Ok, let’s talk about Julia Roberts. How can you not love her? Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, Steel Magnolias, and My Best Friend’s Wedding are some of my favorites and that’s largely due to the fact that she stars in all of them. So, about two weeks ago, I went through Rotten Tomatoes’ ranking of Julia Roberts movies and that’s when I came across Mystic Pizza (ranked  #12, if you were wondering, which is just rude). 

I’ll admit I’m embarrassed I went as long as I did without seeing this movie, given that I like to consider myself pretty in touch with the best romantic comedies. The 1988 film encompasses many romantic comedy clichés I love: a small charming town, magical high school summers, unrealistic relationships, the list goes on. 

It’s set in a fishing town, Mystic, Connecticut, and most of the townspeople are Portuguese-American. The focus of the movie is three girls — two sisters and their best friend — who all work at Mystic Pizzeria. The movie kicks off with the best friend, Jojo, leaving her fiance Bill at the altar. She loves him, but the commitment scares her (get it together, Jojo!). Then, Daisy (Roberts) is out one night and sees Charles Gordon Winsor (could his name get more pretentious?). Naturally, Daisy finds the preppy law school dropout, played by Adam Storke, irresistible. And finally, Daisy’s sister, Kat, is in love with the dad of the kid she babysits (Yikes).  

So, clearly, there’s a lot going on, thanks to their hectic love lives. But what I appreciate most about this movie is that it’s not as predictable as other romantic comedies. Sure, there’s plenty of cliches, but the lesson the girls learn about setting their own standards is something everyone should take note of. If romcoms are your thing, this is a must-watch, no exceptions. 

However, if romcoms aren’t your thing, I still recommend Mystic Pizza because I think it goes against the grain enough to potentially please skeptics. And even if you hate it, you’ll still end the movie craving pizza, which is a plus on its own. 

Mystic Pizza is available to stream on Netflix.