About This Quiz
Chick flicks are like the comfort food of cinema. They're a warm hug and a soft blanket on a bad day, a pleasingly formulaic combination of humor, romance and (sometimes) tears. The protagonists are likeable, funny and complex; they're someone you'd love to be friends with or maybe they even remind you of yourself. The best part about chick flicks? You can watch them and then rewatch them, always knowing there's a happy ending in store for the heroine of the story.
The term "chick flick" is slowly evolving into the more empowering "girl-power flick" - a term that not only describes the content of the movies themselves, but also the actual influence women have on box office numbers. Blockbuster comedies such as "Bridesmaids" and "Girls Trip" have demonstrated the clout women have when it comes to the sheer amount of money a relatively low-budget movie can make if it's well-written and speaks to an intelligent audience (who are definitely ready to laugh.)
As a genre, chick flicks are known for their iconic storylines, whether that's in the form of a comedy, drama or something between the two. Many chick flicks are recognizable by a single quotable line or moment - which is where this quiz comes in. Based on a one-sentence summary, you'll have to guess which chick flick we're referring to: Some are funny, some are tearjerkers and at least a couple of them are about chasing your dreams through the power of dance and '80s aerobic gear.
Are you ready to get started? You go Glen Coco, you go!
It's almost impossible to imagine anyone other than Julia Roberts playing the part of Vivian in "Pretty Woman," but prior to her casting Sandra Bullock, Molly Ringwald and Meg Ryan were all considered for the role. Al Pacino turned down the role of Edward before it was offered to Richard Gere.
A classic Nora Ephron chick flick, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks once again prove they're the perfect rom-com couple. In order to prepare for her role as a small bookstore owner, Ryan worked at a real-life Manhattan bookstore for a week before filming.
Nobody puts Baby in a corner! Also, no one tells Baby to repeat the iconic "Dirty Dancing" lift! Jennifer Grey was reportedly terrified about performing the final dance scene and even avoided practicing the move until it was actually being shot — Grey says it's the only time she ever performed the lift, and that she'll never do it again.
Advertisement
Anyone who's ever seen "The Devil Wears Prada" knows it's a must-see film for anyone with even a fleeting interest in fashion. Costume designer Patricia Fields (of "Sex and the City" fame) spent over $1 million on the costumes in addition to all of the loaner pieces she received from various designers.
While the entire cast of "Bridesmaids" was consistently hilarious throughout the whole film, it was Melissa McCarthy's performance that earned the most acclaim. McCarthy has said the look and general voice of her character was based on notorious celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
Richard Curtis first inspiration for "Four Weddings and a Funeral" came from his realization that he had attended 72 weddings in only a 10-year span. While the film essentially went on to gross $260 million internationally, the budget was so small that extras had to wear their own suits to the wedding scenes.
Advertisement
In 1983 "Flashdance" took the world by storm — who can forget Jennifer Beale's iconic moves to the song "Flashdance ... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara. What you may not realize is that the film is based on the true story of Maureen Marder (who signed away the rights to the story for a mere $2,300.)
There's a good reason Rob Reiner's heartfelt and hilarious film "When Harry Met Sally" has stayed a classic in the 30 years since it was released. The natural chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan was palpable — as were the "how we met" vignettes (which were all based on the stories of real-life couples.)
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have their real-life friendship to thank for their undeniable chemistry in the "The Proposal"— the two actors were good pals for almost a decade before starring together in this gut-busting chick flick.
Advertisement
Audrey Hepburn plays New York-socialite Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" — a film which is loosely based on the Truman Capote story of the same name. Her iconic black dress is actually worn four separate times during the movie but with different accessories each time to change the look of her outfit.
Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who wrote and directed "Bad Moms," got the idea after watching how hard their wives worked at being mothers. In order to prepare for the film, they invited over mothers in their friends' group for dinner to get a better understanding of their experiences.
Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant star in Richard Curtis' "Notting Hill," a film which was actually shot in the real Notting Hill in London, England. Although the production team first considered building an exterior set to prevent crowds of interested bystanders, they eventually chose to film the movie on location.
Advertisement
"Titanic" opened to amazing reviews and a $28 million opening weekend (eventually the film would gross $1.8 billion worldwide.) Interestingly, when "Titanic" won Best Picture at the 1998 Oscars, it was the only film since 1965's "The Sound of Music" to win Best Picture without a Best Screenplay nomination.
When the various a capella groups of Barden College have their Riff Off, only two categories out of several are chosen (Ladies of the '80s and Songs About Sex.) Other categories included Reggae Time, Puppet Songs, Christian Rock and Hair Bands.
Both Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling spent time in Charleston, South Carolina to prepare for their roles in the "The Notebook" before filming commenced. McAdams took etiquette classes and used a dialect coach to learn her Southern accent and Gosling rowed the Ashley River and built furniture (such as the kitchen table seen in the movie.)
Advertisement
"The Holiday" director Nancy Meyers is known for her gorgeous interior sets — especially kitchens and bathrooms. Amanda's house, as realistic as it appeared in the movie, was built entirely on a sound stage that cost $1 million, even without exterior walls, plumbing, heating or a roof.
Nora Ephron not only directed and wrote "Sleepless in Seattle," she also had a small cameo role! When Meg Ryan's character Annie is up late listening to the radio, the caller "Disappointed in Denver" is voiced by Ephron.
Any fan of this chick flick knows that tissues are mandatory when watching this poignant, warm-hearted movie. In order to make the scenes in the beauty parlor look authentic, Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah (who both played hair stylists) took time to observe professionals in order to replicate their techniques for the movie.
Advertisement
One of the highlights of "13 Going On 30" is the scene where the cast does a massive synchronized dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Mark Ruffalo was apparently mortified at the thought of performing the dance and it was Jennifer Garner's eager encouragement that got him to get up and boogie!
Robert Pattinson had a lot of work to do before taking on the role of Edward in "Twilight." He worked with a dialect coach to perfect an American accent, worked out for five hours every day, learned how to play baseball, took fighting lessons and performed many of his own stunts.
Sandra Bullock and Benjamin Bratt not only delivered generous servings of comedy in "Miss Congeniality," they also performed all their own fighting stunts! Although stunt doubles are credited, they were hired to make sure the fighting was done in correct form and without injury.
Advertisement
When Kate Hudson's character Andie arrives at the guy's night poker game in "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days" she covers Ben, the character played by Matthew McConaughey, with kisses after showing him their new dog — she also throws a veggie and dip platter onto the poker table. It turns out Hudson improvised both of these major scene stealers!
The original script for "While You Were Sleeping" was about a lonely man who is mistaken for a comatose woman's fiancé. Producers thought the story was too creepy so they reversed the roles, with Sandra Bullock playing the lonely character instead.
If it wasn't for "Legally Blonde," we'd never know about the "bend and snap" technique for attracting male attention, nor would we have classic lines like "Happy people don't just kill their husbands!" When filming commenced, Reese Witherspoon had just given birth to her first child and had to lose 42 pounds for the role (with the help of a trainer.)
Advertisement
A long-time collaborator with director John Hughes, "Pretty in Pink" star Molly Ringwald was a huge fan of the '80s New Wave band "The Psychedelic Furs" — especially their hit single "Pretty in Pink." She asked Hughes to create a movie based on the song and the rest is cinematic history!
Instantly quotable lines like, "You go Glen Coco, you go!" and "Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white" are what helped turn "Mean Girls" into the high school classic it is today. The movie is based on a non-fiction book parenting book called "Queen Bees and Wannabees" which offers guidance on helping your daughter survive high school.
"Grease" was definitely the word when it hit theatres in 1978 thanks to characters such as Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie (among many others.) For the "You're the One That I Want" number the zipper on Olivia Newton-John's pants broke, which meant she had to be sewn into her iconic skin-tight black pants in 106-degree heat!
Advertisement
Starring Mandy Moore and Shane West, "A Walk to Remember" is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. At the time of filming, Moore was still a minor and was only allowed on set for 10 hours a day — despite these limitations, filming was completed in 39 days.
"Girls Trip" was the first movie directed, written and produced by black individuals to make over $100 million at the box office. This is incredibly impressive on its own (the second-most impressive thing being the infamous grapefruit scene), but is especially so because the movie's budget was only $19 million to begin with.
Did you know that Ione Skye and John Cusack weren't the first choices for their roles in "Say Anything"? Christian Slater and Robert Downey Jr. were considered for the role of Lloyd Dobler, while Jennifer Connelly and Elizabeth Shue were in the running to play Diane Court.
Advertisement
There are several references to the John Hughes movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" throughout "Easy A." In one scene, Olive is in the shower singing with a shampoo mohawk and in another she is playing the guitar poorly. When her mother compliments her playing, she responds, "Never had one lesson."
There are many references to "The Taming of the Shrew" in "10 Things I Hate About You." For example, Bianca and Kat are named after the two female protagonists of the play (Kat is Katherina or Kate in the play) and the school is named Padua High School (which is the name of the city where the play is set.)
When "Love Actually" was released in 2003, it quickly became a must-see Christmas movie phenomenon. The footage at the beginning and ending of the movie is authentic: Director Richard Curtis had a camera crew film at Heathrow Airport for an entire week to get footage of people reuniting with loved ones.
Advertisement
Renée Zellweger went full method for "Bridget Jones's Diary" — she gained 25 pounds for the the role, kept her English accent both on and off of the set until filming was finished and, under an alias, worked undetected at a publishing firm for a month to prepare for her role.
In "About Time" Rachel McAdams plays the lead romantic role opposite Domhnall Gleeson. McAdams was the perfect choice for the part, having played the partner of a time-traveler in "The Time Traveler's Wife," "Doctor Strange" and "Midnight in Paris."