Director Garry Marshall (1934)

Directed by Garry Marshall, the American romantic dramedy film Mother’s Day (2016) centers around a group of individuals in Atlanta as they navigate their relationships with their mothers. Among them is Sandy, a divorced mother of two sons named Mikey and Peter. Her ex-husband Henry has recently remarried to Tina, who is much younger than him. While still adjusting to this change, Sandy meets Bradley, a former Marine, at the supermarket. Bradley lost his wife Dana, a Marine Lieutenant, one year prior and is now raising their two daughters Vicky and Rachel on his own. Meanwhile, Kristin, who was adopted at birth, ...

New Year’s Eve (2011), an American romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall and written by Katherine Fugate, tells interconnected stories of people facing various issues on this special night. As the Vice-President of Times Square, Claire Morgan is busy with final preparations for the ball drop, assisted by her friend and police officer Brendan. Meanwhile, Ingrid Withers, an employee at Ahern Records who was almost hit by a car and denied a vacation, decides to quit her job. She offers deliveryman Paul Doyle tickets to the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball if he helps ...

Valentine’s Day (2010), a romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall, features a screenplay and story written by Katherine Fugate, Abby Kohn, and Marc Silverstein. Florist Reed Bennett proposes to his girlfriend Morley Clarkson and she accepts, while his friends Alfonso Rodriguez and Julia Fitzpatrick are not surprised when Morley has a change of heart and leaves later that day. During her short leave from the U.S. Army, Kate Hazeltine meets Holden Wilson on her flight ...

Georgia Rule (2007) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and written by Mark Andrus. Rachel, a teenager known for her promiscuity and heavy drinking, has been struggling with drug addiction and rebellious behavior. Unfortunately, her repeated negative actions have led to her mother Lily enforcing the final rule in their San Francisco home. With no other options, Lily brings Rachel to stay at her grandmother Georgia’s house in Idaho –a place she promised to never return to. Georgia lives by a strict set of rules that prioritize God and hard ...

Directed by Garry Marshall and written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, Raising Helen (2004) is an American comedy-drama film. The story follows three sisters, Jenny, Helen, and Lindsay Harris, who are all living in New York. After the loss of their mother when they were young, Jenny took on the role of raising her two younger sisters. While Jenny and Lindsay are devoted stay-at-home moms, Helen enjoys her glamorous lifestyle as an executive assistant at one of Manhattan’s top modeling agencies. One day, Jenny calls ...

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) is a American romantic comedy film and the sequel to 2001’s The Princess Diaries. Unlike its predecessor, this film is not based on any of the books. It follows Mia Thermopolis as she returns to Genovia after graduating from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs. On her 21st birthday, Mia attends a party where all eligible bachelors are invited to dance with her in hopes of finding a husband. There, she meets Nicholas, with whom she shares a mutual attraction. However, their budding romance is threatened when Mia’s tiara falls off and is caught by Viscount ...

The Princess Diaries (2001) is an American comedy film that follows the coming-of-age journey of Mia Thermopolis. Mia, a student at Grove High School, lives with her single mother Helen in a renovated firehouse in San Francisco. She struggles with a fear of public speaking and has a crush on popular classmate Josh Bryant, who is dating Lana Thomas. Her only companions are outcasts Lilly Moscovitz and her brother Michael, who secretly likes Mia. However, everything changes when Mia’s estranged paternal grandmother Clarisse informs her that she is the sole heir to the throne of Genovia following her father’s passing. With determination, Clarisse takes on the ...

The American romantic comedy film, The Other Sister (1999), directed by Garry Marshall, follows the story of Carla Tate. After graduating from a sheltered boarding school, Carla returns to her overprotective and slightly snobby mother Elizabeth’s home. Despite her ambition and mild mental disability, Carla is met with discomfort from Elizabeth as she seems ashamed of her youngest daughter’s condition. This uneasiness is likely due to past experiences of Carla being bullied as a child. Meanwhile, Radley – a dentist and recovering alcoholic – serves as Carla’s father. Determined to gain more ...

The film Runaway Bride (1999) directed by Garry Marshall tells the story of Maggie Carpenter, a lively and attractive woman who has endured numerous unsuccessful relationships. She gained local notoriety and the nickname ‘The Runaway Bride’ for leaving three fiancés at the altar on their wedding day. When a man in a bar tells cynical New York columnist Ike Graham about Maggie’s reputation, he writes an unflattering article about her without fact-checking. However, this man turns out to be one of Maggie’s jilted exes and his account is filled with inaccuracies. After Maggie sends a fiery response ...

Dear God (1996) is an American comedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and directed by Garry Marshall. Tom Turner, a con artist, finds himself in legal trouble for running scams to pay off his gambling debt to Junior, a loan shark. As punishment, the judge orders Tom to secure a full-time job within the week and keep it for at least a year, or face prison time. Desperate to avoid jail, Tom takes a job at the post office sorting mail in the dead letter office. Here, he meets some eccentric colleagues and learns about what happens to letters addressed to the Easter Bunny, Elvis Presley, and even God. One day, while ...

The American romantic comedy-drama film, Frankie and Johnny (1991), directed by Garry Marshall, tells the story of two individuals facing emotional struggles. One is a waitress named Frankie who attends a baptism in Altoona, Pennsylvania for her godson. Meanwhile, a man named Johnny is freshly released from prison. After returning to her job at the Apollo Cafe in New York City, Frankie’s boss Nick sends her co-worker Helen home early due to dizziness. Later on, Johnny shows up looking for work, and despite his criminal background, Nick gives him a job as a short-order cook. As the day ends, Frankie goes back home ...

Pretty Woman (1990), an American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by J.F. Lawton, tells the story of Edward and Vivian. One night, after leaving a business party in the Hollywood Hills, Edward takes his lawyer Philip’s Lotus Esprit and ends up in the red-light district on Hollywood Boulevard. It is there that he meets Vivian Ward, a struggling prostitute. As he struggles with the car’s stick-shift, Vivian offers to drive him to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Despite some initial awkwardness, they connect and end up having ...

Adapted by Mary Agnes Donoghue, the American comedy-drama film Beaches (1988) is based on Iris Rainer Dart’s 1985 novel of the same name and directed by Garry Marshall. During a concert rehearsal in Los Angeles, New York actress and singer Cecilia Carol ‘C.C.’ Bloom receives a note and hastily departs to be with her friend Hillary Whitney, a San Francisco heiress and lawyer. As she drives through the night, C.C. reflects on their lifelong friendship that ...

Overboard (1987) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and written by Leslie Dixon. Heiress Joanna Stayton is accustomed to a wealthy life with her own yacht and fortune, along with her husband Grant Stayton III. While waiting for her yacht to be repaired in the fictional seaside town of Elk Cove, Oregon, Joanna hires local carpenter Dean Proffitt, a widower with four sons, to remodel her closet. Despite Dean’s quality work, she dismisses it because he used oak instead of cedar without her requesting it initially. Dean asks to be paid for ...

Nothing in Common (1986) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall. David Basner, a shallow, childish yuppie recently promoted at his Chicago ad agency, returns to work from a vacation only to find that his parents have separated after 36 years of marriage. Now he must balance caring for his aging and bitter father, Max, while also supporting his emotionally fragile mother, Lorraine. To add to the stress, Max has just been fired from the garment industry after 35 years. While trying to navigate these challenges, David’s ex-girlfriend Donna offers sympathy but also advises him to ‘grow ...

Directed by Garry Marshall, The Flamingo Kid (1984) is an American romantic comedy film. In the summer of 1963, Jeffrey Willis joins friends for gin rummy at El Flamingo Club, a private beach resort. It’s there that he meets Carla Sampson, the girl of his dreams. Despite being upset about the club’s strict guest policy after the game, Jeffrey quickly lands a job as a car valet and eventually becomes a cabana steward. His father disapproves of him working at the exclusive club due to their middle class background in Brooklyn. However, his mentor and hero at the resort is Phil Brody – a salesman of ...

Young Doctors in Love (1982) is an American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. The story follows a group of eight young medical interns who join the City Hospital surgery staff, headed by the brash and cynical Dr. Prang. Among the patients at the hospital is Sal Bonafetti, an old mafioso who has disguised himself under a different name due to fear of retaliation from rival crime organizations. His son Angelo takes on the identity of a woman named ‘Angela’ to keep watch over his father. In addition, professional hitman Malamud also becomes a patient in order to carry out an assassination attempt on Sal. ...

The American television sitcom, Mork & Mindy (1978–1982), originally aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off of the popular show Happy Days, it featured Robin Williams as Mork, a visitor from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as his human companion and eventual love interest, Mindy McConnell. Despite her efforts to help him adapt to life on Earth and understand human customs, Mork’s behavior remains delightfully odd. His mission is to gather information about our planet for his superiors back home.

Happy Days (1974–1984), an American sitcom, originally aired on the ABC network for 11 seasons from January 15, 1974 to July 19, 1984. Created by Garry Marshall, it quickly became one of the most successful shows of the 70s. Based in Milwaukee during the 50s, the series follows teenager Richie Cunningham and his family: his father Howard who runs a hardware store, traditional stay-at-home mother Marion, younger sister Joanie, and older brother Chuck (who only appears in seasons 1 and 2). The Cunninghams also have a tenant who is both cool and suave – mechanic Fonzie – who eventually becomes Richie’s ...