If, like me, you possess an extensive movie library, you will know that some of your favourite movies are completely unknown to everyone else. And it bugs the hell out of you, that a movie you’ve seen twenty five billion times doesn’t even stir a “oh I think I’ve seen the trailer” recognition moment. So here’s my list of movies that I believe are completely underrated and unknown. (Trailers are linked in the title of each movie.)
1) Rock Star
This 2001 movie tells the story of Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg), lead singer of a Steel Dragon (think Queen meets Led Zep meets Def Leppard) tribute band who finds himself able to live the dream of every fan: be a part of his favourite band. With the support of his manager girlfriend Emily Poule (Jennifer Aniston), Chris discovers what really goes on behind the covers of his favourite records. A movie that’s funny, heartfelt, and that has one of the most amazing soundtracks EVER. If Steel Dragon really existed, I’d be all over them.
Based on the best-selling novel by Billie Letts, this movie follows Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), whose boyfriend abandons her at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma while she’s heavily months pregnant. But Novalee is strong and with the help of Thelma Husband (Stockard Channing), Nurse Lexie Coup (Ashley Judd) and lovestruck librarian Forney Hull (James Frain), Novalee will get her life back on track and make you believe that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
One of those classic 90s movies. Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) is a 25 year old journalist who’s so desperately socially awkward that no one believes she’ll ever make something of herself. When the crazy owner of her newspaper decides to send her back to high school for an undercover story, Josie gets the chance to reinvent herself and change her future. Be prepared to love to hate her brother Rob (David Arquette) as well as all the bitchy boys and girls (hello there Jessica Alba and James Franco) and fall in love with English teacher Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan) as he teaches Shakespeare.
Plunge head first into the depth of complicated family life with this feel-good comedy. Overprotective single mother Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) wants her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore) to stop falling in love with the most inappropriate men and decides to take out an ad to find the perfect partner. But things don’t go quite as planned and Milly starts dating two guys, successful architect Jason (Tom Everett Scott) and every mother’s worst nightmare, single Dad and musician Johnny (Gabriel Macht).
(Warning: this could potentially become a new Christmas classic.) Meet the Stone family, the most complicated mash-up of people you’ll ever find. Eldest son Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the holidays in the hope of getting engaged. But his mother Sybil (Diane Keaton) refuses to believe that this is the woman her son wants to marry, and drama ensues. Add a smart but apathetic brother (Luke Wilson), a bitchy younger sister (Rachel McAdams) and Meredith’s sweeter sibling (Claire Danes) for an explosive take on Christmas!
This insightful comedy follows Lucy (Monica Potter) as she gets dumped and starts going on blind dates organised by friends and family. But who will be her Mr Right? Could it be sexy playwright Gabriel (Gael Garcia Bernal), sweet but clumsy Barry (Henry Thomas) or hot doctor Luke (David Boreanaz)? You’ll have to watch in order to find out…
This movie was one of the funniest I’ve seen in the past five years, yet strangely only a bunch of people know about it! Meet Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams), a committed yet frazzled TV producer who manages to bag a job on a failing morning show Daybreak. Convinced that she can save the programme before it’s too late, Becky hires almost-retired TV royalty Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) to co-host with the hilariously adventurous Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton). Of course, the warring hosts don’t help, and Becky has to resort to all sorts of tricks to manage them before it’s too late.
Freshly divorced and completely depressed Frances (Diane Lane) gets bullied into going on a tour of Tuscany. While there, she accidentally buys a house in order not to go back to her life. But are a group of Polish workers, best friend Patti (Sandra Oh) and Italian lover Marcello (Raoul Bova) enough to help Frances rebuild her life?
Divorced Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) and Jake (John Cusack) are both being forced to find love online instead of moping around at home. But after dating everyone from her Dad (no, not that way; and it’s Christopher Plummer) to winey guys, will Sarah be able to find love with hot Dad Bob (Dermot Mulroney)?
10) The Wedding Date
Kat Ellis ( Debra Messing) is invited to her sister’s (Amy Adams) wedding back in London. But the groom’s (Jack Davenport) best man is none other than Kat’s ex-fiancé. In order to appear happier than she is, Kat hires a male escort, Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney), to stand-in as her boyfriend. The movie asks whether you can buy love, forgive everything and whether make-up sex really is the best thing ever.
11) True Lies
Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a “computer salesman”, but when his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) starts looking for adventure with another man, Harry uses his real job as a special agent to give her the thrills she so desires by involving her in a fake plot while juggling real-life terrorists on the side. A hilarious movie!
12) Sabrina
The 90s remake of the classic movie sees Sabrina Fairchild (Julia Ormond) flee to Paris in order to get away from the guy she can never have, David Larrabee (Greg Kinnear). While interning at Vogue, Sabrina discovers a love for photography through Frenchman Louis (Patrick Bruel). Sabrina’s return as a transformed woman threatens David’s engagement and brother Linus (Harrison Ford) decides to seduce Sabrina instead, in order to keep her away.
If you like The West Wing, you might enjoy this movie about President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), a single father who decides to try his luck with political activist Sidney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) against the advice of his vice president (Martin Sheen), as well as the rest of his staff, especially since his upcoming relationship allows opposing candidate Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfus) to attack him in the polls.
14) Working Girl
Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) is a secretary sick of hitting the macho ceiling at work. When her new boss Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg on holiday and has to stay away, Tess discovers that one of her ideas was stolen and passed as her boss’s own, so she decides to pretend to be more important than she is when she meets Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), her new business partner.
15) Someone Like You
Jane Goodale (Ashley Judd) is one of the producers on a recently nationalised talk show. When she starts an office romance with Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear) things appear to be perfect, but her life soon unravels when Ray can’t commit to their relationship. Desperate for a place to live, she moves in with office womaniser Eddie Alden (Hugh Jackman) and writes a vindictive article comparing men to cows pretending to be a professor. When everyone wants to interview the knowledgeable old lady and Ray tries to reignite the flame, Jane finds herself stuck in the middle.
16) Prime
Rafi Gardet (Uma Thurman) has everything going for her, yet she still spends most of her days with therapist Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep). When she meets young artist David Bloomerg (Bryan Greenberg), it’s love at first sight. But David is 23 and Rafi is 30… whatever. Can their love beat the age gap? And can David’s overbearing mother face having a much older daughter-in-law?
17) The Rebound
Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a recently divorced mother of two who leaves her Suburban past to start afresh in New York city. Desperate for a baby sitter for date night, she hires Aram Finklestein (Justin Bartha), the downstairs barista. When Aram turns out to be the perfect nanny, Sandy keeps him on full-time, soon realising that he’s not only good with children. Can you love someone who’s only had half the life you had? Does age matter? Is timing a bitch?
18) Entrapment
Insurance agent Virginia Baker (Catherine Zeta-Jones) convinces her boss to let her infiltrate the company of famous art thief Robert MacDougal (Sean Connery) in order to catch him red-handed. But MacDougal distrusts Virginia who might be a lot more than she lets on. This movie begs the question who is playing whom and what is the highest prize you’re willing to bid on?
Based on the best-selling novel by Maeve Binchy, the story follows young student Benny Hogan (Minnie Driver) as she tries to flee small-town life and her overprotective parents to go study in Dublin. Along for the ride are best friend Eve Malone (Geraldine O’Rawe) and childhood acquaintance Nan Mahon (Saffron Burrows). When Benny falls head over heels for Rugby star Jack Foley (Chris O’Donnell), life starts taking a turn for the better, but how long can it last?
Columbia professor Gregory Larkin (Jeff Bridges) is giving up on women. Incapable of thinking straight in the presence of a pretty girl, Gregory devises a personal ad looking for a companion whose looks are unimportant. When he meets Rose Morgan (Barbra Streisand), a fellow Columbia professor who’s in love with her sister’s new husband (Pierce Brosnan), everything falls into place. Rose and Gregory have everything in common, yet he finds her completely unattractive. When he asks her to marry him on the basis of their non-physical relationship, Rose accepts, believing that she’ll never find anyone else. But when she starts changing her appearance, Gregory refuses to see the obvious and disaster ensues.
This list might be a first part, my arms are totally aching after writing all this.
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Diary Of A Chocaholic 
Love Pprime and Morning Glory. Good picks!
Never seen ANY of these movies, lol, and haven’t even HEARD of most of them! But many seem to be of the romantic genre, and I’m not really a diehard fan of that genre, lol!