Scapp70's Top 15 Best Romantic Movies
May 16 '06 (Updated Jul 29 '09)
The Bottom Line The chick-flicks here are not just for chicks.
Films in the Romance/Romantic Comedy genres are probably my favorite genre. That is, if the movies are done right, many movies are released annually in this genre that just follows the usual patterned formula, and it's easy to see right through them. Once in a while though, you'll get a big treat in a Romance movie done right. It should remain timeless, as love is timeless, despite the film's setting. It should trip the switch on your banked emotions despite your sex. Of course, it should include attractive film stars as well. I like this genre so much, I find myself so biased, that I'll allow myself to enjoy the lower quality attempts as well. This list, like all my lists, is an attempt to rate them best quality from 10 - 1. Like most, my numbers will change from time to time, but this is the closest the numbers will represent my scales this week.
If you haven't seen these films, I recommend then these movies to you. I'm sure most of you have seen at least some of these, but if you do find a couple that you haven't - you can trust my taste. I mean come on, it's me!
15. West Side Story (1961). This type of movie should have a sub-genre, or maybe just a separate genre all-together named the Romeo & Juliet genre. This is one of the best Romeo & Juliet movies out there. I suppose if there was a genre named this, it would destroy any chance of the surprise that someone will die at the end of the movie. Well, there's really no surprise here as this film stays very close to the whole premise of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Instead of the Montgomery’s and the Montague’s, we have two rival gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. The Jets are a gang that grew up in Manhattan, a mix of mostly Italians and Irish. They're a peaceful bunch, for a gang anyway, it seems they would ruffle some feathers of the local population and mock authority figures to maintain their rep. The Sharks are a couple of families of native Puerto Ricans who migrated to NYC, and would be just as peaceful, but were forced to form their own gang to have safety in numbers because of the Jets. When the previous Jets leader, Tony falls for the beautiful sister, Maria of the Sharks gang leader, that's when the real trouble starts. Tony & Maria believe that they're made for each other in the two short days that they've known each other, but the two gangs try and tear them away from each other. The passion runs high on both ends, and of course a few people have to die to quench those passions.
Directed by: Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Rated by: NR
14. The Notebook (2004) is a relatively new film that has been added to my bunch. Nicholas Sparks is known for writing these very sappy, chick-flick stories where someone always dies in the end. I think after watching such Sparks films as Message In A Bottle or A Walk To Remember, he got it mostly right here with The Notebook. Here we have a love story from with two young kids falling in love, a girl from an affluent family, and a boy from very humble beginnings. Never the less, the boy, Noah wins the heart of the girl Allie. Ryan Gosling portrays the young Noah, and Rachel McAdams is young Allie. Allie's family tries to keep the couple apart, and they do succeed for many years. It's a long journey before the two find each other again, but even when they do, the journey continues daily. This has a high tear-jerker ratio, and will bring many viewers to tears.
Directed by: Nick Cassavetes
Rated by: PG-13
13. Mr. Destiny (1990)is one of those movies of many that give an alternate look at life, sort of like what The Family Man did 20 years later. Jim Belushi is not happy with his life. He is in a dead-end job, his car breaks down all the time, he has mud in his front yard because he can't afford a driveway and he's watching the corporate higher ups in the company he works for making off the cuff decisions that will jeopardize the only job he has. He meets Michael Caine in a bar, Michael Caine is the bartender, but he's also Mr. Destiny. Jim Belushi confesses to Michael Caine that if only he hit that baseball when he was 13 years old instead of striking out, his life would be different. It turns out he's right, and now he discovers that he is married to his company's president's daughter, Rene Russo, who he secretly lusted after. He is the senior vice president, and his house is a mansion, and he has many high style cars. Is he happy? Maybe for a second, he seemed to forget one thing; he wouldn't be married to his wife, Linda Hamilton anymore. Now Jim Belushi, as the senior vice president is trying to woo Linda Hamilton, who is just one of his employees. It ultimately doesn't work, he misses his wife, he misses his friends, and he realizes that even with no driveway, car or high paying job, he had everything with his beautiful wife who loves him unconditionally. This movie ended on a much higher note than The Family Man, and it was much more funny.
Directed by: James Orr
Rated by: PG-13
12. Addicted To Love (1997) sort of falls into the romance or romantic comedy category even though I would classify it more as pure comedy rather than have any romantic connotations. The movie stars Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick and it's one of the darkest comedies I have ever come across. While Broderick's character, Sam, is busy trying to win back the heart of his fiancé, Linda, (Kelly Preston) who left him, it turns out that the rich French resteraunteur, Anton (Tchéky Karyo) that Kelly Preston fell for turns out to be the man that used and left Meg Ryan's character, Maggie. Maggie doesn't want Anton back, she just wants revenge, and she suckers Sam into exacting some of Maggie's revenge upon Anton as well. There is some framing upon Anton, some neat schemes that may finally drive a wedge between Anton and Linda. The plans are hilarious, or just cruel - but either way actor Tchéky Karyo ends up making you laugh no matter which. While Sam and Maggie work together, a new and exciting chemistry is felt between them, and may be growing into something more.
Directed by: Griffin Dunne
Rated by: R
11. Walk the Line (2005) is the eventual love story between two non-fiction characters, Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) and June Carter Cash (the lovely Reese Witherspoon). These two have been in each other's lives since they were practically kids. When Johnny Cash made it big and was added to a rock and roll tour with the likes of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and June Carter. When Johnny met June Carter in person he was smitten - and it seems that June Carter may have had some instant feelings as well. The two were both married to other people at the time, so nothing ever came of Johnny Cash's one or two advances on June. June and Johnny understandably spent a lot of time together on the road. Johnny Cash got messed up on drugs for a number of years and had falling out with his father and wife multiple times over the years. This movie gives you the impression that Johnny's first wife did not really love him, and she showed no support or interest in his music career and even before that. June seems to be the only constant in Johnny's life, the only positive and after he was finally able to straighten himself out, the two got together and were married as a result from an on stage proposal from Cash.
Directed by: Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Rated by: NR
10. Well, of course a favorites 'romance list' has to include the obligatory Sleepless In Seattle (1993). Also, of course this movie is worth more than an obligatory mention since it truly is one of the best in the genre. This is a story about a woman named Annie (Meg Ryan), falling in love with a man (Tom Hanks) from listening to him on the radio for a couple of minutes while she drove home in a separate car from her fiancé from a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. Tom Hanks' character was on the radio talking to a therapist that his son called to talk to. Tom Hanks is a recent widower, and his friends and family worry that he is too lonely. Anyway, this radio station seemed to serve as a dating service for Annie as she found he perfect match in Tom Hanks. Many women wrote letters to Tom Hanks who lived in Seattle, and Annie's was one of them. His son read Annie's letter and decided to try and get his dad together with Annie, and it results in a flight from Seattle to NYC one night.
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Rated by: PG
9. Doc Hollywood (1991) is a movie that I'm sure wouldn't be on everyone’s list, but it's a favorite of mine. Michael J. Fox was one of Hollywood's elite when this movie was made. He plays Dr. Ben Stone, a plastic surgeon who is on his was to Beverly Hills for a huge interview gets into a car accident and wrecks his expensive car and destroys the fence of the town's judge in a small town called Grady in South Carolina. The scenery of the small southern town is inspiring, as well as the town's ambulance driver (Julie Warner). Dr Stone may have his plans in Beverly Hills, but due to a few consecutive happenings, Dr Stone is stuck in Grady for at least a week. Julie Warner and Dr Stone grow closer as well, can he rescue her from the small town life, or will this beautiful southern belle land the doctor a permanent address?
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Rated by: PG-13
8. What Dreams May Come (1998) on the surface looks like a supernatural thriller about the afterlife, but when you strip away heaven and hell, life and death - this is all just a story about unconditional love between two soul mates. This is about the Nielsen family, a family of four that has had more than their share of deaths. Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie (Annabella Sciorra) had lost both of their young teenage children in an automobile accident. Annie suffers a major nervous breakdown. The only constant in her life now has been Chris. Chris then dies in another automobile related accident just a few years later, and Annie is now left alone, with her therapist and her little pills. Chris's ghost decides he can't leave her still and that heaven can wait. It only does more harm than good, the presence of his ghost only prolongs her grieving period. When he leaves, Annie succumbs to her depression and commits suicide. Annie and Chris, two soul mates are destined to spend eternity separated because Annie is in Hell, but in a no-God/non-judgmental way of course. What will Chris do, how strong is the love he feels for Annie and how much power does their love hold? Well, you have to watch it to find out. Once you get passed the P.C./secular afterlife and realize this is just a love story, you can then embrace such a strong love story.
Directed by: Vincent Ward
Rated by: PG-13
7. Mr. Wonderful (1993) is a movie that not many people have seen. The story is more unusual than most other romantic comedies. Here we have a divorced couple, Gus and Lee (Matt Dillon & Annabella Sciorra) and Gus and his Con Edison co-workers want to go in on a business venture which would eventually get them "out of the sewers". Gus cannot come up with his share because the alimony that he pays to Lee is eating up a lot of his blue-collar paycheck. Gus has a plan to end his alimony payments, and that's to play matchmaker with his ex-wife and get her married as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Lee is dating a college professor who has a wife and kids and Gus's current fiancé, (Mary Louise Parker) has a hard time with Gus spending most of his time consumed with his ex-wife, and she suspects that he still loves her when the guy he fixes Lee up with (Vincent D'Onofrio) is getting very close to Lee and it may soon end up in marriage. The movie is an Italian comedy and Matt Dillon is great in it.
Directed by: Anthony Minghella
Rated by: PG-13
6. Jerry McGuire (1996) was such a big hit when it came out. The dialogue that tugs at your heart strings ("You had me at hello...") were parodied even up to today, a few years after its release. Jerry McGuire (Tom Cruise) is a sports agent who loses his job at a very prestigious firm because of a memo he wrote about work ethic and basically doing the right thing for a change. He loses his job, he lost all but one of his clients (Cuba Gooding Jr), Rod Tidwell - a football player. Dorothy (Rene Zellwegger) an accountant from the same sports agency, decided to go with Jerry McGuire as he starts up his new agency. Dorothy has a son, who Jerry falls in love with right away. It may take him a little longer to realize it that he loves Dorothy too, but with a little help from tragedy and the words of advice he had never forgotten from his mentor - he heads in that direction.
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Rated by: R
5. Titanic (1997) is of course another of the Romeo and Juliet type of romantic movies. When Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) wins his ticket to Titanic in a card game, he feels like the luckiest man in the world. Maybe Jack was already in the mood for love, but he is almost immediately smitten by the beautiful and upper-class lovely lady, Rose (Kate Winslet). Maybe Napoleon Dynamite had the right idea about a man needing skills to win the woman's heart, because Jack's talented gift of sketching seems to woo the once snooty Rose. Actually, she does notice Jack before she even learned of his skills. Rose is engaged to marry another man, but for all the wrong reasons. One night after Jack sketches Rose in the all-together, this really gets the juices flowing, and they do make love and make a vow to be with one another. It's too bad their on the Titanic Cruise ship, because as we all know - most of the passengers are doomed in just a few hours. Rose survives the ordeal, and that's no surprise since she as a very old woman is retelling the story to a few deep sea divers right from the beginning. There are a lot of magical romantic moments in this movie, especially with the updated DVD released at the end of 2005 because of the many deleted scenes.
Directed by: James Cameron
Rated by: PG-13
4. Ever After (1998) is the only Cinderella story I have on the list. This happens to be my favorite Drew Barrymore film ever (so far). Drew portrays Danielle, the "real" woman to inspire the legendary tale of Cinderella. Drew's evil step-mother is played by Anjelica Houston, who is so good at being evil. Danielle almost by accident woos Prince Henry of France (Dougray Scott), and has to lead a dual life when she is at home, her station is servant, when she is with Prince Henry she is a baroness. That's breaking the law you know, you cannot impersonate a higher station than what life dealt you. One of the best things about this movie is the incorporation of real life people into this fairytale, like Leonardo DaVinci. DaVinci plays matchmaker and therapist to Prince Henry in a comical way. When the truth hits the ear of Prince Henry, there is a pause in the progression of their relationship, but after being counseled by DaVinci, Prince Henry sees the error of his way.
Directed by: Andy Tennant
Rated by: PG-13
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) is one of the most original movies I've seen, especially in this genre. The movie begins with the breakup of the couple, Joel and Clementine. Both were so in love, so they felt tremendous hurt and loss. Clementine (Kate Winslet) decides to get a procedure done where she could erase Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind completely, but still remember everything else. When Joel learns about this he retaliates with the same procedure. So what the doctor does is pinpoint the areas in the brain where the memories are stored and deletes them with a computer. So most of the movie takes place in Joel's brain while he's asleep and they are erasing his memories of Clementine. Half way through, they get to the pleasant memories and he decides that he doesn't want to go through it anymore. He tries to hide Clementine in other memories, so that the doctor can't find her. The movie needs a few viewings before you can catch everything, there are so many little details you may have missed. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are great in this movie, other stars are Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo.
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Rated by: R
2. Fools Rush In (1997) was hard for me to place at number two on my list, it is one of my favorites overall. The movie is about Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry), a New Yorker who was sent to Las Vegas to supervise a construction of a swanky club/restaurant for a few months. While he was there, he met Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek), a beautiful Mexican woman who works in Vegas. It turns out that Isabel ends up getting pregnant from a one night stand. The couple falls in love during a magical night at dinner with Isabel and her family and extended family. The dinner was filled with lots of Mexican culture, tamales and magical glimpses into the future of their lives together. There are lots of laughs as well as we see a newlywed couple still finding out basic things about one another, telling the parents of this quasi-embarrassing situation that they're now in, and how the in-laws get along with each other. Matthew Perry still acts like the Chandler character from the TV show Friends, and Salma Hayek is funny too, but most of all just a lovely thing to look at. I see that Andy Tennant directed two movies in my top five, I wonder what else he's done. I'm going to have to check.
Directed by: Andy Tennant
Rated by: PG-13
1. When Harry Met Sally (1989) became a classic as soon as it was in the theaters. This is arguably Rob Reiner's best film. The story spans over something like sixteen years in the lives of Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan). It begins with two strangers (Harry and Sally) sharing a car trip from college in Chicago to New York to begin their professional lives. They both made quite an impression on each other, and although they left amicably, it was also frustrating as their personalities comically cause too much friction. They meet again five years later at an airport and pick up right from when they left off years earlier. Another five years go by and the meet again in a bookstore. From that meeting they remain friends for a long time, and even try and fix each other up with their best friends. When they finally realize they're the ones that are meant to be together, it's Harry who learns this last because of course Sally knew for a while. There are many funny scenes with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, and their two friends Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher. It is the second funniest romantic movie on my list, just behind Addicted To Love.
Honorable Mentions:
Ghost
About Last Night
Peggy Sue Got Married
The Family Man
Life Is Beautiful
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other Favorite Movie Lists from Scapp70~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scapp70's Top Ten Rock and Roll Movies
Scapp70's Top Ten Disney Animated Movies
Scapp70's Top Ten Horror Movies
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Member: Michael Scapp
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