Jennifer Aniston has starred in some of the most beloved rom-coms ever made, but looking closely at her filmography revealed many films that viewers may have missed. While movies like Along Came Polly and Bruce Almighty stood out as highly acclaimed and well-known rom-coms, Aniston has consistently starred in lesser-known releases that deserve more attention and recognition. Even as she starred as Rachel Green on Friends for ten years, Aniston still carved out time in her busy schedule for some heartfelt, hilarious, and often zany rom-com love stories.
Many of the best Jennifer Aniston movies were rom-coms, but there were plenty more titles that audiences may have never heard of. While these lesser-known releases varied in quality, and some were unknown for a reason, Aniston always brought her unique charm and comedic persona to every part she played. Even though they may not be as well-known as her best work, lovers of Aniston’s bombastic and charming style will surely discover some hidden gems from these releases.
10She's The One (1996)
Jennifer Aniston as Renee Fitzpatrick
She’s the One was a woefully unknown Jennifer Aniston rom-com released shortly after she had found worldwide success as Rachel Green on Friends. With Edward Burns, Mike McGlone, and Cameron Diaz as co-stars, the lives of brothers, wives, and girlfriends become entangled when Aniston’s movie husband cheats on her with his brother’s ex. As a comedy of errors exploring infidelity, sibling rivalry, and insecurity, She’s the One was an insightful rom-com from a male perspective that was an early indication of Aniston’s incredible skill in this genre.
While She’s the One was a great chance for Aniston to show off her acting chops outside of Friends, she was also underutilized in her supporting role as the unloved wife, and the movie was brought down by a poor performance from Maxine Bahns as Hope, her husband’s affair partner. Sadly, She’s the One was just too uneven to stand out among much better rom-coms of the 1990s and was a forgettable entry in Aniston’s filmography. The most memorable thing about She’s the One was its original soundtrack from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which they released as their ninth studio album.
9Dream For An Insomniac (1996)
Jennifer Aniston as Allison
Dream for an Insomniac felt like an attempt to portray the same kind of 1990s slacker existence as a movie like Reality Bites, although it never became the same kind of Gen-X classic as that Ben Stiller movie. Unfortunately, by the metrics of this film’s characters, who continually state, “Anything less than extraordinary is a waste of my time,” it failed to deliver. With a story about a lonely girl who meets the boy of her dreams and his girlfriend, this classic rom-com setup had some bright moments and funny dialogue but was mostly forgettable.
Like many of Aniston’s movies during the 1990s, she was the best about Dream for an Insomniac, as she stole every scene she was in. Aniston was glowing with star power and charisma during this era as she sported her iconic “The Rachel” haircut and had a lot of fun with her supporting role as the best friend, Frankie. With a casual filming style that moves from black and white to color, Dream for an Insomniac was a solid debut that sadly acted as the only movie by its writer and director, Tiffanie DeBartolo.
8Picture Perfect (1997)
Jennifer Aniston as Kate Mosley
The plot of Picture Perfect featured a set-up that rom-com lovers had seen a thousand times before as Jennifer Aniston pretended to be engaged to a wedding photographer she had just met to impress her boss. The derivative nature of its storyline, repeated in much more well-known movies like The Proposal and The Wedding Date, predictably became increasingly complex as Aniston started seeing her colleague, played by Kevin Bacon, while her fake fiance started to genuinely fall for her. While it didn’t break any new ground, Picture Perfect ticked all the light boxes for a lighthearted romance.
Although there was nothing original about the story of Picture Perfect, it’s clear that Aniston can lead a rom-com like nobody else. It was fantastic to see Aniston gaining starring roles in movies such as this while simultaneously juggling them with her time on Friends. With a strong script and some good characterization, if the concept of Picture Perfect wasn’t so contrived, it would likely be a far better-known entry in Aniston’s body of work.
7The Object Of My Affection (1998)
Jennifer Aniston as Nina Borowski
Four years before becoming co-stars on Friends, Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd starred in the lesser-known romantic comedy The Object of My Affection. Released several months before the premiere of the NBC sitcom that dealt with similar themes, Will & Grace, The Object of My Affected featured Aniston as a pregnant social worker who developed feelings for her gay best friend (Rudd) and decided she wanted to raise her child with him. For Friends lovers, it may seem like blasphemy to see Rachel in love with Phoebe’s husband, but the two had undeniable onscreen chemistry.
The Object of My Affection was a success at the box office when it was first released, although a predicable plot and a lack of urgency meant this film has mostly fallen into obscurity. The issue with The Object of My Affection was that it dealt with big and important themes around love, sexuality, and alternative family structures, but never quite managed to address these topics with the nuances required. With plenty of rom-com sappiness, The Object of My Affection had the potential to be a lot better than it was.
6Rumor Has It (2005)
Jennifer Aniston as Sarah Huttinger
Upon inspection, Rob Reiner’s rom-com Rumor Has It, which featured Kevin Cosner as a character who slept with the grandmother, mother, and daughter of one family, had questionable undertones. With Jennifer Aniston as a woman who learned her family may have inspired the iconic novel and movie The Graduate, Rumor Has It started with an intriguing plot but failed to take it anywhere new or interesting. As a box office disappointment that received mixed reviews from critics, it’s no surprise this was one of the lesser-known entries in Aniston’s career.
While Rumor Has It has its issues, as its zany sequences undercut the emotional resonance of its characters, there were also enough laughs throughout to keep things engaging. Aniston’s performance was also central to elevating the film from mediocrity, as she brought much-needed energy to this ridiculous story. Sadly, Rumor Has It was a far cry from Reiner’s best movies, like The Princess Bride or When Harry Met Sally, but this will do the trick for those looking to relax and turn their brains off with a mindless rom-com.
5The Break-Up (2006)
Jennifer Aniston as Brooke Meyers
The Break-Up featured Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn as a couple traversing the end of their relationship that peeled back the curtain of all that had gone wrong with their once-loving romance. While Aniston’s Brooke felt underappreciated, Vaughn’s Gary thought she was too controlling, and the pair must untangle their lives from one another as they sell their mutual condo and try to move on. As a document of the struggles of modern romance and the challenges of communication, The Break-Up was an insightful look into the way that couples can fall apart.
With strong performances across the board and an enjoyable supporting role from Aniston's frequent collaborator Jason Bateman, the universal struggles in The Break-Up made this a relatable and realistic rom-com. As a story of self-discovery, it was enjoyable to see Brooke find a way to thrive outside of her relationship and for Gary to reflect on where things went wrong and do the work to become a better man. While it’s practically indistinguishable from any other rom-com of doomed relationships, The Break-Up was still a good time.
4Management (2008)
Jennifer Aniston as Sue Claussen
Jennifer Aniston was an executive producer for the offbeat rom-com Management. With Aniston as the high-powered company sales executive Sue Claussen and Steve Zahn as Mike, the hapless night management of his parent’s motel, the two formed an unlikely connection as Sue momentarily let Mike touch her butt while they shared champagne in her motel room on a business trip. In most instances, things would end right there, but Mike was smitten and decided to fly to Baltimore to let Sue know how he felt.
Management was a strange movie with stalkerish undertones that still worked due to the sincere vulnerability of Zahn’s performance and Aniston’s innate likability and upbeat demeanor. This was a story of two lonely people taking chances in a challenging world that felt clever and original. Management was surprisingly heartfelt, and Zahn’s performance turned what could have been a creepy stalker character into something that felt more nuanced and honest.
3The Switch (2010)
Jennifer Aniston as Kassie Larson
The Switch reunited Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman for a rom-com about a man who drunkenly switched the sperm donations for his best friend's child with his own. With a truly outrageous and morally dubious premise, The Switch was actually a touching love story about best friends, unrequited love, and the time it takes to discover what’s right in romance. While audiences will have to suspend their disbelief for events like an “insemination party,” Aniston and Bateman’s clear chemistry made this a highlight underrated 2010s rom-com.
The story took place over several years as Aniston’s character became pregnant and raised her young child. This strangely sentimental tale saw Bateman try to reconnect with a seven-year-old son whom nobody knew was his. With interesting character dynamics, The Switch included many tropes and clichés of the rom-com genre but still felt unique. With plenty of lighthearted moments and a serious topic undercutting its narrative, The Switch was an insightful rom-com that deserves more attention than it ever got.
2The Bounty Hunter (2010)
Jennifer Aniston as Nicole Hurley
If it wasn’t for the great chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, the cliche-ridden action rom-com The Bounty Hunter would be a total waste of time. With nominations for Worst Actor, Actress, Picture, and Screen Couple at the Razzies, and Aniston even winning the Actress Most in Need of a New Agent prize at the Alliance of Women Film Journalists awards, The Bounty Hunter was badly received by critics, to say the least. However, for all its faults, this story about a bounty hunter retrieving his ex-wife who skipped out on her bail had some redeeming moments.
The Bounty Hunter was a formulaic rom-com with plenty of violence and fast-paced action as the two former lovers tried to outwit one another throughout this frantic road trip movie. With a few bright spots and some laugh-out-loud sequences, the overall feeling watching The Bounty Hunter was that it could have been so much better. While lovers of Aniston’s bombastic rom-com persona will find a lot to enjoy, The Bounty Hunter was one of her lesser-known movies for a reason.
1Mother's Day (2016)
Jennifer Aniston as Sandy Newhouse
From the same director as Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries, Mother’s Day has failed to have the same kind of lasting cultural impact as those Garry Marshall movies. However, this ensemble rom-com had plenty to offer as it featured iconic actresses like Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, and Kate Hudson. This story of three generations of mothers coming together in the week leading up to Mother’s Day also reunited Aniston with her We’re the Miller’s costar, Jason Sudeikis.
However, for all the talent on display, Mother’s Day never quite lived up to its potential, as its predictable rom-com cliches and by-the-numbers narrative made for a lackluster viewing experience. Sadly, like many of Aniston’s lesser-known rom-coms, Mother’s Day just never hit the right notes, and although it was perfectly watchable, it felt like a waste of its talented cast. While Mother’s Day worked well as some distracting entertainment, it did nothing to stand out among the rest of Jennifer Aniston’s work and was likely quickly forgotten by viewers once the credits had rolled.
