Guest post written by author Amy Barry
Amy Barry writes sweeping historical stories about love. She’s fascinated with the landscapes of the American West and their complex long history, and she’s even more fascinated with people in all their weird tangled glory. Amy also writes under the names Amy T Matthews and Tess LeSue, and is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Flinders University in Australia. To learn more, visit her website. Kit McBride Gets a Wife is out now.
If you loved reading Amy Barry’s Kit McBride Gets A Wife, then read on to discover the author’s rom-com western recommendations!
Maverick (1994)
This one is pure cornball fun. Based on the 1950s TV series, this 90s re-imagining is a screwball rom com about two card sharps (Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster) who are both on the con. They spend the entire movie trying to outsmart one another, crossing and double crossing each other and exchanging quick fire one liners. There are saloons, steamboats, and stagecoaches galore in this frothy romp of a film.
Far and Away (1992)
At the beginning of their own love story, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in this sweeping epic about two Irish immigrants heading West. She’s a fancy lady, he’s a working-class upstart and they drive each other crazy (in every way…). There’s glorious photography and an old-fashioned Hollywood love story, so settle in for a relaxing movie night.
Damsel (2018)
More com than rom, this is a quirky Sundance kinda film, starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska. Zany and unexpected, Damsel considers what happens when a suitor hears what he wants to hear and needs to learn the meaning of the word no. A very contemporary twist on western romance.
Oklahoma! (1955)
This film is candy-sweet and rainbow-bright, set in Oklahoma Territory in 1906. Laurey is courted by cocky cowboy Curly and brooding farmhand Judd and has to choose which one to allow herself love (there’s no real choice, we all know she loves Curly – but he’s just so infuriatingly full of himself!). There’s also a fun secondary romance between the flirty Ado Annie and Will, a cowboy who is mad for her, even though she keeps running off with other men, including the pedlar, Ali Hakim. This is all the sunshine you need to brighten up a dull day.
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Set in California in the mid-nineteenth century, this is a swashbuckling adventure featuring some very good-looking people having a hell of a lot of fun. It’s peak 90s action adventure, with a hefty dose of romance. The duel where Antonio Banderas cuts Catherine Zeta-Jones’s clothes from her body, thrust by thrust, until she is down to her underwear, is as erotic as it is funny. And Antonio Banderas. Say no more.
Sarah Plain and Tall (1991)
An iconic mail order bride story, this is a Hallmark Hall of Fame film starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken. Sarah answers an ad for a mail order bride, describing herself as “Sarah, plain and tall”, and travels to Kansas to become a wife to a widower, and the mother to his two children. The cast is amazing, and this is a heart-warming watch.
Anne of Green Gables, The Sequel (1987)
Set in Canada in 1902, this is a two-part mini-series that is so romantic you’ll just about melt away. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe are soul mates, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers and all the good things. Gilbert’s soulful unrequited love for Anne is everything. This is even better if you’ve watched the original 1985 mini-series, because Gilbert has been soulfully staring at Anne (while looking gorgeous) for a very long time. This is one for a lazy Sunday. And maybe every Sunday…
Like Water for Chocolate (1992)
This emotional and stirringly romantic film is a Mexican magic realist story, about Tita, who has the power to cook her emotions into food. Unable to marry, because she is the youngest daughter and has to care for her mother, Tita is in love with Pedro, who is coerced into marrying Tita’s sister. A sprawling, magical story, this is probably more rom than com, but it’s guaranteed to enchant. And you’ll be seduced into a rewatch (or two).
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
Shirley MacLaine stars as a con-woman pretending to be a nun, who is rescued by the super hot and brooding Clint Eastwood in this hilarious American-Mexican film. Their sexual tension is off the charts in this forced proximity, mistaken identity adventure about two rogues who make a right. Completely bananas plot and amazing cast make this so much fun.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Set in Oregon in 1850, this is one of the most famous Technicolor musicals of all time, featuring seven rough backwoodsmen who have zero experience of women. Oldest brother Adam hooks himself a wife and expects her to care for the lot of them, but his wife Millie has other plans. She’s going to whip these brutes into shape. Frothy, hyper, in 1950s Hollywood pastel glory, this is the very definition of a light-hearted romp. And Adam and his brothers ooze sex appeal. If you love the McBrides, you’ll definitely love the Pontipees (particularly Benjamin…)
