The '80s and '90s were a treasure trove of cinematic romantic comedy classics. From When Harry Met Sally... to Sleepless in Seattle and Notting Hill, 1989-2000 brought us so many great moments. Only You is a rom-com from that era that's always been dear to my heart. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised. Before Robert Downey, Jr. was Iron Man and Marisa Tomei was Aunt May, they played a couple trying to find their destiny, with beautiful vistas of Venice, Rome, and Positano, Italy as the breathtaking backdrop. Released in 1994, Only You was hardly considered a box office blockbuster, with a global gross of just $20 million, compared to Downey's paycheck from the MCU films, that was small potatoes, indeed.
What Is 'Only You' About?
However, Downey and Tomei's chemistry sparkles in this underrated film, and it even features a throwback to one of the original romantic comedies, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Although Italy is one of the most romantic settings on earth, the film starts in Pittsburgh, which doesn't bring the most swoon-worthy thoughts to mind. As a teenager, Faith (Tomei) is a firm believer in destiny and finding one's soulmate, the one person you're meant to be with. She gets the name Damon Bradley from playing with an Oujia board. Faith exclaims, "My soulmate! My other half!" in typical dramatic teenage girl fashion. Later, a fortune-teller gives her the same name as someone that will be important to her life.
Cut to years later, and Faith has all but given up on ever finding Damon, as she's now engaged to a podiatrist named Dwayne. The pivotal scene comes as Faith is trying on her tacky poofy wedding dress for the first time. Because this was the 1990s and cell phones were not yet the norm, Dwayne is having his calls forwarded to her home phone. Her best friend/sister-in-law Kate (a wonderfully deadpan Bonnie Hunt) drops by to commiserate about her lackluster marriage, but they're interrupted by a call from one of Dwayne's friends. As Faith takes down a message for him, the caller tells her his name: Damon Bradley. A shocked Faith finds out that Damon is at the airport on his way to Venice. He hangs up after Faith takes down the message, and on the spur of the moment, she takes a taxi to the airport to try to track down her would-be soulmate. However, she just narrowly misses him, and so, Faith and Kate embark on a whirlwind trip to Italy to try and track down the man who could be her soulmate.
'Only You' Subverts Rom-Com Tropes
One of the things that make Only You a special rom-com is that it doesn't exactly follow the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-must-win-back-girl trope. In this story, Faith is the driving force. She goes way out of her comfort zone and takes a chance at finding true love, even if it means flying across the ocean to an unfamiliar land, without knowing more than a name. (Not to mention leaving her fiancé behind days before their wedding.) It's about taking a risk to find love, living a life with no regrets and no what-ifs. Faith even says that it would be unfair to Dwayne to marry him if they're not truly meant to be together. It's a refreshing – if impractical – take on finding the love of a lifetime.
You also get a good look at the friendship between Faith and Kate during an impromptu road trip from Venice to Rome. They go from excited to see the Italian countryside to irritated with each other for not understanding the metric system and getting very lost. When their rental car breaks down, they take a seat on a picturesque hillside, share a bottle of wine, and have a heart-to-heart about what's going on in each of their lives. They end up apologizing to each other for being on edge, a sign of a true, deep friendship that's often rare in romantic comedies.
There are also some great lines that ring true to everyday life, such as when Faith laments being lied to by a man, and Kate tells her that men should get team jerseys with "Liar" written on the front, and "On the back, their name." There are the usual "lost in translation" jokes as well, such as saying "si" to everything a waiter asks in a Rome restaurant and Kate trying to explain to an Italian hotel employee why she's upset that her husband may be having an affair. It's a comical take on Italian vs. American stereotypical views on love and life.
Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei Have Great Chemistry
Tomei and Downey also have amazing chemistry that makes you believe that love at first sight could actually be possible. Like Harry and Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle's Sam and Annie, you can't help but root for them to overcome the obstacles in their way and just go ahead and live happily ever after. They're both attractive, likable, and funny, but neither are perfect. Their characters feel familiar, and that's a big key to making a love story work. Faith is ever the optimist, even after facing multiple disappointments, and Peter (Downey) is so smitten with her that he'll literally do anything to keep her in his life. They're an adorable, extremely watchable couple, and they drive this story very effectively.
The love story itself is also unexpected. While it is definitely a story of soulmates finding each other across great distances and time, it also has a twist that you may not expect. Even though Damon Bradley may not be Faith's real soulmate, he plays a huge role in helping her find and recognize the love of her life. In the end, all the signs do mean something, and you can't help feeling hope for magic in your own romantic future. You also may find yourself booking your own last-minute trip to Italy, because the scenery here is practically its own character. The grand canals of Venice, the historical sculptures and fountains of Rome, and the mountainside beachfront of the Amalfi Coast are the perfect settings for a date with destiny.
So if you're looking for a good, heartwarming love story with a lot of laughs thrown in, I recommend checking out this nearly-forgotten rom-com gem.