The Top 10 Romantic Movies as Viewed by Me!
Jan 27 '04
The Bottom Line If you like romantic movies, maybe this listing will give you some ideas!
A Sucker For Romance
I am a sucker for romantic movies. I generally prefer romantic comedies, but just about any romance will do. I am also blessed to have a very sweet husband who will watch romantic movies with me. Not only does my husband watch movies with me, he enjoys them with me as well!
I have a lot of favorite romance movies, varying widely in style and genre. From ‘western’ to ‘Shakespeare,’ I will give anything a try!
CindyJean’s Top 10
#10–Ever After: A Cinderella Story
Starring Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott in the role of ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Prince Charming’ respectively, this is a modern adaptation of a fairy tale classic. Gone is the fairy godmother, replaced by an elderly Leonardo DiVinci. You will find the expected wicked step mother–played to evil perfection by Angelica Huston, though one of the two step-sisters is actually very kind to Danielle De Barbarac (a.k.a. Cinderella).
Brief Synopsis: Danielle’s father dies when she’s just eight years old, leaving her to the care of her newly acquired step-mother and step-sisters who basically treat her as their personal servant. Danielle dresses as a courtier to buy back the husband of one of the servants who has been sold to cover tax debts and meets the prince. A relationship develops between Prince Henry and Danielle, under her mother’s name–Nicole Deloncre. With a step-sister trying to get herself on the throne, Danielle must watch her step and keep her true identity a secret.
#9–The Wedding Planner
How can any movie starring two such attractive people–Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey–be anything less that entertaining? “The Wedding Planner” is a cute, original romantic comedy that will leave you smiling.
Brief Synopsis: A wedding planner’s life is all about romance, right? Not in the case of Mary Fiore. While she deals with the romance of others, her own life seriously lacks in that department. Well, at least until the day when a handsome stranger rescues her from a runaway dumpster. When Mary’s handsome stranger turns out to be the groom for one of the weddings she’s planning, some hilarious scenes ensue. Add to the mix an Italian immigrant chasing after Mary and you’ve got a great way to spend an hour and a half!
#8–Never Been Kissed
While not my all-time favorite actress, I really like Drew Barrymore. She has a perky, likeable quality that just draws me in. Not only that, but she can play silly better than most actresses! Combine Drew Barrymore with a cast that includes David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Leelee Sobieski, and Molly Shannon (of SNL fame) and you get a movie that you will want to watch over and over.
Brief Synopsis: Josie Geller, known as Josie Grossie in high school, is a successful newspaper copy editor who wants to be a writer. When the newspaper’s ‘out there’ owner decides to send her undercover into a local high school to get the scoop on today’s teens she’s thrilled, until she remembers what high school was like. Befriended by nerdy Eldise (played by Sobieski), Josie finds a niche with the brains of her school. Josie’s 22 year old brother Rob (played by Arquette) enrolls in the same school to get Josie in with the ‘in’ crowd, which he succeeds at. All the while Josie is falling for her English teacher, and he for her although he cannot show it. When Josie’s true identity is revealed, we discover that maybe love can overcome anything.
#7–Return to Me
Never have I seen as original a premise in a romantic movie as I saw in “Return to Me.” I never got to see it in the theater, but shortly after my first renting of this unique romance I purchased a copy for my own. Tender, touching, and thought provoking while still delivering laughs (how many movies have Irish Italian restaurants?) makes this movie one not to be missed.
Brief Synopsis: Just when life seemed to be at its peak, Bob Reuland (played quite likeably by David Duchovny) loses his wife in a tragic auto accident. Several months later while on the blind date from Hell, he meets Grace (played to perfection by Minnie Driver). A romance develops, but Grace is always afraid to tell him about her heart transplant–afraid he’ll think of her as damaged goods. When she discovers the letter of thanks she wrote anonymously to the anonymous family of her heart donor in Bob’s home, she makes a connection that will rock both of their worlds.
#6–Where the Heart Is
While more accurately described as a drama, there are so many element of romance in “Where the Heart Is” that I felt justified in including it in this list. There are dysfunctional romances, functional romances, and romances that you just never expected to happen all woven together to form a wonderful film.
Brief Synopsis: When pregnant, 17 year old Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) is abandoned by her boyfriend at a local Wal-Mart she doesn’t know what to do. Left with no other conceivable options she ‘lives’ in Wal-Mart until she delivers her daughter Americus, the ‘Wal-Mart Baby,’ and gains national attention. She pieces her life back together in the small town of Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with the help of friends who become like family to her. Her best friends are Thelma ‘Sister’ Husband (Stockard Channing), who takes her into her home; Lexie Coop (a fantastic performance by Ashely Judd); and Forney Hull, the man who delivered her baby and has loved her since he first met her. Never having felt worthy of anything good, Novalee learns that she is worthy of love.
#5–Much Ado About Nothing
My husband is not what you’d call an academic. He’s is more of a doer than a thinker. He’s never, never been interested in Shakespeare or ‘artsy’ movies of any kind. When my husband’s cousin talked him into watching ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ I could have hugged her. This movie has quickly become one of my husband’s favorite movies–and mine as well. With stars such as Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale, Denzel Washington, and Michael Keaton (in a masterful but brief performance), a movie of this kind could not fail!
Brief Synopsis: Claudio loves Hero and wishes to marry her, but dirty tricks by Don John and his henchmen keep them apart. Through feigning death, Hero is able to prove to Claudio the trueness of her love. Benedick and Beatrice are always at odds, but their friends decide that their constant trade of barbs is a cover-up for their true feelings for one another. Games ensue when their friends try to get the two together.
#4–The Quiet Man
John Ford wanted for a long time to make “The Quiet Man,” and he wanted Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne to be his stars. To convince Republic Studios to put forth the money for this venture (which was shot largely on location in Ireland), he first produced a western with these two stars–“Rio Grande.” With assurance of the success of Wayne and O’Hara together in a movie, “The Quiet Man” came to be.
Brief Synopsis: Sean Thornton comes back to his ancestral home in Ireland to lick his emotional wounds and there finds love in the fiery redheaded sister, Mary Kate, of his neighbor. It takes some trickery for Sean to convince his bull-headed neighbor Squire Danaher (played by Victor McLaglen) to allow his sister to marry him. When the trickery is discovered Danaher refuses to give Sean his sister’s dowry, a point of contention between Sean and Mary Kate.
#3–Pearl Harbor
An epic drama staged during one of the most infamous events of World War II, “Pearl Harbor” succeeds in putting a human face to the tragedy that occurred, and to the resilient spirit of the men and women who fought back.
Brief Synopsis: Rafe and Danny have been best friends all their life. Rafe falls in love with Evelyn, but then goes off to join the Eagle Squadron where he is shot down and presumed dead. After a few months Danny and Evelyn start to fall in love. Evelyn has never fully gotten over Rafe, but she’s moving on with life. Then one day Evelyn finds she’s pregnant with Danny’s baby. That night Rafe walks back into her life and discovers that the woman whose memory has kept him alive is with his best friend. Evelyn is forced to chose between them, something nobody wants.
#2–You’ve Got Mail
Long a fan of both Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks (tied with Mel Gibson in my mind as the best actors in Hollywood today), I remember the first time I saw “You’ve Got Mail.” It was on cable television one weekend and I watched it several times. I fell in love immediately with this lighthearted, impeccably acted remake of the James Stewart classic “Shop Around the Corner.”
Brief Synopsis: Kathleen Kelly runs a children’s bookstore in New York City that is about to be put under by Fox Books, the ‘big bad chain store.’ She practically lives with her boyfriend, but she’s got dear online friend who is her source of friendship and support when she needs it most. As Kathleen’s business gets progressively worse, she fights back as best she can to save her store, following the advice of her ‘friend.’ When finally they plan to meet, it is Joe Fox, heir to the Fox Books fortune, who realizes that his enemy is his best friend, the woman he can share anything with. When Joe comes to terms with it he realizes that if he’s to have a chance at true love, he’s going to have to win her over in a big way. Friends first, can Joe convince Kathleen that he’s not the monster she wants to see him as?
#1–Notting Hill
I’m going to admit a few things here. Number one–I don’t like Julia Roberts. She’s always seemed a little to ‘Hollywood elitist’ for me. Number two–I absolutely adore Hugh Grant. Given his ‘shady’ past it’s surprising, but never before have I seen an actor so clumsily likeable. The previews for “Notting Hill” had me drooling, it looked really good. My husband didn’t really think so, but on a trip to the theater when this movie was newly released I convinced him to give it a try. We both fell in love instantly, and actually made a second trip to see this impeccably made romantic comedy. Everything about this movie seems so genuine that it feels real.
Brief Synopsis: Will Thacker (Hugh Grant) runs a small travel book shop in London, where fate delivers Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), one of Hollywood’s top actresses. Charmed by his bumbling ways, Anna and Will begin a romance that ends almost as quickly by the unexpected appearance of her boyfriend (a cameo appearance by Alec Baldwin). Later Anna goes through some personal troubles with the release of some revealing photos taken many years before. She goes to Will to hide and lick her wounds, but behave horribly when her presence there is detected by the press. After many months of moping, Will decides he is over Anna–just in time to discover that she’s back in London filming a new movie. With the help of some truly devoted friends, will gets one more chance to win Anna back.
Summary
From Shakespeare to the Internet to one of the greatest Western movie stars of all time, romance movies can take many forms. These are my ten favorites, and I hope that you will enjoy them as well.
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CindyJean
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