10 Insufferable Rom-Com Leads That Don't Deserve Love

4. Harry - Something's Gotta Give

Love Actually Creepy
Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry is a geriatric who falls into that gross subgroup of older men who just can't bring themselves to grow up and date women their own age. (Meanwhile, older women are mocked and pitied for doing the same thing, because internalized misogyny.)

So he's dating the latest in a string of hot 20-somethings that are inexplicably going out with him, when the inevitable happens and he has a heart attack while in bed with her. Forced into bedrest, he has no choice but to briefly live with his paramour's mother (gamely played by Diane Keaton).

Like many of Jack Nicholson's roles, Harry manages to woo the female protagonist simply by being slightly less terrible than he was at the beginning of the film. It makes zero sense, and the women in his life should really have higher standards than this.

He's a condescending jerk for 80% of the film, then he says like one nice thing and Diane Keaton leaves Keanu Reeves, a kind, gentle doctor, for him. No, Diane. Go with Keanu. You won't regret it.

Contributor
Contributor

Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.