10 Best Friends Turned Lovers Movies Like Love, Rosie

For those of you who love romantic movies, like the romantic and comedic touch of rom-coms, we’re very sure that Love, Rosie is in your top ten list of romantic film faves.

What’s not to love with this one? The 2014 film stars Sam Claflin as Alex and Lily Collins as Rosie, the British BFFs who feel a stirring attraction for each other, yet they never act upon it. Or they try, but the effort always leads them astray!

The story starts in England where the two BFFs seem to be college-bound for America – until Rosie accidentally gets pregnant, and keeps it from Alex. Soon, both their lives unfold in different directions, yet they remain in touch. Rosie raises her child while Alex gets partnered in the US.

This is how their lives seem to tangent: in two continuous unfolding threads, but not a knot in any place to keep them firmly together. Such is the good romantic push-and-pull tactic of rom-coms, and this is evident here.

So if you loved how this story unfolded this decade, then we’re sure you’ll also love these other movies like Love, Rosie which were popular in earlier decades. Give them a shot!

1. Notting Hill

“I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”

With that classic line from this 1999 film, we could already feel the push-and-pull tension of the would-be lovers in this film. Notting Hill certainly doesn’t disappoint if given our criteria here as one of those movies like Love, Rosie.

The film stars Hugh Grant as a bookstore owner who gets surprised when a famous Hollywood actress, played by Julia Roberts, walks inside his London shop one day. A short friendly banter leads to the bookstore owner bringing the famous actress as his date in a family gathering. So all is well that time.

But of course, this won’t be a rom-com if not filled with tensions. It turns out that the actress has a boyfriend, so nothing happens to them at first. After a few months, the actress hides in the bookstore owner’s house when a media scandal about her past breaks out. This is where the two of them try to be together, in a way, but the media mob messes that up.

What do you expect if you’re attracted to a popular woman, right? What can an ordinary man expect? Surprisingly, many other twists and turns happen to the two of them, so it’s best to watch and find out what happens eventually.

2. When Harry Met Sally

When it comes to a man and woman we-can-just-be-friends storyline, perhaps there is nothing more deserving to be in this list of movies like Love, Rosie than this 1989 classic by beloved romance writer Nora Ephron. Yes, When Harry Met Sally could indeed be the ‘80s ancestor of our 2014 film in feature!

If Rosie and Alex met up several times over the course of years, try Harry and Sally’s meet-ups that sometimes have five year gaps in between! Now that’s some long years spent waiting! Or were they really aware that they are waiting for each other?

That is actually the genius move of this film. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film shows how Harry could have relationships with other women, as Sally also has her own relationships with men. Whenever they would meet up, they always talk about their respective love life to each other. That is, until they slowly develop feelings for each other.

So what do you think happens next? Watch this very wittily written movie to find out! Yes, this one doesn’t disappoint as well, as it remains such a rom-com classic about delayed love.

3. 13 Going on 30

Talk about friends becoming lovers later on, but discovering this path in a sort of magical time loop. That about sums up the fairytale-like tale of 13 Going on 30.

The 2004 film opens in 1987 in New Jersey, where a geeky teenager named Jenna tries so hard to belong to the popular group of girls in her school. In the process, she gets taken advantage of, with only his good friend Matty coming to her rescue.

Due to some magical wishing dust given to her on her birthday, Jenna innocently wishes that she could be older. She just wants to forget these painful teenage times, that’s why. So of course, the hidden fairy godmothers of Hollywood make this wish come true – and a 13-year-old Jenna later wakes up as a 30-year-old woman in 2004 New York.

Of course, you can see how the years have passed, and Jenna tries to cope and catch up. Part of her catching up is meeting Matty again after a few years. However, he treats her with disdain, because of what happened to their friendship through the years. It turns out that Jenna became horrible to him, so she tries to rekindle their lost friendship.

So what else do you think gets rekindled in this fun fantasy rom-com? A lot, and you have to see that time loop storytelling device yourself. So go check this one out, as it definitely provides a fun version of those movies like Love, Rosie.

4. Four Weddings and A Funeral

Talk about two people smitten with each other, yet obstacles are put in their path of being together. And they are reminded of that possibility of a path towards each other, whenever they encounter each other in a life or death situation. That is what Four Weddings and a Funeral is all about.

So the life situation we mentioned is about the weddings while the death part is, well, the lone funeral in the title. Our two lovebirds-to-be, the very British Charles and the very American Carrie, first meet in a wedding. Charles was the best man here, and he hooks up with the guest Carrie. But after that, nothing happens to them.

Later, the two meet again in another wedding, but Carrie already has a fiancé. And then in the next wedding, it turns out that Carrie is getting married to the fiancé. Charles feels the many missed opportunities by this time.

So that leaves us with one funeral, and yet another wedding. Where and how do you think our two rather star-crossed lovers would meet and greet each other again? Well, watch this film to find out!

5. Reality Bites

The ultimate Generation X film of the ‘90s is definitely Reality Bites. Those who were coming of age during 1994 certainly found this film endearingly quirky, and quirkily endearing.

The story revolves around a group of friends who just graduated from college, and live together as housemates. Of course, two of them have feelings for each other: aspiring documentary filmmaker Lelaina and artsy musician Troy. Their other friends feel the real deal, but the two main characters are always in self-denial about it.

So the two of them continue their lives, trying to do something relevant with their existence post-college while dealing with the harsh realities of the real world. Troy struggles with odd jobs while preserving his artist persona, as Lelaina tries to adjust to the commercialism of mainstream media work and trying not to become such a sellout in this world.

Life could have gone this platonic for the both of them, until Lelaina starts to date and gets serious with someone. And this is where the tension picks up some more, for the two people who actually have affection for each other, yet never act upon it.

What do you think happens next? This film unfolds more Gen X type of angsts, witticisms, and of course love stuff, so better watch it to better absorb the story!

6. Forrest Gump

Yet another seemingly immortal pairing is that of Jenny and Forrest in this interesting 1994 film called Forrest Gump. The Academy Award-winning movie follows the life of simple-minded Forrest who grows up with many challenges in life. Along the decades, he also tries to make something of himself, mostly by accident.

But one sure thing all this time is Forrest’s love for Jenny. During his first school bus ride, he already fell in love with Jenny that young. And throughout the years, they will always meet up at certain times and in certain social situations.

In most of those times and situations, Forrest tries to reach out to Jenny in a different way. He always declares his love for her. But the street-smart Jenny always rebuffs him in a kind way, because she knows that they both live totally different lives. Yet he still persists, in his mind and heart.

What are the great lengths that Forrest would have to go through, to finally reach the unreachable Jenny? Watch this very entertaining and endearing film to find out! You’ll be surprised what love could actually do to these very opposing characters.

7. The Proposal

What if you force yourself on a possible partner, just for the legality of it? Yes, The Proposal presents a unique angle in our list of movies like Love, Rosie. Unlike the latter, this film will leave you guessing whether love will figure in here, and when!

The movie stars Sandra Bullock as a Canadian editor of a publishing company. Due to some trouble in her US work visa, she gets desperate to find a way out – or an “illegally legal” way in. As a result, she coerces her assistant Andrew, played by Ryan Reynolds, in a fixed marriage scheme. But they have to prepare each other first before “getting married.”

Now these two characters have absolutely nothing in common. It also doesn’t help that one is the boss of the other at work. But they will both benefit from this agreed partnership, so they put in the time and effort to get to know each other.

And it’s up to you to discover just how much of each other they encounter! The funny rom-com won’t disappoint, promise!

8. The Notebook

While The Notebook is not entirely a romantic comedy, it still earns a place here in our list of movies like Love, Rosie. That’s because the quality of love that the two characters here is something admirable, as well as enduring in a long-term way.

Adapted from the popular novel by Nicholas Sparks, the 2004 film stars Ryan Gosling as Noah and Rachel McAdams as Allison. Their story starts in the 1940s where Ryan is a lowly blue-collar worker while Allison is an heiress of a local tycoon. Their class division alone provides the first obstacle for these two lovers’ paths to cross.

But they meet up, become friends, and get attracted to each other. Her parents disapprove, of course. So this becomes an obstacle for them. When Allison returns to their actual town, Noah writes to her daily, but her mother intercepts all the letters.

World War II soon breaks, so this becomes another gap wedged between them. Noah enlists, while Allison falls for a rich soldier and marries him. But they encounter each other again later. So this is the real test that will tell if Noah and Allison are indeed meant for each other.

Watch The Notebook to see the clever and heartfelt climax of this film, as it will give you a very interesting ending.

9. Serendipity

If your possible love story is flying in the air of chance and luck, what are the odds of two lovers actually crossing paths and being together in the end? This is the main concept explored in the 2001 rom-com film called Serendipity.

The film stars John Cusack as Jonathan and Kate Beckinsale as Sara, who chance upon each other one wintertime as they are both buying the same winter gloves in a department store. It’s winter in New York, but the two spend some warm time talking as they decided to hang out after at a restaurant called Serendipity III.

Since both of them are in relationships, Jonathan and Sara decide to not acknowledge the developing mutual attraction between the two of them. But they talk about how fate could decide the destinies of people. And this is what they discover throughout the years of encountering each other by chance, and actually making moves to really get in touch with one another.

This style of long-delaying the possible love that could be explored by two people is what earns the film a place in this list of movies like Love, Rosie. As the title implies, the story plays around with certain chances and certain lucky moves. Will the two ever finally meet up again and explore together? Watch to find out!

10. While You Were Sleeping

Talk about love delayed by a life-pausing obstacle between acquaintances-turned-friends! That, in a nutshell, is what While You Were Sleeping is all about.

This 1995 film is about Lucy, a single woman living alone in life. She works inside a token booth in a Chicago Transit station, where she develops a crush on a daily rider. When that handsome rider suddenly collapses, she rescues him – but he still ends up in a coma.

While in the hospital, Lucy is mistaken as the fiancée of the man in the coma. She gets taken in, warmly, by the family. A special friendship also develops between her and the man’s brother, Jack.

Things are fine when Lucy continues to pretend to be the fiancée. But trouble develops when she starts having feelings for Jack. The problem doubles when Jack also falls for her.

While You Were Sleeping presents a more interesting angle as one of the movies like Love, Rosie. Its ending is even more interesting, so we recommend that you go watch it. Yes, this Sandra Bullock starrer won’t disappoint.