18 of Your Favorite Movies That Got Terrible Reviews When They Came Out

You may love a good Oscar-winning drama, but when you think of your favorite movies, they probably include "classics" that aren't necessarily critically appreciated. Maybe they're so-bad-they're-good comedies, maybe they're romantic comedies (much maligned as a genre), but regardless, you love them. We love them. The reviews may not have been good (or nice), but it's kind of fun to look back on all the movies that everyone seems to love now.

The Holiday
Columbia Pictures

The Holiday

This Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz romantic comedy may not have been reviewed well, but it just makes us happy. Really happy.

The Holiday
The Notebook
New Line Cinema

The Notebook

The Notebook may have made you cry a thousand tears, but it has a surprisingly low rating on the Tomatometer. Rolling Stone's review snarked, "There's no way to endure the movie without earplugs and a blindfold."

The Notebook
The Wedding Planner
Columbia Pictures

The Wedding Planner

Romantic comedies often suffer with critics, and The Wedding Planner is no different. The Village Voice charged the movie with "neutering Jennifer Lopez." What we can we say? We still love that meet-cute.

The Wedding Planner
The Sweetest Thing
Columbia Pictures

The Sweetest Thing

In his review, Roger Ebert succinctly said, "This is not a good movie," and gave it one and a half stars. Still, that hasn't discouraged any of us who know all the words to "Too Big to Fit in Here" or have a different kind of appreciation for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

The Sweetest Thing
Dude, Where's My Car?
20th Century Studios

Dude, Where's My Car?

I know this one is hard to believe, but modern comedy classic Dude, Where's My Car? was not appreciated immediately for its absurdist humor.

Dude, Where's My Car?
Cruel Intentions
Columbia Pictures

Cruel Intentions

Ryan Phillippe's hands-down greatest performance in this movie did not get all the credit it deserved when the film came out in 1999. Rolling Stone's critic skewered the movie: "Watching Cruel Intentions is like sitting through a high school production of a classic play done in modern dress by actors who don't have a clue what's going on."

Cruel Intentions
Miss Congeniality
Warner Bros.

Miss Congeniality

Rolling Stone's deflating critic wrote, "Unless you think it's a riot to watch [Sandra] Bullock fall over herself repeatedly in high heels, this Miss is a mess." That's where we disagree.

Miss Congeniality
Stepmom
Disney

Stepmom

We think this tearjerker is also uplifting and a pretty good time, but critics generally disagreed when the movie came out. Entertainment Weekly gave it a D+. Youch.

Stepmom
Never Been Kissed
20th Century Studios

Never Been Kissed

Reviews of Drew Barrymore's now-beloved comedy were harsh, like "Embarrassing" via Entertainment Weekly and "hopelessly cartoonish," according to The New York Times.

Never Been Kissed
She's All That

She's All That

The '90s high school classic is still quotable and may have inspired other schools to have a coordinated dance at prom, but the Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy rates a pretty low 38 percent on the Tomatometer.

She's All That
Sweet Home Alabama
Disney

Sweet Home Alabama

Entertainment Weekly's review called the Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy "shallow," but we've always enjoyed Felony Melanie and her romantic dilemma. Did we mention Josh Lucas?

Sweet Home Alabama
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Paramount Pictures

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

This movie is cute, funny, and a valuable guide to what not to do while dating. Let's just hope that a decade has made critics realize this movie is a romantic comedy gem.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Step Brothers
Columbia Pictures

Step Brothers

Brennan and Dale would be outraged at reviews, like Variety's write-up, which accused the movie of "seesawing from the gleefully stupid to the desperately stupid."

Step Brothers
Wet Hot American Summer

Wet Hot American Summer

You may call it a cult classic, but let's just say that critics didn't "get" this 2001 comedy. Roger Ebert went so far as to make up a camp song about how much he hated it. Sample verse: "Wow I hate it/Something fierce/Except the astrophysicist David Hyde Pierce."

Wet Hot American Summer
Can't Hardly Wait
Columbia Pictures

Can't Hardly Wait

We may still be obsessed with all the quotes from this late '90s high school movie, but critics weren't impressed. Washington Post's critic declared, "John Hughes must be spinning in his grave."

Can't Hardly Wait
Tommy Boy
Paramount Pictures

Tommy Boy

Yes, Tommy Boy suffered bad reviews when it came out too, despite inspiring legions of folks to put on tiny coats and dance around.

Tommy Boy
Billy Madison
Universal Pictures

Billy Madison

You may know every line to this Adam Sandler comedy masterpiece, but the words used in the reviews of this movie were much harsher. Entertainment Weekly's D-grade review included, "Even on its own dim-bulb terms, this runt of a comedy never locates its central joke."

Billy Madison
Hocus Pocus
Disney

Hocus Pocus

Though it's now widely considered a Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus failed to impress critics. We're pretty sure the Sanderson sisters used their magic to make everyone fall in love with it since then, though.

Hocus Pocus