Renée Zellweger’s Best Romantic Comedy That You Probably Haven’t Watched

Everyone knows and loves Renée Zellweger’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and the sequels that followed the 2001 flick, but it’s not her only movie that should be at the top of your “rom-com favorites” list. The actress’ lesser-known film, “Down With Love,” which celebrates its 15th anniversary on Wednesday, should also be right there next to it.

Moviegoers across America first got the chance to see this should-be iconic film on May 16, 2003, but 15 years later, it often gets forgotten when conversations about best rom-coms are had and lists are made. The film imitates the stylings of the sex comedies in the 1960s, which, despite the name, featured a lot of talk about sex and not a lot of people actually having it. The subgenre usually focused on strong, independent women who didn’t need a love interest to make them happy, but who ended up finding one in the end anyway.

“Down With Love” took those qualities and showed love for them. The movie centered on Barbara Novak (Zellweger), a feminist self-help author living in 1962 New York City, as she sparred with Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), a womanizing journalist. In order for this rom-com to be fully appreciated, it’s best for viewers to understand that any cheesiness or classic tropes used are used purposefully. They are not there because the filmmakers didn’t know how to construct a unique film, but instead, the opposite is true.

Aside from Zellweger and McGregor, the Peyton Reed-directed film also featured a slew of other recognizable stars, including Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce and Rachel Dratch. Together, the cast helped create a funny, sweet, ridiculous and interesting movie. After watching it, it’s easy for fans to fall in love with both its leads — Zellweger and McGregor — even more than they already have throughout the years.

Whether you’ve seen the movie before and simply forgot about it or you’ve never watched, or even heard of, it, now’s the perfect time to put on the 2003 flick. It’s available to stream on Amazon Video, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play from $2.99 and on iTunes from $3.99.

Go on, celebrate the 15th anniversary of “Down With Love,” because is there even a better way to get through Hump Day than with a Zellweger rom-com?