Top 10 Unscripted Rom Com Moments That Were Kept in the Movie

The chest waxing sequence in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” is one of the most iconic movie scenes of the 21st century so far. It’s one that makes everyone laugh and very thankful they don’t have to endure this kind of agony. And in case you were wondering, it wasn’t all acting. The pain Steve Carell feels is real. Faking a chest waxing would’ve been very hard to do, so Carell really underwent the procedure. Now, because they were only going to get one shot at it, they did discuss some things he could yell beforehand; “Kelly Clarkson,” for instance, was allegedly Seth Rogen’s idea. But the reactions of surprise from Carell are all real in the moment. Even the blood is real.

Every year, Rome is inundated with tourists from around the world, many of whom will, at one point during their trip, visit the famous Mouth of Truth mask and stick their hand in it. The large marble disc dates back centuries, but is most famous for its appearance in the classic 1953 rom-com “Roman Holiday,” starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. In the film, Peck’s Joe tells Hepburn’s Ann about the legend that liars will have their hands bitten and, when he inserts his, acts like it’s being chewed off. That part was in the script. However, Peck took things up a notch by pulling his hand back into his sleeve and presenting the “stump,” causing a very real scream from the unknowing Hepburn.

On August 17th, 2018, Netflix released “To All The Boys I've Loved Before,” and a teen rom-com obsession was born. The film became a hit on the streamer and spawned two sequels. One of the reasons it was such a success was the casting of the lead roles of Lara Jean and Peter, played by Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, respectively. And as it turns out, Centineo did a little improvising throughout the shoot, including the swoonable moment when, with his hand in Condor’s back pocket, he spins her around and into his chest. It wasn’t in the script, but according to director Susan Johnson, when he did it in rehearsal, she loved it and changed the shot to accommodate the move.

So, you know how in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” Ryan Gosling’s character uses the “Dirty Dancing” over-the-head lift to literally, and figuratively, pick up Emma Stone’s? Well, that scene wasn’t in the original screenplay, and you’ll never guess how it made it into the movie. It was all because of Gosling. They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and the truth is that Gosling had actually used that move on a girl before. When he told the story to the film’s directors, they looked at each other and said, “Ok, that’s going in the movie!” Gosling wasn’t thrilled with the idea at first, but sure enough, they put it in.

In “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a TV weather broadcaster who gets stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania reliving the same day over and over and over and over… and over. Well, in one of the many, daily moments he continually goes through, he runs into “Needlenose” Ned Ryerson, a guy that he went to high school with, though far be it from Phil to remember. Most of the encounters follow certain beats, but in one take, Murray went off script. Ned actor Stephen Tobolowsky begins the encounter like all the others, calling out Phil’s name, but then Murray goes in for an unscripted hug and the rest of the exchange is improvised.

For those of us who were of a certain age in the ‘90s, the film “Clueless” was a very important film, a film that taught us some very important lessons. Such as, high school boys are like dogs and that it doesn’t say “RSVP” on the Statue of Liberty. It also taught us the wrong way to pronounce “Haitians.” As the main character, actor Alicia Silverstone embodied the brilliant yet ditzy Cher. One moment that stands out, among many, is the speech she gives during a class debate. In discussing the people of Haiti, Silverstone mispronounces the appropriate demonym, which, according to director Amy Heckerling, “wasn't written that way in the script.” But Heckerling loved it too much to correct her.

Is there anything Tom Hanks can’t do? He’s a great actor and has multiple Academy Awards to prove it. We know he can direct, as we saw in the very underrated “That Thing You Do!” And we now know he can also improvise, as this scene from “You've Got Mail” makes quite clear. You’ll notice he’s carrying balloons and a goldfish, and as he leaves the bookstore owned by Meg Ryan’s character, the balloons get stuck in the door. Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen, but rather than break character or stop the scene, Hanks comes back with one of the funniest lines in the movie right off the top of his head.

These days, Melissa McCarthy is a big star and recognized by many as one of the funniest actors out there. Her turn in “Bridesmaids,” is a prime example of her comedic chops. What some might not be aware of is how talented of an improviser she is as well, with her unscripted wit on full display in the aforementioned classic. Perhaps the best instance of this comes during her heartfelt speech to Kristen Wiig’s character in which she talks about how she was tormented in school, but now is rich and has high-level security clearance. According to director Paul Feig, “That was all stuff she came up with when we shot on the day.” In that case, color us impressed.

While so much of “Pretty Woman” has become iconic in the world of romantic comedies, even the film’s director, Garry Marshall, has called the jewelry box scene the “trademark of the movie.” Indeed, who can’t picture Richard Gere snapping the jewelry box closed on Julia Roberts’s hand and the unforgettable laugh that followed? Although, that wasn’t how it was written in the script. Roberts, twenty-three at the time, was a little tired from late-night partying, so Marshall told Gere to do it in order to wake her up a little. His plan was to use it for the film’s gag reel, but during the editing process, they decided to put it in the movie, and the rest is history.

If you can see a pecan pie and not instantly think, or say out loud, [“I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie,”] then you’ve probably never seen “When Harry Met Sally...” It’s one of the most quotable lines from a film filled with quotable lines, but this one was never written in the script. Instead, it came out of the mind of Billy Crystal, who improvised the whole scene with a funny voice, from the “paprikash” to the “pecan pie,” as Meg Ryan just played along. Although, if you notice at one point, Ryan does turn to look off camera. She’s actually looking at director Rob Reiner, who tells her to keep going. And thank goodness he did.