Like red roses and fine chocolates, romantic movies match perfectly with Valentine’s Day. An amorous film on DVD can become a great gift, and it could spark an evening of cuddling on the couch.Through the decades, Hollywood has created a wide variety of love stories, from witty romantic comedies to family-friendly fantasies to sexy action flicks.
In honor of Feb. 14, I’ve created my list of 20 favorite romantic films, subdivided so that lovebirds of every feather can find the ideal cinematic treat for Valentine’s Day.When Harry Met Sally” (1989): Hilarity ensues as Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) move from loathing to friendship to love.
"Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001): Brit Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) tries to improve her life and find real love in this chick flick."While You Were Sleeping” (1995): Lucy (Sandra Bullock) forms a crush on a handsome man (Peter Gallagher), saves his life, is mistaken for his fiancee and falls for his charming brother (Bill Pullman).
"It Happened One Night” (1934): An out-of-work reporter (Clark Gable) and rebellious heiress take a bumpy road trip in Frank Capra’s Oscar-winner.Happily ever after "Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961): True love develops between professional escort Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) and kept man Paul "Fred” Varjak (George Peppard) in Blake Edwards’ iconic film.
"Serendipity” (2001): Suspend your disbelief and enjoy Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara’s (Kate Beckinsale) efforts to find one another after their magical first meeting."Stardust” (2007): Neil Gaiman’s fairy tale for grown-ups has all the necessary ingredients: an enchanted kingdom, wicked villains and, of course, a happy ending.
"Ladyhawke” (1985): A knight (Rutger Hauer) and his lady fair (Michelle Pfeiffer) must break the curse set on them by an evil bishop (John Wood). Just try to ignore the dated, synthy ’80s soundtrack. Bittersweet treats.
Casablanca” (1942): Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman give up their passionate love affair to save the world from the Nazis. Sigh. A classic."Like Water for Chocolate” (1992): Tita (Lumi Cavazos) and Pedro (Marco Leonardi) are desperately in love, but tradition prohibits Tita, the youngest daughter, from marrying, instead condemning her to a lifetime of caring for her tyrannical mother (Regina Torne).
"Becoming Jane” (2007): Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) falls in love with roguish Irishman Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy) in this speculative romance. Austen never married, so that’s a hint that all will not go well. "Once” (2007): A Dublin, Ireland, street musician (Glen Hansard) and talented Eastern European immigrant (Marketa Irglova) make beautiful music together, but she has a husband and he has a girlfriend. Will they become a duet or go their separate ways?
Family-friendly fare Any of the Disney "princess” movies: The ones with my favorite heroines include "Beauty and the Beast,” "Mulan” and "Aladdin.”"Wall-E” (2008): A lonely trash-compacting robot finds a hand to hold with a sleek probe in Pixar’s latest Oscar-nominated animated masterpiece.
"Shrek” (2001) and "Shrek 2” (2004): Grumpy ogre Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and his Princess Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz) discover that their love isn’t based on society’s rules of beauty. And that’s OK. "Princess Bride” (1987): Westley (Cary Elwes) refuses to let pirates, princes or even death come between him and his Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright).
Romance and bullets"The Terminator” (1984): Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) travels across time to save Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) from the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). He travels across time for her! Now, that’s romantic.
"Desperado” (1995): It’s got Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in it, so this actioner offers everyone someone quite nice to look at."Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005): Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have smokin’ chemistry as assassins on opposite sides.