By Patia Braithwaite for BounceBack.com
So the worst has happened: you've split up with your longtime love, and your weekends are now filled with cartons of ice cream and bad reality television. While this behavior isn't sustainable for an extended period of time, we've all found ourselves a bit sad and turning to movies for both reassurance and an escape. But when you pop in that DVD or hit the next pick on your Netflix cue, have you ever realized you're watching a movie that's just so bad... it's awesome?
Whether you are looking to get that "great" cry or you want to laugh at other people's pain, these awesomely bad movies help us realize that our horrible reality is, at the very least, better than bad acting, dated wardrobes, or laughable melodrama.
Related: 7 Tips to Reinvent Yourself After Heartbreak
Here are our picks for awesomely bad breakup movies:
John Cusack & Kate Beckinsale
Sara Smith and Jonathan Trager meet at a Bloomingdale's counter, and their lives change forever. The two have an instant connection but, because they are both in relationships with other people, they decided to part ways without exchanging numbers. Instead, they both put their numbers out into the universe and hope that fate will bring them together again.
This movie spoofs the typical romantic comedy and, most folks that like movies like The Notebook hate Serendipity, but its awesome badness makes it the perfect movie to watch, scowl at and hopefully rekindle your belief in the magic of love.
Related: You Become What You Believe
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Kristen Bell, Jason Segel and Russell Brand
IMDB gives us the following synopsis: Devastated Peter takes a Hawaii vacation in order to deal with recent breakup with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex ... and she's bringing along her new boyfriend.
Here's my general rule of thumb: Any movie starring Russell Brand is immediately awesomely bad (or just plain bad), but the idea that we can't escape our exes is a universal reality that makes this movie heartbreaking and funny.
Related: Obsessing Over a Breakup? Stop! Here's How
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
Admittedly, I hesitate to call this movie awesomely bad; it's one of my favorites, but in 2012 the dial-up lingo is a bit dated and this movie has been accused of being a long advertisement for AOL and Starbucks, so I think it fits the bill.
The basic premise is that two bookshop owners (a small independent owner and the a chainstore mogul), end up battling in business while, unbeknownst to them, falling in love with each other on the internet.
Related: Opposites Attract: But Should They?
Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine and Angela Bassett
There are too many drama-packed plot lines to pin down just one, but this awesomely bad movie is a man-bashing extravaganza. From torching an ex-husband's car to throwing objects from a balcony, this movie is perfect for any person scorned. This movie, based on a novel by Terry McMillan, follows four friends and their respective relationship journeys.
Related: When the Ex is Still Around: 6 Ways to Keep Your Cool
Sarah Jessica Parker & Eric Schaffer
After becoming increasingly disillusioned with their respective love lives, two roommates (John and Lucy), make a pact that if their love lives don't improve, they will jump off of the Brooklyn Bridge together.
Committing suicide because your love life sucks? This is a BAD IDEA in real life, but it's the perfect premise from which an awesomely bad breakup movie grows. This movie has all of your basic romantic comedy conventions, but for me, it doesn't make the leap from awesomely bad to actually good.
So these are our "awesomely bad" breakup movie picks, excluding of course the really great movies (see: Funny Girl) and also the movies that no one can sit through (see: Gigli).
Which movies make your awesomely bad movie list?
BounceBack.com helps people find happiness in the right relationship. If you've been through a breakup, divorce, or just haven't been able to find happiness in your love life, BounceBack is a place to tell your story, get community support and advice from experts, and find the confidence and strength you need to move forward. Check out our Facebook page.
Patia Braithwaite is a relationship and memoir writer. Check out her relationship blog: www.menmyselfandgod.com
More articles on BounceBack.com:
Bringing "Ex-y" Back: Is it a Good Idea to Date Your Ex?
What NOT to say to the Recently Dumped
The 10 Worst Ways to Break Up With Someone
The NEWLY Single's Guide to Valentine's Day
Is Staying in a Relationship for Sex OK?
Should you date someone who's "taken"?
Would You Have A Breakup "Post-Mortem"?
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