With election day coming and its ensuing anxiety, it’s hard finding comfort and dealing with post-election disorder. To keep ourselves from dreadfully staring at the election polls, why not spend election night gleefully watching a romantic-comedy film or opening a book? Here are some political rom-coms to watch and read during election day.
“Chasing Liberty”
Young Mandy Moore stars as the President of the United States’s young daughter, Anna Foster — or, as her Secret Service agents codename her, “Liberty.” Wanting to gain independence from her father and embark on adulthood, she is being held back by the constant Secret Service agents on her back. Going on a state visit to Europe, she decides to step away and venture on a journey of self-discovery. While on the lam, she bumps into a handsome Englishman, Ben Calder, who chooses to accompany her, brewing a perfect recipe for passion and love … and an unexpected betrayal.
“Princess Diaries”
Every election cycle, I find myself opening up my computer and putting on the cult classic film starring Anne Hathaway: “The Princess Diaries.” Mia Thermopolis, a 15-year-old from urban San Francisco, has yet to realize she is the princess of the fictional Genovia. She must learn to portray princess behavior and navigate high society while tackling being a typical teenager. She is learning to stand up for herself, navigate her first crush and fall for the right guy who sees her for her, not for her status. We’re all rooting for Mia to succeed and watch her grow to be the beautiful princess she is capable of being.
“Red, White & Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston
Fall into the fictional dimension of Casey McQuiston and ask what happens when the Prince of Wales falls in love with the United States first son.
Enemies turned to lovers in the story of heartthrob Alex Claremont Diaz and the charming Prince Henry. Alex and Henry start as rivals; after a scandalous public scandal, their families force them to spend time together and manipulate the media into portraying them as friends. Spending time together makes them realize that genuinely passionate love for one another lies under their hatred. They survive the political backlash that erupts from their secret relationship; they must persevere amid the disapproval from the public and their families. Alex and Henry must discover how to navigate a hateful world and discover their identity side by side.
“What A Girl Wants”
Any film with 2000s Amanda Bynes tends to be amazingly iconic and filled with giddy comedy. Daphne Reynold, an American teenager, sets out to search for her father in Britain. Unbeknownst to her, she is of lordship nobility and learns her father is running for Parliament. She decides to stay and try fitting into English high society, but, just like in any modern fairy tale, she has to deal with her ostentatious stepmother and sister. With constant pressures from her father and the public eye, she finds comfort in the shoulders of a cute British commoner, Ian Wallace.
