The Once Beloved Love Stories That Now Give Me the Ick

Some movies are timeless, and some are most decidedly not. I spent my Sunday indulging in a little movie marathon and discovered that some old favorites hit different now that I’m older and wiser. Some of them, I like even though I see the problems. Some, I’ve just had to admit fully give me the ick now.

I’m just not the same as I once was. I’ve grown up. I’ve matured. I’ve learned a little something about what makes a relationship healthy.

RomComs with the Ick Factor

The Parent Trap

While The Parent Trap (either version) is not your typical romcom, it does have a love story at its center. Do any divorced parents like this movie? Why Disney thought it was a cute idea to have kids of divorce get their parents back together, I will never know!

I can admit that the film is well done, but I’ve never wanted my children to watch it and think that I will ever get back with their father. That might sound unkind, but divorced people are divorced for a reason. I feel like the plot is (a) unrealistic and (b) cruel to give children the idea that they can do something to reunite their parents — or that doing so is the best thing for everyone.

While the movie is admittedly cute and nostalgic (either version), it gives me the ick as a divorced parent. They didn’t just divorce. They split up their kids and pretended like the other never existed. You can’t tell me there’s not some enormous (and good) reason for that. Ick, ick, ick!

Jerry Maguire

I used to adore the trash movie that is Jerry Maguire. Didn’t we all? I think this was before I knew about Tom Cruise’s affiliation with the cult that is Scientology, before he’d jumped on Oprah’s couch like a madman, and before I had therapy and healthy boundaries. Watching this movie is just uncomfortable.

He had her at hello? Girl, raise your standards! Everything about this romance seems doomed when we’re all grown up and realize that another human being shouldn’t be what completes us. The hero of the film is the sister who was honest and warned her about he relationship. If only she listened!

The movie ends, and anyone with healthy relationship boundaries knows that they will inevitably divorce. A sequel would show her leading the divorced women’s group, this time preaching the gospel of better boundaries and not being tricked into complacency by love bombing. I like to think a sequel would give her a better relationship, one where her partner isn’t a codependent narcissist.

Sleepless in Seattle

I adore Nora Ephron and almost every Nora Ephron movie, but let’s be real here about the problems with Sleepless in Seattle: our female main character is engaged when she gets a crush on a dude she’s heard on a radio show. She doesn’t just idly fantasize about him. She uses her journalistic connections to unethically stalk him — but it’s okay because he thinks she’s cute when he finally sees her.

Will I ever watch this movie again? Yes. Will I still judge the obvious problems in the romance? You betcha!

The Jane Austen Book Club

The Jane Austen Book Club is another one I’ve watched many times and enjoyed. But one part just never sat well with me. Well, two parts. First, a female teacher getting the hots for a male student is not okay. It’s still creepy and gross. This is the biggest problem I have with the whole thing even though she doesn’t end up acting on it.

The other problem I have is the woman going back to her cheating husband. The fact that he read a book is not going to be enough. Maybe throw in a little therapy, too. You can’t convince me he won’t cheat again. You also can’t convince me she’ll just get over it that easily. She deserves better.

There are still some cute parts in this movie, but I really don’t want to watch any romance involving adults and minors. Even if nothing comes of it, the ick factor is high here. If she was teaching a college course, it would at least be legal, but the ethics of a student/teacher relationship will never pass the vibe check.

All of You

All of You is a newer selection. It was only beloved for me in theory. I was so excited to see this, thanks to Ted Lasso’s brilliant writing and love stories.

I have never been more let down by a film.

This is not a romance or romcom. The main criteria for the romance designation is an HEA, or happily ever after. This movie, an Apple TV original, doesn’t have this. What it does have is a love story that glorifies cheating, lying, and toxic relationships. No, thank you.

A Better RomCom

I have higher standards for romcoms now. I just don’t want to watch and romanticize toxic relationships. Been there, done that. I want to see healthy love stories. I want to see the romcom industry rejecting the toxic patterns of the past.

Voicemails for Isabelle

Which brings us to the one romcom I’m going to endorse in this year of Our Lady 2026: Voicemails for Isabelle. Other than that one gross pink eye scene, I fan-girled so hard for this film. The relationship with the sisters was heartfelt, and the character development was top tier. Deception features heavily in this plot, but it doesn’t just get smoothed over when the truth comes out, leading to easily one of the best monologues in the entire film.

I won’t spoil it. I’ll just say that better romcoms exist. The only “ick” I got watching this was truly from the pink eye scene that I’ll be skipping on future viewings. Otherwise? My cynical heart deeply adored this. Spoiler alert: You will laugh, but you will probably cry, too, if you’re not a sociopath.

Are there romances that you know are problematic and still enjoy? Do you have a favorite romcom that shows a truly healthy relationship? Let me know in the comments!