All hail the queen.
Remember when Sandra Bullock finally returned to the rom-com genre for the first time since 2009's All About Steve in The Lost City, which paired her with Channing Tatum for an adventurous romp in the jungle? What a gift that was to us mere mortals.
In that film, Bullock plays dissatisfied romance novelist Loretta Sage, who is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire convinced the setting of her books—ahem, the titular lost city—is real. Naturally, Tatum plays Alan, her series' dimwitted cover model who decides to play IRL hero to save her. You know where this is going.
Yes, it is as over-the-top and ridiculous as it sounds. And yet, thanks to the palpable chemistry between its leading couple, genuinely funny dialogue and some scene-stealing supporting performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Brad Pitt (ever heard of him?), The Lost City is an all-too-rare treasure in today's pop culture climate: A romantic comedy fronted by bonafide movie stars.
So it seems fitting, yet still sad, that Bullock's return to the genre she helped define over the past three decades might also serve as her last film role for quite some time. The Oscar winner revealed her plan to take a long break from acting last year to be "in the place that makes me happiest," meaning more time at home with her kids Louis, 13, and Laila, 11.
"I take my job very seriously when I'm at work," Bullock said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, calling her acting career a "24/7" commitment. "And I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family. That's where I'm gonna be for a while."
At least we can take comfort in knowing Bullock is going out with an over-the-top outing worthy of her rom-com queen status. And we can't think of a better way to celebrate Bullock's 59th birthday on July 26 by watching The Lost City or one of her many other beloved movies, which we ranked below. Prepare to have some feelings!
Apologies to Denis Leary, Bullock's leading man who co-wrote this 1996 box office bomb, but we literally did not even know it existed until scrolling her Wikipedia page. And the 13 percent rating it currently holds on Rotten Tomatoes did not inspire us to find it on a streaming service either.
Well, at least this absolute stinker that paired Bullock with Bradley Cooper helped its star make history as the first actor to win an Oscar (for The Blind Side) and a Razzie in the same year in 2009? And, just to prove once again how cool she is, Bullock showed up in-person to accept the dishonor. We stan a self-deprecating queen!
While we love the upending of the happily ever after trope—Spoiler: they do not end up together!—this 1999 outing was surprisingly meh for two charismatic, well, forces of nature like Bullock and Ben Affleck.
We truly wish we could time-travel back to 2006 to file a lawsuit against the creative team behind this unremarkable movie for somehow robbing Bullock and Keanu Reeves of any chemistry they had in Speed and IRL as one our favorite pair of Hollywood best friends!
With any other leads, this 2002 movie would probably be unforgettable. But pair the buoyant Bullock with the curmudgeon-yet-charming Hugh Grant and you have a will-they-of-course-they-will that we will never not watch when it is on.
A rom-com with a magical twist? We are in! Bullock has not one, but two relationships worth rooting for in this 1998 movie—dependable Mark Feuerstein as her late husband Michael and dreamy Aidan Quinn as Investigator Gary Halle—but the one we were most invested in was with her wild child witchy sister, played by Nicole Kidman. Who hasn't dreamed of having midnight margaritas with these two?!
This 1998 Southern charmer about a cheated-on woman returning to her small hometown is special for several reasons: 1. It is the first movie that saw Bullock take on the role of executive producer. 2. Baby Mae Whitman in those adorable glasses as Bullock's daughter and Gena Rowlands as her take-no-shit mother! 3. Helllllo, Harry Connick Jr. Our cup runneth over!
In the vast desert that is modern rom-coms starring, you know, actual stars, The Lost City is a big glass of cool water, filled to the brim with screwball chemistry between Bullock and Channing Tatum, the muscled golden retriever of leading men. Sure, it is ridiculous and over-the-top and easily Bullock's wildest rom-com, but it is also a pleasant way to spend two hours, getting lost with legit A-listers at the top of their game.
OK wait, before you start to practice Gracie Hart's SING demonstration on us, let us justify the decision to not give the 2000 hit—arguably Bullock's most beloved performance—the rom-com crown: Her romance with fellow FBI agent Eric (a totally swoonworthy and suave Benjamin Bratt) is secondary to Gracie's transformation, the beauty pageant investigation and her delicious rapport with Michael Caine. (And we didn't want to have to do this, but we will to make our point: The 2005 sequel revealed their romance fizzled out even quicker than it started. We thought he wanted to date her, love her, marry her!)
Dare we say Bullock has the most chemistry with Ryan Reynolds than any of her other co-stars? Oh, we went there, and we bought property. Just look at their irresistible and banter-filled journey from hate-to-love in this 2009 hit about a demanding boss (Bullock) forcing her young assistant (Reynolds) to marry her in order to avoid deportation to Canada. Turns out, it does take two to make a thing go right! Add in the legendary Betty White (R.I.P) as kooky Grandma Annie and you have comedy gold.
Bullock's first outing in the rom-com genre also happens to be her strongest, showing off her singular talent for being so damn lovable. No one else could have made the character of Lucy—a lonely train token collector who saves her secret crush's life, only for his family to think she is his fiancée—work in the way Bullock did and she got the Golden Globe nomination to prove it. It was a storyline that could've easily been creepy and taken a turn for a Lifetime thriller, but thanks to Bullock's undeniable charisma and her effortless chemistry with Bill Pullman, While You Were Sleeping is still one of the genre's most beloved offerings more than 25 years after its release. Swoon City, population: Us.
(Originally published on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. PT)