9 Best Rom-Com Movies That Would Make You Want to Go on a Beach Trip
There are many films where the destination becomes the star. For example, a romantic comedy that showcases beautiful beach towns, luxurious islands, landscapes, and culture is a movie that inspires us to fall in love and visit a prime destination or relive our time there when we get home. So when looking for inspiration to start planning your upcoming beach trip, here is a list of the best rom-com movies to help you choose your vacation destination.
Just Go With It (2011)
“Just Go With It” was shot in Maui and Kauai, so Adam Sandler has a thing for Hawaii as a movie location. The Grand Wailea in Maui was the primary location for the film’s Hawaiian scenes. However, they also film a breathtaking moment as the characters trek to a spectacular waterfall on Kauai, Hawaii’s ‘Garden Island,’ renowned for its gorgeous natural panorama.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Famous actors such as Kristen Bell, Jason Segal, Mila Kunis, and Russell Brand feature in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Segal plays an aspiring puppeteer who plans a vacation at a Maui resort only to run into his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend (Brand). The North Shore of Oahu, specifically at the Turtle Bay Resort, was used for filming.
Stuck in Love (2012)
Stuck in Love tells the story of a divorced author (Greg Kinnear) who is fascinated with his ex-wife (Jennifer Connelly) while his neighbor-with-benefits (Kristen Bell) attempts to get him back into the dating pool. At the same time, his daughter (Lily Collins) is working on her first book.
This romantic comedy was filmed in Wilmington, considered one of the most beautiful riverfront cities in the United States. Filming locations included different houses on Wrightsville Beach, the Wilmington Riverwalk, Wilmington Ice House, Betsy’s Crêpes, Old Books, and the Cotton Exchange.
Aquamarine (2006)
Starring Emma Roberts, Sara Paxton, and Jojo, Aquamarine is a movie about Florida, released in 2006. The film shows the story of two friends having to look after Aquamarine (Sara Paxton), a mermaid who wants to prove to her father that love between humans exists.
According to the story, the setting is near Tampa, but it was filmed in Australia. This movie holds a lot of nostalgia for a generation that learned how love between friends is as strong and significant as romantic love. And, of course, the whole environment makes its viewers long to be on a beautiful beach like the one where Aquamarine experiences all her adventures.
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
This is an ideal chick flick. “Something’s Gotta Give” is funny and brilliant and was shot in some of the most romantic settings, including the Hamptons, New York City, California, and France. It stars Diane Keaton (Erica Barry), Jack Nicholson (Harry Sanborn), and Amanda Peet (Marin Klein).
Erica Barry is a successful playwright and divorced mother to twenty-something Marin Klein, who is dating 60-year-old Harry Sanborn. Marin takes her new acquaintance Harry to her mother’s Hamptons beach home for a weekend escape, unaware that her mother would be there. Erica feels disgusted by the relationship and Harry’s misogynistic behavior. But when Harry has a heart attack, and a doctor (Keanu Reeves) orders bed rest at the Barry home, he falls for Erica, who may be out of his league for the first time.
The beach scenes in the Hamptons were shot at Water Mill’s stunning Flying Point Beach near Southampton. This beach has a large area of magnificent sand bank mixed with traditional beach cottages and dunes. Watching “Something’s Gotta Give” will inspire many of us to plan a vacation to the Hamptons.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
The vibrant beach scenes in Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are unparalleled in filmmaking. If you haven’t watched them, you may be familiar with the flicks as “the movies with all the ABBA songs.” The first one revolves around three guys who go to the stunningly gorgeous and made-up Greek island of Kalokairi to attend the wedding of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), whom they all believe they’re the father of. And in the sequel, Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna five years after the events of Mamma Mia! as she learns more about her mother’s background Donna (Meryl Streep).
If you wish to visit the area seen in the film, it is the Greek island of Skopelos, and they shot the sequel on the Croatian island of Vis. Skopelos has recently become a popular tourist destination due to a well-hidden yet well-marked Mamma Mia! trail.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
“Always Be My Maybe”, Netflix’s 2019 success, is an unusual rom-com starring Ali Wong as a successful entrepreneur who returns to her San Francisco home for a new endeavor.
Ali Wong’s character runs into an old friend here, and as the narrative progresses, old affections revived in a humorous sequence of misadventures. The movie boasts a hilarious appearance by Keanu Reeves and brings to life many of San Francisco’s renowned locations in a series of gorgeously shot moments.
The protagonists eat lunch in Chinatown, play drinking games with Keanu at the opulent Fairmont Hotel, and dine at the Modern Jewish Museum. It’s sure to instill some bayside wanderlust in all of us, with pictures of the city’s famed cable cars, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Golden Gate Bridge, and many pastel-hued townhouses.
Couples Retreat (2009)
The 2009 romantic comedy’s primary actors were Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, and Jon Favreau—the plot centers on four couples on vacation on a tropical island resort. Although one of the couples is working on their marriage, the others must realize that attending the resort’s therapy sessions is optional.
Almost the whole film was filmed in the opulent St. Regis Resort, referred to as “Eden East” and “Eden West” in the movie. Fish-filled turquoise lagoons surround the location with the most transparent water, a tropical paradise, and various other amenities ranging from shower spas to overwater villas. Then, of course, you can visit it in real life. The Marriott-owned resort boasts the exact enchanting views and accommodations seen in the film.
50 First Dates (2004)
Oahu played a big part in the 2004 film “50 First Dates”, which starred Drew Barrymore as a girl with short-term memory loss and Adam Sandler as a commitment-phobic veterinarian who became tenacious in pursuing her. Sandy Beach Park, the Makapuu Lighthouse, the Dole Plantation, and the Sea Life Park are just a few of the Hawaiian locations included in the film.
