chickThere are two simple words that can quickly ruin a guy's evening: chick flick. Guys will certainly suffer through a lot on date night, hoping against all odds to get "rewarded" at the end of the evening. But sitting through a chick flick can be downright excruciating for most men.

Maybe it's all the kissing or the talking about feelings and icky girl stuff like that. Chick flicks are created with women in mind, so clearly they're not targeted at guys. But it doesn't mean we guys haven't seen our fair share of them. (I still have flashbacks to sitting in the theater for like 18 hours to watch The English Patient. Painful.)

But I'll be the first to admit something. Some chick flicks are actually pretty darn good. Not just good for chick flicks but good movies, period. So if you ladies feel like throwing a bone to the men in your lives, rent one of these for your next date night.

Say Anything - Women may think John Cusack's just adorable as a slacker high school graduate who's fallen in love with the school valedictorian, but guys will love his hilarious everyman personality. Plus, it's got kickboxing, a cool boom box over the head scene, and Frasier's dad!

The Notebook - Guys be forewarned ... there is way more than a 50 percent chance that you'll be crying by the end of this one. It's one of the roughest, saddest romantic stories you'll ever see. It hits all the right buttons for women, but a really intriguing story and fantastic acting by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams (hubba hubba!) will keep guys way more than entertained.

Mean Girls - This is actually a tragic movie because it shows how awesome Lindsay Lohan's movie career could have been if she had only stayed out of trouble in real life. Girls will relate to the cliquey, catty, popular high school girls, while guys will just love seeing Lindsay transform from adorable girl next door to an uber-popular pushy member of The Plastics.

Clueless - This flick should be unwatchable. It's Alicia Silverstone playing a sweet bubble-headed teenager named Cher living the rich life in Beverly Hills. Except it's actually a ton of fun. And there's plenty of heart in it that isn't over-the-top syrupy sweet.

Thelma & Louise - Okay, I'll admit that I've had a crush on Geena Davis ever since I saw her on Family Ties back in the '80s. But she and Susan Sarandon play two "tough broads" out to find a better life for themselves. There's action, danger, and oodles of car chases. What's not to love?

My Big Fat Greek Wedding - This one's like the Rocky of romantic comedies. A small-budget little film that just gained massive fan appeal purely through word of mouth. Awkwardly funny scenes abound when 30-year-old Greek woman Toula Portokalos meets non-Greek Ian Miller. They date and have to deal with Toula's family, who aren't too keen on her being with someone who isn't Greek.

Titanic - Yes, it's a crazy love story and full of Celine Dion songs. But this flick's got two big things going for it. First, it's by James Cameron, the guy who brought us Terminator 2, one of the coolest sequels ever made. And second, it's got Kate Winslet in a very steamy nude scene. There are also some love triangle shenanigans and plenty of spectacular and devastating special effects as the Titanic inevitably crashes into that fateful iceberg.

Princess Bride - Don't be misled by the title. Princess and bride are two things little girls dress up as and talk about their entire lives. And while "true love" is the running theme throughout the film, this one seriously has it all. Tons of humor, lots of swashbuckling action scenes, and even the late, great giant-of-a-wrestler Andre the Giant.

What are your favorite chick flicks?

 

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