I Have a Confession.

I love chick flicks.

I'm also listening to Christmas music. Yes, in September.

I also spent at least an hour searching the Internet for recipes with pumpkin in them. My love of fall has carried over to an obsession with pumpkin.

And today I made beignets for the first time, and I've already eaten about 15 of them.

Okay, I'm getting carried away with the confessions. Back to the original one.

I love chick flicks. Even the most ridiculously corny ones, like that one with Amy Adams where she goes to Ireland. (Okay, I liked it except for the ending.)

I guess what I should really say is that I love watching chick flicks, which is very different. I am not the sort of person who recommends my favorite chick flicks to everyone I know, including guys. I am not the sort of person to analyze each one as though it were a great work of film. (And conclude with dramatic sighing that the incredibly complex characters have reached a beautiful, if flawed, kind of love, which only the most enlightened can appreciate.) Actually, I'm sort of a closet chick flick addict. I don't go around telling people.



I've actually engaged in chick flick-bashing. Let's be honest here--most critical things that are said about chick flicks are true.
"They're predictable."
"The characters have no depth."
"The plots are simplistic."
"They ignore the real issues."
"They brainwash young girls into believing that love is all butterflies and rainbows and happily ever afters."

These statements are all generally true. In the words of one of the most famous and best-loved hero of chick flicks, "I have no wish to deny it."

And despite all this...I still love chick flicks.

They're not for literary nights--they're for nights that you just came home from a long day and all you want to do is pass out on the couch. They're for nights when you just broke up with your short-term boyfriend. They're for rainy days when doing something useful (like homework, or cleaning the bathroom) is utterly impossible. The bottom line is, chick flicks are for the moments when you're at your lowliest and most pathetic. The super feel-good warm fuzzies, which merit eye rolls in my more elegant moments, are sometimes exactly what I need to believe in life again.

So here is a list (with commentary, of course) of my favorite chick flicks; grab one of these the next time you're out loading up on potato chips and chocolate ice cream.

Photo by miss_flinn on Flickr

Sabrina: I recommend the 1954 version with Audrey Hepburn, but the '90s version with Harrison Ford is also good. This is a great one if you're feeling timeless.

While You Were Sleeping: I love Sandra Bullock. (<--another confession.) Another thing I love about this movie is that it's set around Christmastime. Christmas makes just about any chick flick better. (That might just be last night's Christmas music indulgence talking...)

She's the Man: I love Amanda Bynes. Pretty much any movie with Amanda Bynes is an acceptable chick flick. This one is a little more lighthearted than the others and less sentimental. Watch it if you're not planning on crying.

The Lake House: Another with Sandra Bullock, plus Keanu Reeves. I'm getting warm fuzzies just thinking about this one. I think it's a little more original than some other chick flicks.

You've Got Mail: I love Meg Ryan. (Are you noticing a trend?) This one gets priority because I just watched it twice in two days. And I could probably watch it again today.

Pride and Prejudice: The queen of chick flicks. I personally love the A&E version with Colin Firth the best, but the more recent Kiera Knightley version is close (and shorter). (But if you really have a lot of time, the novel is actually the best way to go.)

I have another confession.

I watch chick flicks when I'm happy, too. I watch them all the time. Far more than the recommended dosage. I need to find a Chick Flick Addict Anonymous meeting...