Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love celebrating not just romantic love but love for friends, family, and pets. I love romantic books and movies even more. How does this help us as writers?
If you want to write romance, then reading lots of books and watching movies is essential. Today, I’m sharing my top twenty favorite romantic films. Some are books, and some aren’t.
However, I love watching these over and over. I’m a hopeless romantic.
1. The Notebook-This movie has turned into a romantic icon. I love the story of Noah and Ally and how through it all, love remains and conquers all. One of my favorite things in the movie is how he wrote her a letter every day for a year. Their story depicts the true meaning of love. Also, if any of you are wondering, the movie is just as good as the book.
2. Gone With The Wind-I saw this classic for the first time on the big screen and fell in love. Clark Gable was a very handsome man. I read the book in high school, and it was excellent.
3. P.S. I Love You-This movie is about a widow who receives letters from her late husband. These letters are activities to help move her forward toward a fulfilling life without him.
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-I was immediately drawn to this movie when I saw it advertised on Facebook. It’s about a writer who develops a bond with the residents on Guernsey Island, so much so she decides to write a book about them and their experiences during the war. I loved it. If you haven’t seen it, you need to.
5. A Walk To Remember-As you can tell from this list, I’m a HUGE Nicholas Sparks fan. Landon Carter is a rebellious prankster. Jamie Sullivan is a serious, conservative Christian. She has to help him with the school play.
As they work together, he learns more about life and love than he ever could have imagined. I think this movie is my second favorite, next to The Notebook. It indeed shows how opposites attract and how much of a difference we can make in each other’s lives.
6. Me Before You-I watched this movie over the summer and liked it. It’s about a young woman who gets a job taking care of a wealthy, paralyzed young man. It’s funny, witty and relatively clean.
7. An Affair To Remember-This is my favorite classic movie of all time. Therefore I bawl like a baby every time I watch it. There have been a few versions over the years, but my favorite is with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.
Nikki Ferrante and Terry McKay meet on a cruise ship; both headed to New York for different reasons. After spending much time together, they fall in love and agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day the following year.
8. Sleepless In Seattle-Sleepless In Seattle and An Affair to Remember go hand in hand in my brain. Therefore, you can’t have one without the other. I love this modern day classic, and I watch it every time it’s on television.
My favorite part is when Tom Hanks is sitting around the table with a friend, his friend’s wife, and his son, Jordan. Tom Hanks character is telling her about the letter he got from a woman who wants to meet him at the top of the empire state building on Valentine’s Day.
She immediately starts talking about An Affair to Remember and can barely get the plot line out. Why do I love this part? Because I’m the same way talking about that movie, it hits my heart that hard.
9. Untamed Heart-I watched this movie again over the summer and fell in love with it all over again. I love that the “introvert” gets the girl, but the ending rips me apart every time.
10. The Object Of My Affection-Jennifer Aniston is one of my favorite actresses, and she and Paul Rudd are so cute in this movie. I love the story plot with all its complications and the sweet, sweet ending.
11. Runaway Bride-I can’t believe this movie is turning 20 years old this year. I love Richard Gere as Ike Graham, a USA Today columnist who usually writes his column last minute.
After hearing about “runaway bride” Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) in a bar, he writes a column about her. The story blows up in his face, and he gets fired due to factual errors.
He decides to breathe some new life into the story by going to Hale, Maryland to interview the “runaway bride” himself and hopefully save his column. He has no idea what he’s going to find.
12. Pretty Woman-This movie is another one of my favorites starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. She plays a prostitute named Vivian, and he is a wealthy businessman named Edward. One of my favorite parts is when she goes shopping in her street clothes, and no one will wait on her.
The next day, she goes back with Edward to a different store and spends an insane amount of money. After her shopping spree, she drops into the store whose employees shunned her and lets them know they made a big mistake.
13. The Choice-Another romantic movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. In this movie, medical student Gabby moves next door to small-town veterinarian Travis. Even though she has a boyfriend and Travis dates occasionally, they soon develop feelings for each other and start a relationship.
However, there are many choices they have to make along the way that affects their involvement in many different ways.
14. The Best Of Me-Dawson and Amanda are reunited in their hometown for the funeral of a beloved friend. Although their reunion is bittersweet, the former high school sweethearts quickly realize the things that drove them apart the first time still exist, posing a threat to their future. This movie is based on the Nicholas Sparks book of the same name.
15. My Big Fat Greek Wedding-This was the independent hit of 2002. It’s the story of a Greek woman named Tullah who falls in love with a handsome professor who isn’t Greek. She has to get her family to accept him while coming to terms with her heritage and cultural identity. Nia Vardalos and Jon Corbett are magic in this movie. The best part? It’s funny, heartwarming, and clean.
16. I Hate Valentine’s Day-A flower shop owner has a personal rule of only dating a man five times to avoid a relationship. When restauranteur Greg Gatlin opens his restaurant near her shop, she is interested in dating him. However, after five dates she is thinking about breaking her own rule.
17. The Mirror Has Two Faces-An older, shy English professor starts dating a colleague. Although their relationship is strictly non-physical, they still decide to marry in name only. What happens when you get married and then fall in love?
18. Something’s Gotta Give-Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton star in this romantic comedy about an older playboy with a preference for young women. Harry Sanborn suffers a heart attack at the home of his young girlfriend’s mother. After the incident, he winds up being cared for by Erica (Marin’s Mom), and his doctor and a love triangle ensues.
19. The Wedding Singer-Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star in this movie about a singer who falls in love with a server at the wedding he’s where he is performing. The problem? They are both engaged to other people. Still, fate has a way of opening their eyes to the fact that they are marrying the wrong people, therefore, pushing them towards each other.
20. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before-Although this movie is based on a YA novel, I still loved it. It’s about a high school girl who gets caught up in a situation when her secret gets out. The boy she likes knows she has a crush on him. This movie is cute, funny, and clean. It’s a fun watch and as far as I know, exclusive on Netflix.
Regardless if you’re attached, single, or want to watch an excellent movie, grab the snacks and enjoy these movies that will warm your heart and bring a tear to your eye. I hope you have a happy and romantic Valentine’s Day weekend. What is your favorite romantic movie? Leave me a comment, I would love to know.
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