question is Susan Sarandon.

  “Shall We Dance?” is lovely, and that’s about it.

• Second Act

  

  While “Second Act” is more about a woman trying to empower herself and start over – hence the title -the film does have the ever-dashing Milo Ventimiglia as Lopez’s love interest.

  The romantic aspect comes second as Maya Vargas (Lopez) grabs a job opportunity by its horns. Maya goes from assistant manager of a store in Queens to working a consultancy at a Manhattan consumer-products firm.

  Ventimiglia plays the loyal boyfriend Trey and she’s supported here by a cast that includes Leah Remini and Vanessa Hudgens.

• The Back-Up Plan

  

  Lopez plays Zoe, a pet store owner. She wants a baby and gets tired of waiting for Mr. Right to show up. Just as she undergoes artificial insemination, Alex O’Loughlin’s Stan comes in to her life.

  O’Loughlin is charming and rather underrated as a leading man. The cat-and-mouse chase makes for good entertainment as audiences wait for the pair to realize they’re actually perfect for one another. And yes, O’Loughlin and Lopez were a perfectly sweet on-screen pairing.

• Jersey Girl

  

  Spoiler alert… Lopez’s character gets killed off and dies in childbirth really early in the film.

  But “Jersey Girl” still deserves a mention.

  “Jersey Girl” was the finer of the Affleck-Lopez collaborations, and not as cheesy as “Gigli” – see next entry. Kevin Smith helmed this story of Ollie as he deals with grief, and loss and finds love again in the form of Liv Tyler’s Maya.

  Ollie’s relationship with his daughter Gertie is really the film’s love story and heart. In considering this film, years later, it’s a tender look at “girl dad” Ollie and his journey, and it’s lovely.

  The film got a bad rap when it was released and was considered a flop, but if you’re looking to revisit a rom-com, this one is worth your time.

• What to Expect When You're Expecting

  

  Another worthy honorable mention as Lopez plays Holly, a woman struggling with fertility so she looks at adopting a baby instead. Her husband, Alex, played by Rodrigo Santoro, isn’t too keen on the idea at first. They’ve bought a new house and Holly has lost her job, but she doesn’t tell him.

  Naturally, he finds out and they argue. The confrontation scene with Holly and Alex is all too real and sad. “I can’t do the one thing that a woman is supposed to do,” Holly tells him.

  Parenthood is scary, and when Alex tells Holly he’s scared and she replies, “We can be scared together,” it’s a heartfelt interpretation of a common fear.

  The film is based on the best-selling how-to book by Heidi Murkoff and follows five couples who are all expecting babies. But the best scenes really are those with Holly and Alex.

• Gigli

  

  Enter “Gigli” in last place.

  “It’s turkey time, gobble gobble.” Enough said.

Read More About:

• Jennifer Lopez,
• Romantic Comedy,
• Shotgun Wedding

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