100 Romantic Movies: The List vs. My Favorites
In January Time Out London, an online magazine, listed the 100 Best Romantic Movies. I’m not sure what their deciding factors were, and of course such lists are common especially as Valentine’s Day approaches. They seemed to cover to wide gamut of release years, several foreign films, some movies I’ve never heard of, and a few that wouldn’t immediately pop into one’s mind as a “romantic” movie (The Fly, really?). Definitely not the typical list, which is what made it interesting to me. All in all, I didn’t agree, being one who prefers the standard description of a romance story.
You can check out the entire list – with pictures and information for each movie – at the link above. Here are my personal favorites from the Time Out London list, in no particular order.
The Notebook (2004)
Personally I’m not a big Nicolas Sparks fan. But, this was the exception. All around a lovely, completely sappy love story. Yet what set it truly apart for me was the parallel “future” story of the lovers when old. Wow! Beautiful.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands
Best quote: ‘Do you think our love can make miracles?’
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
In general, I do not like romance movies without a happily-ever-after. Moulin Rouge! is the exception. So brilliant in every way. Glorious music, humor, outstanding filming as only Baz Luhrmann can do. I never tire of this movie, and I never watch it without crying like a baby.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Best quote: ‘Come what may, I will love you until my dying day.’
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Messed up hero comes out a better person, but it isn’t only the discipline of military training that does it for him. The love of a good woman. *sigh. And is there anyone who didn’t get teary eyed at the sweeping-into-his-arms ending scene? Not a chance.
Cast: Richard Gere, Deborah Winger, Louis Gossett Jr
Best quote: ‘I got nowhere else to go!’
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Maybe it’s the dancing. Maybe its Patrick Swayze doing the dancing. (No doubt that is a major draw.) Yet, it is more than Patrick’s swiveling hips and silky mullet. A sweet tale of mismatched love is a sure-fire plot.
Cast: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
Best quote: “No one puts Baby in a corner.”
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
A truly epic romance. For me, one of my favorite movies PERIOD. Smoldering, intense, action packed, cinematography beyond compare, passion… it has it all.
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe
Best quote: ‘Stay alive. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.’
Not all “Best of” lists are as odd as the Time Out London one. Here are a few links: Rotten Tomatoes — HiConsumption — AFI (from 2002)
Additional favorites for me, whether anyone puts them on a list or not, include–
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Titanic (1997)
When Harry Met Sally (1998)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Somewhere in Time (1990)
A Room With a View (1985)
…and I better stop or this post will go on forever! I am sure you can name many, many more. What are your favorite romantic movies?
That was a lot of movies I have never watched although I have watched one of the obscure ones. “Show me love” who was originally called “Fucking Åmål” when it released in 1998. Not very romantic, more of a ground breaking movie with a lot of food for thought…
My top 10 list:
Pride and Prejudice 2005
Gone With the Wind
Leap Year
Wuthering Hights 1992
Jane Eyre
Chocolate
Notthing hill
Love Actually
New Years Eve
Sense & Sensibility 1995
I must be the only woman in the world who doesn’t like Dirty Dancing and An Officer and A Gentleman. The rest are good. 🙂
And, of course, there are 2 I forgot- but I love them both: one not so rare, one rare. Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey are wonderful!); and The Virgin and the Gypsy (the height of D.H. Lawrence’s symbolism is in those eyes of Franco Nero. Wow!)
Pride and Prejudice (1995), Robin Hood (Errol Flynn), Captain Blood (Errol Flynn), The Gay Divorcee, Silk Stockings, Funny Face, Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Mark of Zorro, Band of Angels (Clark Gable), Ask Any Girl (Shirley MacLaine), Love in the Afternoon, Cinderella, What a Girl Wants, Hope Springs (Colin Firth), Bride and Prejudice, Singin’ in the Rain, The Count of Monte Cristo (Jim Caviezel), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Anthony Andrews), North and South (Richard Armitage), Sabrina (either one), Desiree, Testimony of Two Men, The War Lord, It Started in Naples (Sophia Loren), Magic in the Moonlight… to name a few. And then there’s Star Wars, George Lucas’s love story to all of us.
I loved all the ones mentioned, including the older ones. So many memories. Loved Back Street with Susan Hayward and John Saxon. It was the kind of movie you’d remember. And let’s not forget Notorious with Ingrid Bergman and Gary Grant.
Pretty Woman – I LOVE that movie so much. Great thread Sharon!
Hi Vicky!! YES, Pretty Woman for sure. Love it!
And let me see, what else would I have to add:
Twilight
The Wedding Singer
Young Victoria
Jane Eyre
Romancing the Stone
Kate and Leopold
Only You
French Kiss
While You Were Sleeping
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
…. and now we see why I had to stop!
A Walk in the Clouds, the Lake House, letters to Juliet, Never Been Kissed, Duel of Hearts
I really should have put Never Been Kissed on my list. It is a big favorite. But, I had to stop or I would STILL be adding titles. LOL! I am a hopeless romantic for sure.
numero uno, Doctor Zhivago hands down!
I too have the same redention of the list of love stories!!!!The one that tops it all or is still on my #1 list “PRIDE & PREJUDICE” with Keira and Matthew!!!! It is still the Greatest Love Story Ever told!!!!!
You will get no argument from me, Julie. P&P 2005 tops my list for sure!
I will date myself but here are the BEST romantic movies in my book. Some have been remade over and over, so I note which version and I am sure I will think of something I forgot when I post this. Of course, first on my list is 2005 P&P! 🙂
Casablanca (Bogart and Bergman), Dr. Zhivago (Omar Sharif & Julie Christie), Back Street (Susan Hayward, John Saxon), The Quiet Man (John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara) The Way We Were (Redford and Streisand), Funny Girl (Streisand and Sharif), The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer), Gone With The Wind (Gable/Leigh)
Gosh, I haven’t seen Dr. Zhivago is so long I can barely remember the story. Time for a classics binge! All the ones you mentioned, Brenda, are excellent. Although, I do notice that quite a few of them are not traditional HEA endings. Hmm…. 😉
You’ve pretty well covered my list too! Except Princess Bride is my number one! I would also remove the 2005 P&P and replace it with the 1995 mini-series.
When it comes to making lists, I have a difficult time ranking. That’s why its “in no particular order” 🙂
An Affair to Remember, P.S, I Love You
PS I Love you was very good, but just so darned sad! Gerard Butler dead!? That is just wrong. LOL!