There comes a time in a man’s cinematic exploration when he must forego the car chases and explosions; leave behind the questionable sci-fi, bid au revoir to the slapstick comedies, and enter the realm of the classic romantic comedy. If you’re one of those fellas who has been asked to indulge their ladyfriends with one of those films, here are two classic romantic comedy selections to help make it all worthwhile.

I can say with 97.8% certainty that every woman who has seen it, absolutely adores Breakfast At Tiffany’s and has, at some point, imagined herself as some form of Holly Golightly. As portrayed by the drop dead gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, Holly is a walking contradiction; on the one hand, the character is a gold-digging call girl on the prowl for a sugar daddy to marry. On the other, she is a sweet, adorable waif whose lack of furniture in her New York brownstone is only matched by her overabundance of character and personality.

We meet Holly window-shopping early one morning at Tiffany’s jewelry store, her black dress popping off her slight, airy frame. She wears slightly oversized tortoise shell Ray Ban sunglasses and is an absolute vision. When writer/kept man Paul Varjak (played by George Peppard) moves into the apartment building, he becomes intrigued by Holly immediately. The Internet Movie Database continues, “Holly’s lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they’re alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses.” Throw a mobster, a husband, a stereotypical Asian (played very un-politically correct by Mickey Rooney), an orange tabby cat, and a wealthy Brazilian into the mix, and the story gets very interesting. Holly and Paul are perfectly matched as damaged souls who have sold themselves out for cash, grasping for something to hold onto, lest they be cast into the unknown. It really shouldn’t be any surprise how the film eventually ends.

So many worldwide trends began with Audrey Hepburn’s performance and Blake Edwards’ directing; not the least of which is the iconic little black dress that is now a staple of any woman’s wardrobe. The magic of Breakfast At Tiffany’s for guys nowadays could also partly because it shows one of the biggest 1980s TV icons as a leading man. Whoever would have thought that George Peppard would be known better by a certain generation as Hannibal Smith from “The A-Team” than as the male lead in a classic romantic comedy?

The next remarkable classic romantic comedy is Adam’s Rib. Produced in 1949 and starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib is the quintessential battle of the sexes movie. Quick side note: It’s fascinating to watch Adam’s Rib in 2011. The gender equality issues we faced yesterday may have diminished, but they certainly haven’t gone away. This film, while fun to watch, is more relevant that one would have thought.

Although it seems a little dated by today’s cinematic and storytelling standards, the witty repartee and plot construct between Adam Bonner (Tracy) and his wife Amanda (Hepburn) is exquisite. Adam is a District Attorney who’s been chosen to prosecute a woman who allegedly tried to murder her cheating husband and the other woman. Amanda, also a lawyer, decides to defend the woman. When their courtroom battles travel out from under the judge’s eye, and into their home life, the sparks fly.

The script, written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, was written for Tracy and Hepburn specifically. They even knew the couple personally, and the conversational rhythm is clearly played up on screen. It’s an incredible symbiotic relationship, and the characters are fully three dimensional. It’s easy to see Adam’s respect and (rather forward) view of gender equality, and reverence for “the law” clashes with Amanda’s strength for what she believes is right and the true love she has for her husband.

With today’s over-produced, set to music, melodramatic cues in film, it could be hard to see Adam’s Rib as a romantic comedy. But if one is able to slow down the hustle and bustle of the modern world, shut off the Blackberry and the laptop, pop up a big bag of popcorn in the microwave, and give a film the attention it deserves, the on-screen chemistry between Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in Adam’s Rib makes them the original Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan of on-screen romantic pairing.

Ben Maxwell has been in Cayman since July of 2006. He’s worked in radio for over 20 years, working for powerhouse stations in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia. He loves all kinds of movies from the classics to dramas and thrillers like The Godfather, SciFi like Star Wars, to comedies like Caddyshack. Ben supports the Eagles and Man U and can be found in the pub during most weekends in the winter.