- The Notebook (2004, Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams)- I can’t help it. I have to mention this movie again in a Valentine post because, to me, it epitomizes romance. I’m particularly smitten with the ferris wheel scene, the wooing Allie on the street scene, and the getting reacquainted after many years scene(s). I saw this movie in the theater three times, and have watched it countless other times on DVD. Have your tissues handy…I practically curled up in a fetal position during the scene where James Garner’s character starts crying.
- Pride & Prejudice (1995, Jennifer Ehle & Colin Firth)- Technically this is a mini-series, but I’m cheating because I like this mini-series so much better than the recent movie. I re-read the book every year, and try to re-watch this mini-series every other year. At 300 minutes, only serious fans should attempt this one.
- The Lake House (2006, Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves)- I was skeptical of this movie initially because I’m not a big Keanu Reeves fan, but it won me over quickly. I thought the connections between the past and present were very clever including a scene with a tree outside an apartment building.
- You’ve Got Mail (1998, Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan)- Any movie that has a character reading and analyzing Pride and Prejudice is a winner in my book.
- Serendipity (2001, John Cusack & Kate Beckinsale)- This movie has special meaning to me because Matt and I went to see it for one of our first dates. I’m pretty sure that he picked it because of Kate Beckinsale. Hmmmm.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Jim Carrey & Kate Winslet)- I consider this to be a romantic film in an unconventional way. Inspired by the Taoist Biker’s recent blog post, Matt and I watched this film again last night. I tend to like movies where comedians take on serious roles (e.g., Jim Carrey in this film, Robin Williams in Dead Poets’ Society & Good Will Hunting, and Adam Sandler in Spanglish.)
- Notting Hill (1999, Julia Roberts & Hugh Grant)- Some of my favorite scenes from this movie were when Hugh Grant’s character and Julia Robert’s character were just hanging out with Hugh Grant’s friends. I can’t imagine going to game night with our friends and discovering that Brad Pitt was somebody’s date.
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002, Nia Vardalos & John Corbett)- It’s Aidan from Sex and the City! I’m suddenly craving a bundt cake.
- Emma (1996, Gwyneth Paltrow & Jeremy Northam)- I really can’t pass up a good Jane Austen adaptation.
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993, Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks)- Does anybody really break up as easily as Meg Ryan’s character did with her fiance for Tom Hanks?
- Bed of Roses (1996, Mary Stuart Masterson & Christian Slater)- I don’t think this movie was very popular, but I liked the idea of a flower shop owner wooing a career woman who has been too busy to enjoy her life.
- Hope Floats (1998, Sandra Bullock & Harry Connick Jr.)- My husband practically forbade me from listing this movie because of his dislike for it, but it’s my blog, so it stays. Harry Connick Jr. in a cowboy hat- Yee haw.
Any other suggestions?
30 Comments
February 13, 2008 at 7:39 am
have you seen:
the truth about cats and dogs,
stranger than fiction
and
chasing amy?
these are my favs
February 13, 2008 at 7:52 am
Sense and Sensibility (1996) Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant.
This is a great story. The elder sister is so self-contained and long-suffering that you almost hope that things won’t work out for her. Then, you keep discovering news depths to her younger sister’s shallowness and before long you are rooting for the elder again.
Best of all, Alan Rickman.
February 13, 2008 at 8:43 am
Love, Actually! I know I don’t know you, but I’m surprised with your other choices, that is not on there!
Others I personally love:
Family Man
Benny and Joon
Untamed Heart
February 13, 2008 at 9:04 am
The Notebook is hands down my favorite. But I also like While You Were Sleeping, Princess Bride, & Shakespeare in Love.
February 13, 2008 at 9:51 am
I need some salt . . . this post is wayyyyy too sugary sweet for me.
February 13, 2008 at 10:01 am
I agree: Love, Actually and Shakespeare in Love are two of my favorites. Also: Just Friends; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; Elizabeth; The Holiday; The Very Thought of You.
February 13, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I admit, I’m chick-flick deficient. I saw Sleepless and Eternal Sunshine in the theater; seen snippets of Bed of Roses and thought it was cool, my wife used to have You’ve Got Mail running in the background at least once a week while she worked so I absorbed some of it through osmosis but never really watched it. The others? Nada.
Personally, I like High Fidelity. Chasing Amy was a good idea, if a bit oddball. Just Friends was *awesome*. And I have a soft spot for the love stories at the heart of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but I’m something of a sinophile. I’m sure I’ll think of some more at some random point today, but for now that’s all I can come up with.
February 13, 2008 at 12:34 pm
[...] cute blonde over at That’s What She Blogged is gushing about a dozen movies that make her swoon for Valentine’s Day, so I thought I would respond with some movies that would make me, well, [...]
February 13, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Thankfully, I have only seen two from your list, but my wife has seen all of them. I am sure she would add Untamed Heart (Early 90’s) to the list. She is always crying in the other room when it is on. We scatter!
February 13, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Duh, yep, just remembered, 50 First Dates. I like that one.
February 13, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Generalrant- I’ve seen all but Chasing Amy. You can love your dog, just don’t LOVE your dog!
MK- I had to draw the line somewhere with Jane Austen movies, or she would have been over-represented (thought rightfully so). If you like Alan Rickman, than I bet you would like Ciaran Hinds in the movie adaptation of Persuasion.
Runlikemad- Love Actually seems to be a popular swooner pick. I don’t remember liking it that much…I think I might not really like Keira Knightly, though I’m not exactly sure why.
Bluesuit- How could I have forgotten While You Were Sleeping? I was listing a dozen for the rose aspect, but I should have listed 14 for the 14th and included that movie.
TRO- Will try to return to my salty self after Thursday. BTW, I liked The Secretary too.
Pammy Girl- I really liked How to Lose a Guy and The Holiday (comedy guy playing serious role). I’ve never seen Just Friends, but it appears to be very popular!
Taoist Biker- I haven’t seen High Fidelity, but I really liked About a Boy and I’ve read a couple of books by Nick Hornby. I also like John Cusack, so why haven’t I seen High Fidelity?
Morethananelectrician- Who wouldn’t sob during Untamed Heart….Christian Slater pre-arrests, I think.
February 13, 2008 at 8:29 pm
These are all awesome movies! Hmm, where do you live? We need to have a girls’ night!
I’m adding The Holiday. It’s on my top 5.
February 13, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Oh, oh, oh!!!
Before Sunset and Before Sunrise.
February 13, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Great list! It looks like you just about covered them all. I really liked The Holiday. It made me laugh and cry.
February 14, 2008 at 12:12 am
I’m a sucker for those with a Brit-element, so Love Actually and The Holiday are high on my list…I also really like About a Boy, which isn’t ONLY a romantic one, but there is a nice romantic story line in it…and also I LOVVVVVVVEE Bridget Jones Diary, mostly because she is a bumbling fool…on and good call on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, those unconvential ones really get me
And also…umm…The Wedding Date with Debra Messing is pretty good, not your picture-perfect characters, but nice….hmmm, am I rambling by now??
Oh, and have you seen “Before Sunrise”, and the sequel made 10 years later “Before Sunset”? (with Ethan Hawke)…those are like triple-wrapped in “fate” and “destiny”, and a “soul connection”…watch them back-to-back
PS: yeah…Notebook…sigh…
PPS: okay it’s clearly past my bedtime…Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14, 2008 at 6:32 am
Eileen- How could I have missed the sequel?
Simplypink- I enjoyed the quaintness of The Holiday.
Romi- About a Boy and BJD are two of my favorite movies, but I couldn’t decide if they were “swooners”. I wasn’t crazy about the BJD sequel movie, though the sequel book was fantastic.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14, 2008 at 7:36 am
You’re right, they may not qualify for swooner status…and I KNOW: the sequel to Bridget Jones was not good at all..I’m not sure how they managed to ruin the second book like that….
February 14, 2008 at 9:22 am
Just one more, what about City of Angles? Not a big Nicholas Cage fan usually but concept of the movie is sweet.
February 14, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I like a lot of the older movies; An Officer and a Gentleman, Barefoot in the Park, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
The black and white movies are fantastic! No goofy special effects, just great acting.
February 14, 2008 at 2:18 pm
An Officer and a Gentleman! *sigh* I liked Barefoot in the Park too…I made Matt watch it with me not too long ago.
February 14, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Hope Floats is a good one. I love all things Sandra Bullock. Hope is something we all have to have to be able to go on and the movie shows it beautifully!
I did a 13 Valentine’s Day movies post sort of inspired by yours. It’s part of Thursday Thirteen. You can see it here:
http://scoutmocking.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/thursday-thirteenromance-movies/
February 14, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Try “Untamed Heart” and these http://thelandofbriz.typepad.com/main/2008/01/brizs-top-5.html
February 14, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Scout- I know, Sandra can (almost) do no wrong. I’ll check out your list.
Briz- And yours too
February 15, 2008 at 5:50 am
If I had the money, I’d buy you what I buy all my friends.
Waking Life
Life as a House
Lovely & Amazing
Before Sunrise
Before Sunset
February 15, 2008 at 5:51 am
p.s. Asking for movie recommendations is like screaming FIRE in a movie theater. Enjoy the chaos
February 15, 2008 at 6:15 am
“Runaway Bride”
That and “Notting Hill” convinced me of Julia Roberts’ genius in performing comedy, to the point of being reminiscent of Lucille Ball.
My favorite funny scene being where she escapes the wedding on a FedEx truck, and someone asks where she’s going. The response: “I don’t know, but wherever it is, she’ll be there by 10:30 tomorrow morning.”
My favorite romantic scene is where Richard Gere tells her what she really wants out of a relationship. “You want to be with someone who can’t wait to wake up next to you, just so you can watch the sun rise together” (My paraphrase). – Tim
February 15, 2008 at 7:33 am
M Wade Nichols- I’ve seen #2 of your list, and either #4 or #5. I think it was #4…whichever came first. Regarding your P.S., sometimes I can’t resist an audience participation component to a post
Tim- Loved Runaway Bride, even more so than Pretty Woman. I thought that Roberts and Gere had great chemistry and I really enjoyed the suporting characters such as her former fiances, her friends, his friends, her grandmother, etc. I’m a sucker for a movie that features small town quaintness…like Doc Hollywood.
February 15, 2008 at 2:20 pm
LOVED The Notebook. It is everything a romance movie should be. LOVED it.
I like Untamed Heart. It’s so good and SO sad.
February 15, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I just love Julia Roberts in romantic comedies…..The Runaway Bride (Gere is another guy who just gets better as he gets older!), Notting Hill (”I’m just a girl, standing in front of a guy, asking him to love her”)
But one of my favorites was My Best Friends Wedding, because I had a very similar relationship with MY best friend…he was “mine” and when he announced he was getting married I suddenly thought I was in love with him (it passed). And I know Rupert Everett is gay, but there is just something so hot about him!
February 15, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Lucky- All other romance filmmakers should study and learn from The Notebook.
Mindi- That is my favorite line from Notting Hill. I think My Best Friends Wedding is the reason I don’t really like Cameron Diaz…I still hold a grudge on Julia’s behalf.