You'd think this would be an easy list to compile but when you're a movie whore like I am .. paging and paging and paging through lists of movies.. EVERYone is a favorite and EVERYone conjures up memories and moments and just who the nitwit I was sitting next to in the theater was!
But I did wittle it down.. to 37. I know.. I know.. but what can you do, right? I'm a hopeless romantic. More on the "hopeless" then the "romantic" but that's another post for another time.
I did, though, categorize them for you. Well, possibly for me because I'm OCD when it comes to organization but none the less.. here they are:
THE EPICS
long.. lush.. cinematic jewels of love lost and found
Paul (Keanu Reeves), a WW2 vet who becomes a traveling chocolate salesman meets Victoria (the beautiful Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) on a bus. She's returning to her family's grape vineyard for the harvest but also with a secret.
She's unwed and pregnant.
Paul offers to pose as her husband, to ease the news for her old world Mexican family. But her father Alberto (Giancarlo Gianinni) and grandfather Don Pedro (Anthony Quinn) see the world a little differently .. holding on to old school traditions and assumptions while Victoria tries to spread her wings.
It's no mystery what happens. Paul and Victoria fall in love but not before a near catastrophe takes away everything the family has worked for.
Three brothers...Aidan Quinn (the sensible one), Brad Pitt (the wild one) and Henry Thomas (the collegiate)
One woman (Julia Ormand)
You know all hell is going to break loose, right?
Living with their father in the wilds of somewhere in the early 1900's, this tale spans something like 30 years and tells of heart ache, moral compass', politics. love and loyalty.
I watch this movie every chance I get regardless of where it's at when I turn it on. The scenery is breath taking.. the story and characters make you want to be there right there with them. Truly an epic of massive proportions!
Do yourself a favor and trust me on this one. The first ten minutes are what turned off a lot of people from seeing this movie through but chew on a nail or something because this is one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen.
My complete lust for Ewan McGregor aside!
Ewan is Christian.. a poet at a time in Paris where artists and musicians are pouring out of the closet. He falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman) the beautiful courtesan and lead performer of a theater.
Their devotions comes up against the Duke (Richard Roxburgh) who not only is in love with Satine but is also financing their latest production.. the production that will keep the theater open. Oh.. and you Satine is dying, right? With acting, the modern music, the dancing, the sets will all sweep you away to another time and place and leave you just as heart broken as Christian.
I'll be honest.. there is NOTHING Gerald Butler can do that I won't sit through and drool over and even if you know the story of the Phantom already, you won't want to miss this.
The Phantom is actually a mere mortal who lives in the bowels of the Paris Opera house since becoming disfigured in a fire. No one knows his true identity and he controls everything and everybody through fear.
He sees promise is a young orphan, Christine, who comes to live at the Opera House with the corp. He appears under the guise of an angel who is teaching her to sing and through the years, falls in love with her. She, however, falls in love with her childhood friend, Raoul, who is now something of great importance. The tug for Christine ensues and what we get is a lavish upon lavish movie that will definitely make you root for the Phantom.. 'cause, it's Gerald Butler! Duh!
Did you ever wonder just where the story of Cinderella came from? I'll admit that I kind of watch every Drew Barrymore movie and really didn't plan on becoming as enamored as I did . It's just a great movie. A really great movie.
Danielle (Barrymore) an only child of a man of some prominence. They live in the country with a house full of servants that a mother-less Danielle treats as her family. Upon arriving home from a trip, her father brings home his new wife Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston) and her two daughters, beyond spoiled Margurite (Megan Dodds) and softer hearted Jacqueline (Melany Lynsky). Not longer after, Danielle's father dies leaving Rodmilla ruling the roost. You know what happens.. but you'll love just HOW it happens and who pops up to make it happen. The prince is played by Dougray Scott because, really.. isn't he everybody's prince?
This one is a little off the mainstream. Ok. A LOT off the mainstream but you have to trust me on this one too. It's really a spectacular movie.
The story follows the fabled Red Violin from it's creation and across three hundred years and a variety of people who possess it.. all with their own story of drama, tragedy and love.
You won't know anyone starring in it, save for Samuel L. Jackson, but relax on a quiet day and fall into the story.
I'll warn you, it does have subtitles.. at least the version I watch but you may be able to come across a copy that doesn't. All in all, it's well worth the effort .. especially the end when you find out just why the Red Violin is so damn special!
I'm sure you've heard of Ludwig Von Beethoven, right? The composer of some of the greatest classical music ever written? Sure you do.
But did you know that upon his death he wrote a love letter to his immortal beloved?
But just who WAS his immortal beloved? Beethoven was kind of a cad in his day and upon his death, his last will and testament leaves his wealth to his greatest love so the movie is based on Beethoven's assistant, Schindler, trying to locate her. Although it is a work of fiction (the true woman was never identified conclusively for Beethoven scholars) it is moving.. and be prepared to go through a box of tissues when Gary Oldman (as Beethoven) puts his ear on the piano so he can "hear" it's vibrations. Isabella Rossellini and Valeria Golino also star.
Tristan (James Franco) is the second in line to the British throne. Isolde (the stunning Sophia Myles) is the princess of an Irish tribe that's feuding with the Brits.
You know nothing good is going to come of this .. because it wouldn't be a sweeping epic romantic love story if all was well right?
Set in the medieval country side, this tail isn't much different then any other movie where two lovers are from opposing sides and what they have to do to over come it .. but come on! It's JAMES FRANCO!! You can't watch this movie and not swoon at his mop of hair and six pack. It just can't be done... but it is a great love story. Honest.
You wouldn't think that a movie with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep would strike my fancy. I really not a fan of Eastwood so maybe it was because when I saw this movie I was in the middle of my own longing for a guy I couldn't have.
It's 1960. Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) is a photographer who happens to come across Italian immigrant Francesca (Streep),
Francesca's husband is away and for four days, these two come together (in more ways then one).. each painfully aware that what they've found in each other cannot be.. or last.
The acting is subtle .. how this situation is handled in it's time period is a lot different then how it would be handled today if Robert and Francesca would meet today. It's sad.. it's heartbreaking.. and if you don't reach for the tissue box then.. well.. there's something wrong with you!!
THE BAWLERS
just accept the fact that these will make you cry
Sorry.. but you can't go wrong with a movie that stars BOTH Gerald Butler and Jeffrey Dean Morgan!! My heart's palpating as I type.
Holly (Hilary Swank) is a widow, completely broken over the death of her husband Gerry (Gerald Butler). Nothing and no one can get her out of her funk until she receives a post mortum letter from Gerry... and then another.. and another.. and then a box.. and then another.
Gerry knew he was going to die and to help Holly heal, he sets her on a path through his letters and gifts that lead her back through their past and to a new future.
The supporting cast is great.. Kathy Bates, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon and James Masters to name a few. It's funny.. it's sad.. it's just about everything except Gerald Butler naked and wrapped up in bow!
Ok.. you knew there had to be a Nicolas Spark's movie in here, right?
Well, ok .. a few.. but nobody raises Kleenex stock better or faster.
Noah (Ryan Gosling) is the boy from across the tracks who meets and falls in love with Allie (Rachel McAdams), the rich girl from the right side of the tracks. She falls back but it isn't long before the pressures of her social status dictate that she forgo her love and conform to the status quo.
Noah doesn't give up quite that easily and his passion and longing would melt even the coldest of hearts. Gena Rowlands and James Gardner pop in the beginning and end to wrap this masterpiece up.
This is definitely a chick flick. No question about it but if you can get your man to watch it with you, so much more the better!
Another Nicholas Sparks!
Adrienne (Diane Lane) heads to babysit the North Carolina in owned by her friend, who is off to meet her boyfriend. Unhappily married with two kids, Adrienne needs the time away. Along comes Paul (Richard Gere) a prominent plastic surgeon who drives a Jag.
Paul is the only tenant unless you count the big hurricane that's storming up the coast. Over clanging shutters and whipping winds, Paul becomes less arrogant and Adrienne becomes less shy. A love blossom. But their days are numbered because Adrienne has to go back to her family and Paul needs to go over seas to make amends with his distant son who is doing charitable doctor work in a third world country. They stay in touch through letters... letters of love.. letters of longing.
You know how this ends.. but it doesn't make it hurt any less.
... and ANOTHER Nicholas Sparks!
This was actually a last minute add on but I'm glad it popped in my mind because I remember watching this, sitting on the edge of my bed with the silent tears just pouring down my cheeks.
But I'll deny it if you tell anyone!!
Theresa (Robin Wright.. does she still use Penn?) is a single mother and news reporter from Chicago who happens to come across a love letter in a bottle. Enthralled, she's able to trace it's origins and lands on the Outer Bank where she meets Garrett (Kevin Costner) and his father (Paul Newman.. a scene stealer!).
She knows that Garrett is the author.. scribing letters to his deceased wife but Garrett doesn't know that she knows. That is until he finally let's his guard down, realizes there's another woman who can hold his heart and travels to Chicago to surprise her. There, he finds his letters in his bedroom.
There's conflict.. he leaves.. but soon realizes that he loves her so he takes his sailboat and begins to navigate his way to her.
Look. This is Nicolas Sparks. You KNOW what happens and like Nights in Rodanthe, knowing it doesn't make it any less heart breaking.
THE TIME SPLITS
centuries apart .. worlds apart.. how the hell is this going to happen?
Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) is a successful playwright but is having a bit of a crisis. He has writer's block, his girlfriend left him.. you know, the usual. To get away from it all, he takes a vacation to the Grand Hotel.. the sight of his first successful play a decade prior.
Touring the grounds, he sees the portrait of a turn of the century actress Elise (Jane Seymour) and he's smitten. Really, really smitten. He talks to an old bell hop that was a child living at the hotel and knew the actress. With his help and with the help of an old college professor who believed that self-hypnosis can initiate time travel, Richard goes on a mission to find Elise.
He does.. and they fall in love. But her manager (Christopher Plummer) doesn't want this union to be because he fears Elise would compromise her career.. and his income.
Look, I don't pretend to understand time travel. If I think too much about it, my head starts to hurt but this has got to be one of the greatest romantic movies ever filmed. If you haven't already, watch it. You won't be disappointed.
If you're as old as I am, then you'll remember this as a television show back in the 70's, I believe.
But I'm not talking about the show, I'm talking about the movie staring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.
In 1900, widow Lucy Muir (Tierney) moves into a seaside cottage with her young daughter Anna (Natalie Wood, if you can believe it!). The house is haunted by the craggly Capt Daniel Gregg. At first frightened, but not enough to leave, Lucy and the captain come to an understanding where the ghost would only appear to her.
Having lost her source of income, the captain suggests she write his autobiography and have it published. Telling her and being told of his exploits turns into love but the captain knows that Lucy and he will never be so he leaves her.. insisting she find a live man to share her life.
She does, but it ends badly and she resigns herself to live alone at the cottage with just memories of the captain until she eventually passes away and meets with him once again.
After watching this, there is NO WAY you can tell me that you didn't get lost in it! They just don't make movies like this any more! BTW .. watch the black and white copy.. so much better!
Brad Pitt plays "Death" who decides to take a holiday from the daily grind and immerse himself into the world. Needing a guide, he appears to William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), a media mogul who may not have been the best person in life.
Parrish agrees to be Death's guide of sorts and it's funny to see his learning process. Death may find out that he likes peanut butter, he also finds out that he like Parrish's daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) more and she likes him back.
Claire already has a boyfriend who isn't too thrilled with this new dude and Parrish himself, is having some type of attack of conscience along with suspicions that the family members he has on his board may not have his best interests in mind.
Every thing comes to a head on the night of Parrish's birthday .. a scene which still gives me the chills.
I love this movie! So under rated! And it stars Richard Dreyfuss, who would have thought it!
Pete (Dreyfuss) pilots an airplane that dumps water on forest fires. He's a daredevil, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Dorinda (Holly Hunter) and his best friend Al (John Goodman).
Pete loves Dorinda enough that he agrees to give up piloting and take a job as a trainer instead. But after coming to this conclusion, the alarms sound and there is one last forest fire that Pete needs to take care of. As it goes, Al's plane is in trouble and to save his friend, Pete flies a series of acrobatic maneuvers that saves Al but ends his life.
On the other side, he meets Hap (Audrey Hepburn in her last role, I think) who tells him that he must now be a spirit guide to a new pilot. His inner voice, so to speak.
Fast foward six months and Pete is now the inner voice of Ted, a new pilot that is flying out of his old airport.. making friends with his old friend Al and falling in love with Dorinda.
And that's all I'm going to tell you .. this is another must watch and damp hanky movie!
What's a list without City of Angels?? I could watch this over and over and over again and still have the same reaction!
Seth (Nicolas Cage) is an angel that escorts the newly dead to the light (so to speak) and starts becoming close to Dr. Maggie (Meg Ryan) when she tries desperately to convince one of her patients' to have open heart surgery. He admires her determination and love of life. Seth makes the decision to appear to her and a friendship ensues .. and something more.
He wants to be with her.. and when her boyfriend proposes, Seth decides to exercise his free will and become human.
The love between Seth and Maggie is consumated in one night of blissful passion but when Maggie leaves to go to a store the following morning, she his hit by a car and dies.
This is an oldie.. but definitely one that I'll watch until I can't watch it no more!
Captain Entienne Navarre (Rutger Hauer) escapes from the Bishop's guard with his love, Lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfieffer) but not before they are cursed by the Bishop who loves her and wants her as his own.
Navarre transforms into a wolf by night.. Isabeau a hawk by day.. mandating that they can never be together in the way they want to.
Both meet Philipe Gastone (a very young Matthew Broderick), a thief also trying to escape the guard. Together the threesome travel the countryside to make their way back to the Bishop and force him to lift the curse.
This is another movie set in Medieval times and also is loaded with springy one lines and comedic moments.
Would you travel through time to hook up with Hugh Jackman?
Yea.. thought so!
Leopold (Jackman) is an 1876 dreamer who is the thorn in the side of his Uncle, who wants him to marry an rich American woman and restore the family fortunes.
Kate (Meg Ryan) is a 21st century career woman who lives with her brother Charlie (Breckin Meyer) and who's ex-boyfriend Stuart (Liev Schrieber) lives in the apartment above them.
Stuart finds a time portal and on his return to the present, winds up taking Leopold with him. The portal won't open again for another week, and Leopold is to stay out of sight until then but as luck would have it, Stuart has an accident and winds up in mental ward leaving Leopold to investigate a world new to him and finding Kate.
This is actually a romantic comedy but because of the time theme, I put it here.
The ALL TIME in All Time Romantic Movies. Ack! Who just doesn't LOVE Ghost? And after twenty years, you still have the same reactions and emotions when you watch it!
Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are young and in complete and absolute blissful love but one night, Sam is mugged and is killed. Now a ghost, he comes to the realization that his dead was not random and that Molly is in danger.
Oda Mae (Whoppi Goldberg) is a fake psychic who starts receiving messages from Sam and convinces her to get Molly to understand that she in danger and that his love for her will never end.
Jeez.. I'm tearing up just writing this!
THE OLD SCHOOL
when you're as old as I am, the 80's seem forever ago
I don't care how old I get.. this will always be one of my all time favorite movies! I can literally recite the whole script verbatim and still play the soundtrack!
Keith (Eric Stolz) is the son of a blue collar guy who wants nothing more then to see his son go to college. Keith works at a gas station frequented by the rich kids, one of whom has a girlfriend by the name of Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) and who Keith has an undying love for.
Amanda happens to be from the "other" side of the track too but does what she needs to do to be with the "in" crowd.. even if it means giving up her integrity.
Keith's best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), is the tomboy that secretly loves Keith.. hates Amanda.. and has no clue what to do about either.
It's a great flick with a great ending. If you haven't seen it before, watch it. Take my word on this.
This one is classic. My classic anyway.. another John Hughes' flick.. and another one that I can recite verbatim.
And OMG.. the SOUNDTRACK!! Like SKOW, I still play this one routinely! Makes me almost want to wear blue eyeliner again. A little.
The story is routine. Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is the poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks with an alcoholic father and a mother who took off when she was young. She falls for rich boy Blane (Andrew McCarthy) who lets pressure from his richie friends pull them apart.
Everybody loves Andie though, including her geeky sidekick Ducky (Jon Cryer) and Blane's best friend Steff (James Spader) who goes out of his way to make Blane's life miserable because he wants Andy for himself.
Throw in the quirky Iona (Annie Potts) as Andie's boss with her head stuck in her own teenage years and you get more then enough to keep you interested.
Back when Whitney Houston WAS Whitney Houston, she starred in this little itty bitty movie with Kevin Costner called The Bodyguard. Whenever I want to drool over Kevin Costner, THIS is the movie I think of.
Rachel Marron (Houston) is an international superstar that is on somebody's hit list. To protect herself, her kid and her sister she hires Frank Farmer (Costner) a body guard extraordinaire at the request of her manager.
There's no doubt that somebody wants Rachel dead... there's no doubt that she and Frank are destined to fall in love.. there's also no doubt that they're not going to wind up together.
With all that said, you can't help but feel for both of them when they say their last goodbye.
We're going WAY back now.
Back in the day, there was a movie out staring a VERY young Nicolas Cage as an LA quasi-punk rocker who falls head over heels for the ultimate in ultimate valley girls, Julie.
Again, it's the same story. Peer pressure, status pressure, social pressure that breaks them a part but how can ANY movie that has Human League's
I'll Melt For You as it's theme song bad? Right? I mean, RIGHT?
This doesn't come on very often but when it does.. and IF you were all
gag me with a spoon when you were young, then watch it. I guarantee you'll love it!
THE DATE NIGHT
the ones you've been waiting for that your man won't mind seeing
Did you see this? If not, you really have to. This is probably one of the best movies I've seen is years and it's pure Sandra Bullock. She's really an awesome actress.. you can read every emotion on her face no matter how subtle.
Margaret (Bullock) is a big wig at a publishing house and a Canadian transplant. Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is her personal assistant, a would be writer who can't get his foot in the door.
Turns out that there is an issue with Margaret's visa and she black mails Andrew into marrying her by dangling a book deal in front of her. Andrew is on his way to his grandmother's birthday in his native Alaska and Margaret tags along. What ensues is nothing short of hysterics with Betty White completely stealing the movie with every scene she's in.
Want to talk 80's flash back complete with red leather jackets, winged hair and Madonna inspired lace
gloves.
Robbie (Adam Sandler) is the wedding singer of 80's hits. Julia (Drew Barrymore) is a waitress at the catering hall where Robbie plays. Each are involved with other people but their friendship soon developes into something more.
There are SO many funny moments in this flick .. I mean, come on, it's Adam Sandler for God's sake.. and so many good songs that bring back so many memories.. good and bad. If you're an 80's baby.. or you want to know about the 80's.. this is the movie to watch.
A month before Christmas in London and eight very different couples with eight very different problems are trying to figure out their lives. New relationships begin.. old relationships end.. there's unrequited love.. there's extra marital love.. there's love that developes on the set of a porno. No lie!
This is an all star cast including Keira Knightly, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson just to name a few. It's the who's who of English actors, actually but don't let that throw you.
Love, Actually is sad, funny, happy, screwball and has THE best and cheesiest scene where a guy named Mark (Andrew Lincoln) expresses his love to the object of his heart, who's already engaged, by knocking on her door and silently flipping through cue cards.
Each of the couples interact in some way so there's no disconnect with randomness.
Actually, I think I'm going to watch this movie tonight!
Another British import.. and another staring Hugh Grant.
Bridget Jones' (Renee Zellweger) can't do anything right. She's goofy and is always coming under the attack of her mother because of her single status and weight. Trying to improve her life, she starts keeping a diary and takes a job working for a news station. There she meets Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) the office lethargio who doesn't mind Bridget's curves and so begins the affair she's been waiting for. Also enter childhood friend Marc Darcy (Colin Firth) who loves Bridget too.. maybe even more.
Who does she wind up giving her heart to and how? You'll have to watch and find out.
Jennifer Lopez is quietly rivaling the likes of Meg Ryan and Drew Barrymore as America's Sweetheart of Romantic Comedies. Think about it .. The Wedding Planner.. Maid in Manhatten.. Monster In Law.. and now The Back Up Plan.
Zoe (Lopez) is at the time of her life where she wants a baby.. even though she's single with no prospects on the horizon. The day she gets inseminated (with twins!) she meets the man of her dreams in Stan (Alex O'Loughlin.. and where did this chunk of melting butterscotch come from?? ).
Stan's a good guy and initially embraces the fact that the girl he falls in love with is pregnant but going through a hormonal pregnancy and then the actual babies becomes too much to deal with .. especially when dealing with their mother.
This is a great movie, regardless of what the critics say and it's great to see Jennifer back on the screen!
Sandra Bullock again .. Hugh Grant again .. do you see a trend here? You'd think these two were bred for romantic comedies!
Lucy (Bullock) is one of those lawyers who champion the underdog.. complete with activist parents. George Wade (Grant) is a mogul who likes buildings even if it means tearing down historical buildings.
Lucy goes to work for George but soon finds out that he's more of a child with a pocket full of money who can't make a decision to save his life and starts relying solely on Lucy in every aspect of his life instead of just in the office.
These two are made for each other.. on screen and off!
Okay, I have to stop here or else I'll just go on and on and on and I don't think BlogSpot would appreciate me taking up all this room on their servers. Is there even a word limit??
At any rate, some others that I didn't get too but are just as good:
- Never Been Kissed (Drew Barrymore and Michael Vartan)
- One Fine Day (Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney)
- Sweet Home Alabama (Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas)
- Only You (Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.)
- Serendipity (Kate Beckinsale and John Cusak)
