Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Favorite Romantic Movies

As you've likely figured out, this week's theme is all about LOOOOVE. As for me, I love a good romantic movie. Dark, light, funny, serious--I don't care, just give me the romance, bay-bee! I want to release cathartic tears during the dark moment where all seems lost. I want to sigh with breathlessness at the ultimate declaration of love. I want to experience those highs and lows of falling in love--I think that's part of the reason I really enjoy writing romantic comedy.


There are quite a few tried-and-true movies I return to again and again whenever I want to watch a good romance:




The Thorn Birds. The forbidden love between Meggie and Father Ralph in this miniseries always, ALWAYS leaves me on the edge of my seat (and it doesn't hurt that I totally think Richard Chamberlain is HOT in it, LOL). The scene where Meggie's on the beach and running away from him, and then he runs after her and catches her, and they start to kiss--BAM! It gets me every time.



Little Women. I looooove Behr so much--he's so romantic and sweet and gentle and nervous toward Jo! *swoon* And they both bring out the best in each other in such a quiet, strong way. LOVE it.




Love, Actually. I adore Colin Firth, and when he proposes to his love in Portugese after studying hard to learn how to speak her language...I bawl like a baby!




Pride and Prejudice. Yup, another Colin Firth one. His portrayal of Darcy is magnetic--the way he tries to conquer his feelings for Elizabeth but just can't...it's so intense to watch.




The Princess Bride. Okay, we all know this one HAD to be on here, LOL. Carey Elwes, as a romantic pirate hero who rescues his true love? Classic.




Return to Me. The scene where David Duchovny is weeping in agony over the death of his wife tears me up EVERY TIME. I root for him to find true love again with Minnie Driver! They both SO deserve it.




Never Been Kissed. The baseball field scene at the end of the movie, where she's waiting for him to show up...and she thinks he isn't going to...and then he does, and he plants a whopper of a kiss on her! *siiiiiigh*





Sabrina. A great makeover story with heart. I love how the love slowly develops between the hero and heroine, until they just can't be without each other.


There are SOOO many other movies I could add to this list, but right now, I'm more interested in hearing your favorite romance movies. Share, share, share!!

13 comments:

  1. We don't have room on this blog for all my favorite romantic comedies. Your list had several of my faves, most notably Princess Bride.

    But I'll start with "When Harry Met Sally". And after watching the special feature documentary, I have to say that I love it even more.

    "10 Things I Hate About You" has to make the list too. Except now it also makes me cry.

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  2. Okay not big on romantic comedies but I do have a couple I love - The Cutting Edge - the last moments of that movie get me all the time. I really love " While you were Sleeping" and "Jerry Macguire"

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  3. Anonymous12:53 PM

    Why am I not surprised that you'd listed several of my faves?

    I'd also like to put in a vote for "Dirty Dancing" (Nobody puts Baby in the corner) and "Grease" (and yes, that is true romance right there!)

    And "The Notebook"...and the ending of "Atonement" made me bawl like a little girl.

    Oh, and "The Holiday" was just super cute.

    "10 Things I Hate About You"

    "When Harry Met Sally"

    "Bridget Jones' Diary"

    "The Cutting Edge"

    "Sixteen Candles"

    "Say Anything" (seriously...who hasn't secretly dreamed that their boyfriend would show up at their house with holding a boombox over his head...these crazy kids today with their iPods...loses a lot of the romance, doncha think?)

    I could go on...and on...and on...

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  4. I love Sabrina! I like a lot of those movies, but I've never seen Love Actually. People keep telling me I should, so I guess I'd better.

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  5. Anonymous1:19 PM

    I have to say that I disagree with you re: Behr, though (in Little Women). I thought he was such a cop-out, like Louisa May Alcott only just created him because she'd gotten so much bad fan mail after the first half of the book where Jo refused Laurie's proposal. (The second half of the book was written a year after the first half was published.)

    It was my understanding that Alcott hadn't planned to write the second half. But her readers were so upset that Jo wasn't having a happy ending so she went ahead and gave her one. But as Behr would never be who I would picture Jo with (come on...she was so meant to be with Laurie!), I just sort of thought that Behr was her cop-out character, meant to be as different from Laurie as possible simply to say "so there!" to her readers.

    I could be wrong...

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  6. Anonymous2:38 PM

    I've been in the mood for gushy romance lately and just picked up Serendipity to watch again. John Cusack is just so sweet.

    I'll have to agree with most of the others that people have mentioned, except Sabrina. Harrison Ford just icked me out in that one, he was so overly made-up he looked like a corpse. Harrison baby, you're getting old, don't fight it - embrace it! I just got the original Sabrina yesterday, I think I'm going to prefer that version more.

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  7. Oh, Amanda, Laurie was a boy! and doomed always to be a boy. Jo needed a man. :-)

    My fave romantic movies include:

    Shakespeare in Love
    10 Things I Hate About You
    Clueless
    When Harry Met Sally
    While You Were Sleeping
    Pride & Prejudice (Firth/Ehle version best; also Knightley/Macfadyen)
    Persuasion (Hinds/Root)

    Okay, I'd better stop better I get carried away... :-)

    Cara

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  8. YAY, you guys picked SUCH great movies! I'm with ya on those.

    Re: Laurie...oooh, tough call. I loved him and wanted her to end up with him, too...he loved her SO much. But then again, there's something to be said about the calm, soothing presence of Behr--he helps her mature into a woman, and she helps HIM.

    Still, Laurie's awesome. ROFL

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  9. Anonymous3:25 PM

    Ooh, forgot Clueless!!!!! And Emma, for that matter (although Clueless is better).

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  10. Anonymous4:39 PM

    There are too many to list. I totally agree with Love Actually & Return to Me. Of the more "modern" movies, I have to include:
    Atonement
    Sixteen Candles
    Moonstruck
    Down With Love

    As for the classics:
    An Affair to Remember
    Casablanca
    Romeo & Juliet (Zeffirelli, 1968)
    Gilda
    West Side Story

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  11. Anonymous1:32 AM

    You know, I don't think I've seen half of the movies that have been listed, lol. And I'm really late in posting, but I think one of my favorites (that I can remember at the moment) would be The Lake House. I liked 10 Things I Hate About You, too.

    Sorry, I can't think of anymore right now--my brain is malfunctioning. Great post, Rhonda!

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  12. Anonymous2:34 AM

    Love Actually is my favorite. I love this movie, and it always makes me laugh and cry.

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  13. I love Love Actually and Sabrina. Of course Princess Bride is a must for this list, and I'd add the Emma Thompson Sense & Sensibility to the Pride & Prejudice.

    My all time favorite romantic movies? The Thomas Crown Affair (the new one), Last of the Mohicans, and It Happened One Night.

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