Romantic movies - what are the best?

[southlandshari]

I'm half-watching "Cold Mountain" as I post here and do a couple of work-related things. I've seen this movie more times than I can count - which is surprising to me, as I'm not usually a huge fan of period pieces or overtly romantic movies.

That said, there are a few romantic comedies and dramas that really do make the grade for me. I'm interesting in which "chick flicks" others recommend.

(well...that...and I really want to stop giving in to the sick compulsion to keep going back to that OTHER bizarro thread again)


;)


So let me have 'em - best romantic movies around and why you like 'em!


Thanks, guys!


:loveya:

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Dr. Zhivago

Hard to top that one.

[southlandshari]

11. Haven't seen it

Heard of it, but don't know what it is about. This thread is going to show how terribly unromantic my movie-viewing has been for far too long.

What's the story? What makes it the greatest for you?

:hi:

[EstimatedProphet]

19. You're missing out, it's a wonderful film

It's about Yuri Zhivago, a doctor and poet in pre-revolutionary Russia, and how his live is completely turned upside-down by the Revolution. The visual depth alone make it a stunning film, and the plot is complex enough that there are nuances that are still revealing after many views.

[southlandshari]

23. I did a google search on romantic movies just before posting this thread

and Dr. Zhivago was either #1 or #2 on every link I followed.

While I am just too pragmatic for sap for sap's sake, a movie with historical context and an interesting plot with a breathtaking romantic story is right up my ally. It's on my list!!

:thumbsup:

[EstimatedProphet]

26. You won't be sorry

[hfojvt]

107. as usual, I am missing something

what is romantic about infidelity.

I kept wanting to smack the Doctor, and I felt bad for his wife. Plus, there's that other abusive SOB who keeps showing up. It's been so long, I cannot even remember how the tanjed thing ends anymore, but I am thinking it is not happy.

[jonnyblitz]

71. one of the best movies ever. i read the book twice.

this was all when i was much younger. i would never read a book twice now, there are too many I want to read just once. part of the reason i liked it was because I used to be fascinated by anything Russian...

[GOPisEvil]

2. Casablanca.

Rick giving up Ilsa so she can be with Laslo. Sigh...we'll always have Paris.

[SiobhanClancy]

5. Casablanca is my favorite film...

in the romance or any other category. Just...perfection. I also like "Sense and Sensibility" for a nice period film,"Bridget Jones' Diary" for quirky humor/romance and "Dr. Zhivago" for romance/war/sweeping epic.

[southlandshari]

16. This is easily

the movie that I feel most embarrassed at having never viewed before.

Putting it on my immediate to do list now.

;)

[GOPisEvil]

68. Whaaaa?

It's a classic! It is very romantic. :) It was on Turner Classic Movies recently too. It pops up every now and then.

[southlandshari]

72. Oh nooooo!

Does this mean you are breaking up with me?

:cry:

[GOPisEvil]

73. No, no...I own a copy of the movie.

I'll share. :D

[southlandshari]

88. Whew!

I'll come over and watch it with you. And I'll bring the dessert to share.

;)

[GOPisEvil]

89. Yay!!!

Mmmmmm...dessert. :D

[hfojvt]

108. again I do not see how this is a great romance

Just watch "Dead men don't wear plaid" and you will get the gist of Casablanca as well as a better love story.

[Left Is Write]

51. That was the first one that popped into my head.

[RetroLounge]

3. An Affair to Remember

or maybe I'm thinking of The Dirty Dozen?

RL

[GoddessOfGuinness]

112. I like the Kerr/Grant version best...

What a tear-jerker! :loveya::cry::loveya:

[miss_american_pie]

4. Splendor in the Grass

On edit, I'm not sure how "romantic" it is, but Warren in that movie makes me swoon.

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. I love that movie

Partly because it's a really good period piece, but mostly because Natalie Wood was an outstanding actor.

[Left Is Write]

53. He's definitely swoon-worthy, and the movie is heartbreaking.

Have Kleenex for this one!

[benny05]

80. But he's a scrub character in that one..

Natalie was great...bless her work and soul

[miss_american_pie]

120. Yes she was

and I think the character is part of the appeal.

[baby_bear]

99. Oh, it's incredibly romantic; mostly because of its sorrow

That's what really makes it romantic; the coming to terms with reality. It's so much better than a happy ending movie.

I have seen it so many times and always cry; even moreso since Natalie died.

I was just like her character - only considerably less beautiful! - when I was in high school.

b_b

[miss_american_pie]

121. I rarely watch happy ending movies.

There aren't many who get anywhere near her beauty.

[LibDemAlways]

111. Very romantic and very sad....

I always lose it at the end....and I rarely get emotional watching a movie.

[liberaltrucker]

6. An oldie-Love Story

Still makes me:cry:

[supernova]

7. The Philadelphia Story

I love Tracey and Hepburn. She's the kind of woman I'd love to be.

[merh]

90. Wasn't The Philadelphia Story

with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart?

It is a great movie.

[CBHagman]

101. You win the prize, merh.

Yes, it was definitely Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia Story. What an utterly quotable, watchable movie, the first time or the 50th.

But Hepburn and Tracy were magic together. I don't know which film it was -- perhaps Woman of the Year -- where Hepburn says to Tracy, "Look..." and he says, "I'm looking." It's a moment of screen-scorching sexual chemistry and vulnerability at once.

Holiday (with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn) is wonderfully romantic.

And I've got to give a shout out for Jean Arthur and her various leading men, particularly in Talk of the Town (good viewing for Supreme Court nominees) and The More the Merrier (good for sexy patriots everywhere).

James Ivory directed a number of amazing films, including Maurice and a Room with a View, both of which are wonderfully romantic.

And Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility is one of the most beautifully made films of the last decade. The same goes for Roger Michell's Persuasion. They are, of course, adaptations of Jane Austen novels, which guarantees wit and romantic fulfillment.

[supernova]

119. You guys are right

Its Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart in PS.


I don't know where my head was yesterday. :silly:

[Texasgal]

8. The cider house rules....

There is alot of romantic notions on that film....

[southlandshari]

9. That was a most excellent book as well.

And the fact that this is the first movie listed in a reply so far that I have actually seen from start to finish is probably pretty illustrative of just how romantically disabled I am!

:hide:




:hug:

[Texasgal]

15. heh heh!!

I am not a "romantic" movie or book fan either! You are not alone!!! :P

I have seen cold mountain and I REALLY liked it...

Another movie worthy of a love story is " Dances with wolves" Great love story there!!

[khashka]

10. Okey dokey, they are

The Big Easy - great chemistry between Ellen Barkin and Dennis Quaid.

The Secretary -best depiction of alternative sex in a mainstream movie. But it's not just kinky sex, they love each other and they rescue each other emotionally.

Now, Voyager - tremendously romantic. "Don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars."

Khash.

[supernova]

13. I love both of those

even though The Secretary makes me wince! :D (In a good way!)

[Missy Vixen]

36. Oh, YEAH!

>The Big Easy - great chemistry between Ellen Barkin and Dennis Quaid.<

The best part of this movie? Ellen Barkin's character says, "I've never had much luck with sex before," and Dennis Quaid's character responds, "Cherie, your luck is about to change." Every woman in the theater's toes were curling!

Here's some more mushy movies for my friend Southlandshari:

Love Actually
Bull Durham (okay, fine, it's a baseball movie with romance)
Out of Sight (George Clooney. Run, don't walk to the movie rental place.)
and my favorite movie
It's A Wonderful Life (Donna Reed's character leans over the drugstore counter and whispers into George Bailey's bad ear, "George Bailey, I'll love you till the day I die." :cry:)

Julie

[khashka]

40. I forgot to include Truly Madly Deeply

I love that movie.

Khash.

[Missy Vixen]

44. I love that movie, too!

Khash, we'll have to have a movie night!

If people don't mind unintellectual and mushy, there's always "Sleepless In Seattle" and "You've Got Mail".

Julie

[Patiod]

193. Definitely an all-time favorite

And you can't beat Alan Rickman, purring away with his half-closed eyes.....sigh.

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Notting Hill

Ordinary Guy woos and wins Beauty Queen — or did she woo and win him?

Either way, it gives me hope. :7

[southlandshari]

17. For the record

You are NOT an ordinary guy!

:hug:

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. For the record

neither is Hugh Grant.

:hug:

[southlandshari]

18. "Strictly Ballroom"

Yes, I know I'm replying to myself like a big geek here. But wanted to throw this in the mix because it is unlikely to get mentioned otherwise. But this little indie film from Down Under is captivating and charming in my book!

:blush:

[jobycom]

One of my favorites. Baz Lurhman is a creative genius, though not everyone

could handle Moulin Rouge (although it is also one of my favorites!).

[southlandshari]

45. Ok.

This is now officially um, er, ah....cue "The Twilight Zone" theme while I ponder what I'm trying to say here.

(though it isn't like this is anything new, right?)

:P

[jobycom]

61. So, do you have his "Red Curtain Trilogy?" And do you find that

Romeo + Juliet somehow doesn't work, although Harold Perinault, Jr, is brilliant as Mercutio, and Leonardo di Caprio's "You or I or both must die!" scene is particularly well done?

Just asking.

[southlandshari]

74. Nope.

Which is a relief. It means we weren't separated at birth after all. Which would have been rather tragic.

Or illegal, anyway.

:evilgrin:

[jobycom]

78. Only if

we were caught...

:evilgrin:

[fight4my3sons]

21. I really loved Shining Through.

For some reason I have the hots for Michael Douglas though. Don't know why. I just love that movie I could watch it a hundred times.

[Daisy Adair]

22. Spanglish

Now, I HATE Adam Sandler, but I loved... .LOOOVED him in this. I am not sure why, I liked the characters and the character development.

[southlandshari]

24. Oh wow - I just saw that recently

And it struck a nerve for me. Not in a bad way. I don't want to say more lest the plotline be given away, but that was a good one that definitely held my attention.

There is something desperately romantic and wistful about a story in which one of the main players is committed elsewhere when the proverbial "right one" comes along.

[WCGreen]

25. When you put your foot down on the floor....

The moment is over....

[southlandshari]

34. I held my breath through that whole scene....

Wow.

:loveya:

So good to see you, WC!!!

:hug:

[WCGreen]

39. I did too....

I though they would fuck it up... Go for the easy way out...

And when it played out, I choked up at how hopelessly romantic that whole situation was...

Good to see you too...

Politicking and gettin' ready for tax season...

[Daisy Adair]

28. *sigh* Yes, something I can relate to very personally.

You worded that well, struck a nerve for me, too.

[WCGreen]

41. Love Actually, comes to mind as a recent movie...

also, Last of the Mohicans......

[jobycom]

63. Love, Actually to me is emminently watchable.

Each time I see it I get sucked into a different story, though the Liam Neeson story slays me every time. I've been shaving since I was fourteen, but I cry every time at that one!

[Mutley]

141. Love Actually is much better than I thought it'd be.

I just watched it for the second time the other day and I realized I love it!

[southlandshari]

27. Officer and a Gentleman, Urban Cowboy and Bridges of Madison County

That's about all that's left on my list of romantic movies I could watch over and over (I think).

But I would love to hear if others like these and why!

:D

[jobycom]

35. Officer and a Gentleman was the first video I bought, in Beta.

I watched it a hundred times or more. My favorite movie as a teenager. Even led to one of my nicknames.

What you do, read my diaries or something? :-)

[southlandshari]

42. Yes. I read your diaries. Look below at my Princess Bride post.

Sneaking peeks at your journals is what drove me to love Jimmy Buffet, long days on the gulf coast, seeking out ways to fight racism in the South, enjoying raising strong and beautiful daughters....

I could go on, you know.

;)

[jobycom]

46. You could go on, or you could

drive over here like you keep threatening to do! :-)

[hfojvt]

110. I have only seen one of those

But I detested the book "Bridges of Madison County". I only read it because the male lead was described as some kind of male ideal. I did not see an ideal, all I saw was a huge put down of rural and small town working people. It must be some kind of romantic ideal for people to "fall in love" and then never see each other again. That way, they never find out how shallow their love was.

As far as my picks, I would say:
The Music Man
Back to the Future (you're my density)
When Harry met Sally
Splash
Better off Dead
The Lonely Guy
The Princess Bride

I think too many (okay, all but one) of these are romantic comedies, rather than straigh romance.

[southlandshari]

137. Hey there!

Are you ok, darlin'?

:hug:


Thanks for posting your favorites here - and for the record, I'm more likely to enjoy a romantic comedy than a serious romantic movie any day. That's why I was curious about what others liked. I think I'm missing a smoochiepoo gene or something. I got up and walked out of "Message in a Bottle" which was supposed to be uber-romantic, but I just found it dull and pretentious.

;)

[jobycom]

29. Gotta throw in The Princess Bride! What better corn about "true love?"

And not just the romance story. I get choked up every damn time when Peter Faulk whispers "As you wish," as he's leaving the room. Beautiful movie. One of the top five most perfect movies, if you ask me.

[Daisy Adair]

30. Nice catch!

[southlandshari]

37. Oh my!!!

I don't know how I left that one off my short list - I LOVE that movie!

Not surprised you did too, darlin'. I still remember our joint public admission that we both bawled our way through "Because of Winn Dixie".


:hide:
























:loveya:

[jobycom]

47. Ever see Matilda?

[zippy890]

31. anybody remember 'Last Tango in Paris'

Marlon Brando

I loved the music

[khashka]

43. That movie did for butter

what Psycho did for showers :evilgrin:

Khash.

[benny05]

60. I agree

considering that the butter is always shown, even when the movie was cut for many audiences.

Marlo didn't turn me on romantically in that movie...he was better in Guys and dolls

[merh]

32. The Grass is Greener

with Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons

Plot Synopsis: Victor and Hillary are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But Charles Delacro, a millionaire oil tycoon, visits, and takes a liking to more than the house. Soon, Hattie Durant gets involved.



This movie makes you laugh and is a much more "real" love story.

[lakemonster11]

33. Sabrina

The one with Harrison Ford.

I watch it several times a year, particularly when I'm feeling a bit down. It's just brilliant.

I also watch Bridget Jones' Diary a lot.

[AtomicKitten]

38. I just saw The Constant Gardner

It was really a romantically sad movie. The two leading characters didn't know each other very well when the married. The husband got the wrong idea and thought his wife didn't love him, and then it was too late. After the fact, he discovered he was all wrong about that.

Trying to be discrete in case someone hasn't seen it.

This was the underlying story. It actually was about corrupt drug companies that do their experimental trials on poor black people in Africa under the guise of humanitarian assistance.

Excellent movie.

[baby_bear]

127. Thanks for the review, AtomicKitten

I was reading about the Constant Gardener and couldn't figure out if it would be something I would probably like. Now I know and you didn't give away too much, so thanks!

b_b

[Catchawave]

48. Sleepless in Seattle

or You've Got Mail.....I'm a sucker for Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks :) Can watch these two movies over and over and still get goosebumps :loveya:

[jobycom]

49. How about: On Her Majesty's Secret Service?

James Bond gets married (and widowed a minute later). Beautiful romance, with spy stuff. :-)

[benny05]

50. For romantic comedies

Four Weddings & a Funeral
Love Actually
Heaven Can Wait
American President
Dave
In Her Shoes
Casablanca (only because some of the lines are so witty)
Goodbye Girl


Not comedies but romantic flicks

Lonesome Dove
The Thorn Birds
Dr. Z
Gone with the Wind
Love Story (don't throw up, it's still a love story)
It's a Wonderful Life
Sound of Music (yes, it is a love story)
Officer and a Gentleman
Shakespeare in Love (mind you, this is NOT my favorite, but it is a good love story)
The Horse Whisperer and Jerimiah Johnson
Titanic

There are plenty more...just off the top of my head.

[southlandshari]

56. Heaven Can Wait - excellent choice!

I haven't seen many of the other movies on your list, except the biggies like SOM and GWTW, though Four Weddings and a Funeral is on cable as I type. It looks ok, but I find Andie MacDowell emminently untalented and stiff, and avoid her movies like the plague.

Thanks for sharing those!

:hi;

[jobycom]

58. You may have left off a couple, but I doubt it!

:rofl: I always thought "best" was much closer to singular than all-inclusive!

Great list, though. Shakespeare in Love is one of my favorites, and I forgot it!

[southlandshari]

66. I hated Shakespeare in Love

Well, ok, I didn't. It was another of those rare exceptions to the rule for me, a period piece/romance flick that I didn't find ponderous and uninspiring.

In fact, I really, really liked that movie.

I just thought saying so would border on stalkerish at this point...

;)

[jobycom]

77. It's in my top five, so if you were serious

I'd of had some doubts about ya...

[caty]

147. Which "Heaven Can Wait"...

The one with Warren Beatty or the one with Don Ameche----two different plots.

http://www.snlpeople.com/shop.asp?asin=6301586050
I like them both but think the Don Ameche one was a little more romantic. Even if D.A's character was a bit of a cad.

[Left Is Write]

52. Mr. Skeffington.

Starring Bette Davis. She plays a selfish young beauty, stringing along all the boys in town and marrying Job Skeffington for his money and to save her brother. She does not appreciate the love Job offers her until it's almost too late for her.

[leftofthedial]

54. for seductive subtlety, it's hard to top

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

[benny05]

82. You and Billy Bob Briggs

and I love BBB...at the Drive Inn columns he did

If you find the remake of the TCM, which is now Hostel, I believe, you are romantic for necrophelics...just teasin'

[fudge stripe cookays]

199. That's JOE Bob.

Sorry. Personal hero of mine.

:hi:

[BigMcLargehuge]

55. The Whole Wide World

the biopic of writer Novalyn Price and her relationship with Conan author Robert E. Howard. Very beautifully done and complex.

[benny05]

57. Forgot

Shadowlands...

[BigMcLargehuge]

59. Haven't seen that one

don't like CS Lewis. Read a couple of bios of him and Tolkein in college.

[benny05]

65. I'm only familiar with his works

and I am not a trinitarian as he was. But it was a lovely story about his relationship with his wife, Joy, and how they compatible in some ways, not in others, but they still fell in love.

[bigwillq]

62. An odd choice but

Leaving Las Vegas. I found that movie very romantic in an odd kind of way.

[BigMcLargehuge]

64. A love triangle between a man, vodka, and a prostitute

what's not to love?

[southlandshari]

76. I think that is a good, if unorthodox, choice!

And agree that there is a very real element of romance - and true love - in that movie. Not the most uplifting movie, but a great film, and an undeniable love story as well.

:thumbsup:

[bigwillq]

95. I believe that Sera really loved Ben

I really related when I watch that movie now. My first b/f had a problem with drugs and it's just agony watching them free fall. There is really nothing you can do. :(

[pookieblue]

67. a couple off the top of my head...

The Phantom of The Opera
Dear Frankie
Chocolat

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

69. My favorite would be "Roman Holiday"

I'll admit, Audrey Hepburn has a lot to do with that choice! Seriously though, it's just such a wonderfully charming film that captures two souls meeting and sharing the moment together.

Next would be "True Romance" which completely counts, despite the bodycount!

[wildhorses]

70. what about "Legends of the Fall"?

Brad Pitt did not suck too bad in it and I liked "Meet Joe Black" too

[miss_american_pie]

122. Oh my

Other than my mother, you are the only other person I have ever heard say they liked Meet joe Black.

:hi:

[Dervill Crow]

150. I liked Meet Joe Black. And yes, I'm embarrassed about it. n/t

[rbnyc]

75. The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Bliss (80s Australian)


These are my two favorites because of the surrounding social issues, and the lengths the characters go to to demonstrate their love.

[benny05]

91. I was not happy about the love story in that movie

But I do like the film in general and the subject matter to be filmed

[southlandshari]

79. Bad Santa!!!

:rofl:

Ok, ok, it's not REALLY a romance movie, but I have to admit I find this movie hilarious in a kind of I'm-a-bit-embarrassed-at-how-crude-this-is-but-can't-stop-watching-and-laughing kind of way!

And it is just starting on cable now!

:D

[GOPisEvil]

81. You ain't gonna shit right for a week.

Well...there IS a love story. Mmmmm...Lauren Graham. :9

[southlandshari]

83. I didn't laugh at that. Really. I didn't.

:spray:

Oh, ok. I did. A lot.

If Lauren Graham is the chick that uses the wooden pickle with Billy Bob Thornton, you and I have something in common.

'Cause if I had a toaster, the first slices I made would be for her.

:P

[GOPisEvil]

84. Lauren Graham is his main "love interest".

She's the "fuck me Santa" woman. She's the bartender he meets. She is hawt! She's no Shari...but...;)

[southlandshari]

92. I was gonna refer to her

as the "fuck me Santa" woman, but thought it might not be polite.

:rofl:


That means she is indeed also the wooden pickle woman. Don't you remember that part? The kid's Christmas present for Santa?

:D

[GOPisEvil]

93. Oh yeah!!!

I haven't seen that movie since I saw it in the theater (on a date no less).

I need to buy that movie. It might be my official holiday movie. }(

[Olney Blue]

85. The Year of Living Dangerously

[RebelOne]

86. French movie -- The Umbrellas of Cherberg (sp)

I'm not sure of the spelling, but it is a tear-jerker.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

185. Yes I have seen this one .

You need umbrellas to cover your face from the tears .

[Cobalt Violet]

87. A Walk On The Moon. (1999)

To add to the many already mentioned.

[southlandshari]

94. That title is familiar - what is it about?

I think I may be confusing it with "Man in the Moon", a nice little coming of age drama/love story with Reese Witherspoon.

:hi:

[Cobalt Violet]

96. Summer of '69. Woodstock. Man on the moon.

Reese isn't in this one. Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen are.
It's worth the watch anyway.

More info here:
http://www.hollywood.com/movies/detail/id/171957

[Jade Fox]

148. Viggo, Viggo, Viggo.....

There is a line I read in a review of that movie that I love:

"Viggo Mortensen has a gaze so hot you could fry an egg on it."

[Cobalt Violet]

158. Have you seen this movie?

[Jade Fox]

159. Yep. n/t

[Missy Vixen]

97. I just remembered another of my favorites -- High Fidelity

Great music, set in Chicago, and John Cusack. What's not to like?

I also enjoyed "While You Were Sleeping", another movie set in Chicago...

Julie

[seemunkee]

98. Finding Neverland

I didn't think it fell into the hollywood sappy love story genre. I thought the emotions were very real

[havocmom]

100. Lady Hawk is great

Music rocks. Great scenery, of which a younger Rutger Hauer is definitely a part. ;)

Star crossed lovers victimized by curse from evil and jealous bishop. He is man and she (Michell Phieffer) a hawk by day. By night, he is wolf and she is woman. Great pain, great funny lines and a terrific horse.

[Flaxbee]

103. ooh, yes - great horse! And the late, great Leo McKern

was in Ladyhawk, too as Father Imperius the Monk - I loved that man, especially as Horace Rumpole.

[undeterred]

102. Fatal Attraction

NOT! But I watched it tonight and damn is that a scary movie. Good acting by Glenn Close and Michael Douglas.

[Flaxbee]

104. Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson & Alan Rickman...

and Pride and Prejudice, though I haven't seen the new movie version and refer to the A&E series from several years ago (with Colin Firth). The scene at the end of S&S with Hugh Grant (Edward) telling Emma Thompson (Elinor) "my heart is, and always has been, yours". And some of the looks Alan Rickman (Colonel Brandon) gives Kate Winslet (Marianne) are enough to melt the screen.

The Dorothy Sayers Mystery! series with Lord Peter Wimsey are also very romantic, as he falls in love with Harriet Vane.

Love, Actually is great, so is Chocolat (LOVE THIS MOVIE!) - Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp are great together.

And I agree with the earlier posters about Spanglish - very nice movie.

Notorious with Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant - excellent, too.

[u4ic]

116. Lord Peter Wimsey!

I have never heard another person speak of this great series!

Was it one in which Ian Carmichael starred? An amazing character he created (as did all the other actors).

I haven't seen the ones from the 80's, someone else had replaced him.

[Flaxbee]

123. Edward Petherbridge was Wimsey in the BBC/PBS

series Strong Poison (where he meets Harriet and saves her), Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night. I wish the BBC had seen fit to produce Busman's Honeymoon, too, but oh well. Can't have it all.

I got used to Petherbridge's Wimsey and loved him, so it's hard for me to see Carmichael as Wimsey but I know he also has many, many fans.

I bought the 3-DVD series as a treat for myself a while ago. Needless to say, I watch them a lot!

[u4ic]

131. I will have to look for that series

I've only seen the ones from the 70's. It would be interesting to compare the different interpretations of Wimsey.

They are a joy to watch...I came upon them quite by accident in my library.

Oh...I just found them in my library system in the online catalogue!:bounce: (I'm multitasking, as usual). I've just requested Strong Poison.

[Paladin]

146. I Know Some Wimsey Purists....

...who aren't too fond of Ian Carmichael's portrayal; something about his not matching Lord Peter's physical description in the books, or something. Still, I don't see how one could improve on the version of "The Nine Tailors" which starred Carmichael and appeared on PBS back in the mid-70's. Absolutely first-rate.....

[GrpCaptMandrake]

105. Sabrina

The original. One of the most interesting roles Bogey ever played. And William Holden as the playboy brother.

And Audrey Hepburn. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Audrey Hepburn.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

114. A classic!

:toast:

[CBHagman]

106. What makes a movie "romantic"?

Is the focus primarily a couple's attraction, devotion, etc., or can that be just a subplot?

Do you prefer a happy ending, or is renunciation, tragic separation, etc., what you consider romantic? Does it all end in a clinch or a tearful farewell? Where do you stand on films that require a trip to the store for tissues?

Confess: Is adultery romantic? Tristan and Isolde, anyone? Casablanca?

Do you have any unorthodox views? For example, as much as I love Casablanca and watch it every chance I have, I don't view it primarily as a love story. It's a a political thriller, a buddy flick, and even to some degree a comedy, but the romance isn't what makes it a classic for me. Yes, even with Bogie and Bergman. Go figure. :shrug:

Have at it.

[hfojvt]

113. there was not deliberate infidelity in Casablanca

after all, her husband was presumed dead.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

115. The romantic thing about Casablanca

was that the lovers ultimately chose what was right over their own passions...

[CBHagman]

117. Bingo. The renunciation/tearful parting.

That's one romantic alternative, though in Casablanca, naturally, the ending has as much to do with the greater good as it does with the relationships of the characters.

And in Casablanca, the screenplay explain that Ilsa entered into her relationship with Rick innocently. But the film did and does mess with people's minds (as do so many great movies) by placing Rick and Ilsa's romance AND dilemma before viewers. :dilemma:

[pokerfan]

109. Team America: World Police

Lisa: Promise me you'll never die.
Gary: You know I can't promise that.
Lisa: If you did that, I would make love to you right now.
Gary: I promise I'll never die.

:D :D :D :D :D

[Burma Jones]

118. Like Water for Chocolate

An extremely rich movie. Lots of conflict. Sumptuous Imagery. Intense Characters. Takes you far from the ordinary.....

[Paladin]

124. "Random Harvest" (1942)

With Ronald Coleman as an amnesia-stricken WW-I veteran, and Greer Garson as his long-suffering wife. One of the great three-hanky endings in all of cinematic history....

[NNadir]

125. "Shadowlands" and "Remains of the Day."

Anthony Hopkins is a great romantic actor. He bottles up love better than anyone.

With Debra Winger doing her regular "I'm dying of cancer" role, some people may have found Shadowlands the sader movie, but "Remains of the Day" was a tragic romantic recounting of the life of a dog.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

144. And, speaking of Hopkins, 84 Charing Cross Road...

Not a romance in the sense of steamy affairs; but from the perspective of two dear friends who might have been lovers under different circumstances. :loveya:

I loved Shadowlands...Especially when Debra Winger delivers the line, "Are you TRYING to be offensive, or merely stupid?" :rofl:

[Atmashine]

126. Moulin Rouge

My wife got me hooked on that one.

[southlandshari]

128. "White Palace" and "Bull Durham" are also both excellent love stories

Very different films with only Susan Sarandon in common, but both well worth the price of admission!

:thumbsup:

[GOPisEvil]

132. .

I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring... which makes it like sex. There's never been a ballplayer slept with me who didn't have the best year of his career. Making love is like hitting a baseball: you just gotta relax and concentrate. Besides, I'd never sleep with a player hitting under .250... not unless he had a lot of RBIs and was a great glove man up the middle. You see, there's a certain amount of life wisdom I give these boys. I can expand their minds. Sometimes when I've got a ballplayer alone, I'll just read Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to him, and the guys are so sweet, they always stay and listen. 'Course, a guy'll listen to anything if he thinks it's foreplay. I make them feel confident, and they make me feel safe, and pretty. 'Course, what I give them lasts a lifetime; what they give me lasts 142 games. Sometimes it seems like a bad trade. But bad trades are part of baseball - now who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God's sake? It's a long season and you gotta trust. I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball.

[GOPisEvil]

133. ..

Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.

[southlandshari]

134. ...

:wow:


Can you say that line again...reeeeaaal slow?

:loveya:


(do we REALLY want to watch FOOTBALL today?)

;)

[GOPisEvil]

136. Well...in absence of anything better to do....

*innocent whistle*
;)

:loveya:

[Missy Vixen]

153. I have to disagree with Crash Davis

>the designated hitter<

Anyone who ever saw the poetry in motion that was Edgar Martinez playing for the Seattle Mariners is a firm believer in the designated hitter ;-). I estimate I have seen "Bull Durham" over 30 times, but I'm still not at the point that I can recite "Annie"'s opening speech word for word.

In the meantime, I remembered another mushy movie for my girlfriend: "Crossing Delancey". Peter Riegert is a REALLY overlooked actor. I love this movie.

Julie

[CBHagman]

170. I am with you on Crossing Delancey.

And you don't have to have an immigrant grandmother on the Lower East Side to love Crossing Delancey, but it couldn't hoit!

Peter Riegert is indeed wonderful in that. I saw him recently when he was promoting his film King of the Corner, and he was down-to-earth and very warm. The audience had more than a few Crossing Delancey fans in it, too.

[Missy Vixen]

197. I have no relatives whatsoever in New York City

>And you don't have to have an immigrant grandmother on the Lower East Side to love Crossing Delancey, but it couldn't hoit!<

My relatives are primarily Swedish immigrants (watch out for the lutefisk, I'm telling you,) but I still love "Crossing Delancey". I have to see New York City in person. Soon. I really, really do.

Julie

[Oeditpus Rex]

135. Since you mentioned baseball movies

I remembered "For Love of the Game" (what is it about Kelly Preston? I just wanna eat her up) and "Eleanor and Lou: A Love Story."

Also "The Rookie," a biopic that's technically not a romance, but there's romance in it — like when he calls her to tell her he's been called up to the majors. I cry every time.

Ain't nothin' that does it to me like a woman who's proud of her man.

[DeaconBlues]

129. As Good as it Gets

Hilarious movie with a true-to-life love affair. Not necessarily a chick flick, but it is an excellent representation of a realistic relationship with all its faults.

[WCGreen]

156. The most romantic line in a movie....

Cause you make me want to be a better man.....

[grannylib]

130. "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" and "On Golden Pond" get my

votes. One for young love and one for lasting love.
And both with the unparalleled Kathrine Hepburn.

[Joe Chi Minh]

138. Jackie Brown

Pam Grier and Robert Forster seemed to live their parts, and though the theme was quite dramatic and suspenseful for most of the film (the "caper" element, switching of bags, etc., was the least convincing), the acting was awesomely natural and understated. Their final parting was strangely moving (such sweet sorrow, as the saying goes), the more so in that their love was never physically consummated - at least that was the impression you were left with.

[Parrcrow]

139. When Harry Met Sally

[fishwax]

167. that's my choice too

[Talismom]

140. You're gonna say I'm wierd, but believe it or not....

I found March of the Penguins to be quite a turn on.

:wow: :shrug:

[Dervill Crow]

151. LOL - my daughter found a certain scene "disturbing." n/t

[Talismom]

157. Yeah, mine did too. n/t

[Mutley]

142. Moulin Rouge

I don't think this movie got as much praise as it deserves. One of my all time favorite movies. Ewan McGregor is hot, and who know Nicole Kidman could sing like that?

:loveya:

[Hoooweee]

143. Annie Hall

Best moment: the scene where they're at their therapists and each is asked the same question "how often do you make love?"
Diane says "all the time, like three times a week"
Woody says "hardly ever, like three times a week"

or the lobster scene. That always gets me

[AtomicKitten]

145. Somewhere in Time nt

[Dervill Crow]

152. I still watch that every time it's on TV, and I cry every time. n/t

[Jade Fox]

149. That Hamilton Woman....

An oldie (1940s?)staring Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Leigh as Lord Admiral Nelson and Lady Hamilton, whom he had an affair with.

The scene in the pub where he describes what the expression on his face means gets to me!

Cold Mountain is so sad. I just can't STAND that Inman dies.

[UncleSepp]

154. The Butcher's Wife - quirky, sweet, and really different

I won't give away why it's different, but it is. There's a lot of fantasy and surprise in it, and it actually has a Shakespearean-comedy type of twisty little plot.

[AtomicKitten]

155. Spy Game is one of my favorite movies.

Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. It's kinda romantic-ish.

[AmandaRuth]

160. Pride and Prejudice

the movie mini series, the one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcey. Holy Moly, is he sexy!!!!

[qnr]

161. My wife and I vote for "Groundhog Day" (honestly) n/t

[Patiod]

192. That's one of my all-time favorites, period

But it is sort of a romance...

[qnr]

196. :) Well, we think it is more than sort of. Look at everything he goes

through to win her.

[StaggerLee]

162. Amelie

Because she's afraid to confront her true feelings until the very end of the movie.

Extra credit for the well traveled garden gnome.


:hi:

[SoCalDem]

163. The original Thomas Crown Affair

The Graduate..
The Egg and I..
Philadelphia Story
Diry Dancing
Laura
Now Voyager
Letter from an Unknown Woman
Summer Place
Body Heat
Notorious
Double Indemnity
best Years of Our Lives
rebecca (the b&w version)

[qnr]

164. Another one (picking some that aren't already mentioned) "Ghost" n/t

[qnr]

165. Bram Stokers Dracula n/t

[henslee]

166. deleted.

[henslee]

168. And Now My Love (Claude Lelouch)

[henslee]

169. Il Postino (Michael Radford)

Just see it.

[Wetzelbill]

171. seriously, I loved " A Walk To Remember"

I also think that "Giant" has a great romantic tinge to it.

I watched "Love Actually" with a very good-looking friend of mine, which is the only reason I would have ever went to it, but I liked it a lot. Very fun.

"Crazy/Beautiful" was pretty good as well.

"The Wedding Date" is solid.

Surprisingly, I loved both "The Wedding Singer" and "50 First Dates" for romantic reasons.

[enigmatic]

172. "Betty Blue"

Fantastic film; and yes, to me it's romantic, though not in a conventional way..

[ElsewheresDaughter]

173. my sweetheart stephen and i agree on Princes Bride

[Smoky Barnable]

174. Yes, we do =]

One heck of a movie.

[Jean Louise Finch]

175. Say Anything

Seriously now. How is that not the first one listed?

[MiwSher]

176. Hands down, "An Affair to Remember"

The original with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr......... imho :)

MiwSher

[CBHagman]

177. Where do you stand on Love Affair with...

...Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer? It's the same story, but Love Affair is the earlier film. I probably don't need to tell you it was remade yet again in the 1990s, with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.



I believe Love Affair even has the same director, Leo McCarey, as An Affair to Remember.

[MiwSher]

179. Never saw that one.

"An Affair to Remember" is the earliest version I've seen.

MiwSher

[CBHagman]

184. An article on Love Affair.

For the curious movie buff.

http://tcmdb.com/title/title.jsp?scarlettTitleId=3938&afiTitleId=6015&category=Articles&titleName=Love%20Affair&menuName=MAIN

On edit: Love Affair is in black and white and has some unforgettable images.

[kwassa]

178. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the best ever

This gets my vote because it talks about the pain of being in love, how people walk back into a relationship despite the pain and persevere. I think it is a profound and very innovative film.

[dolo amber]

180. I can't believe no one mentioned this yet

:o

[bridgit]

181. cold mountain is good, sad but good; 'laws of attraction' is cute & fun...

http://www.lawsofattractionmovie.com

[flvegan]

182. Deep Throat and Debbie Does Dallas

Talk about romance, woo hoo!

[southlandshari]

183. My reply....

a little of this:

:eyes:


and a little of this:

:rofl:



I vascillate between being very happy and very sad for my friend LM on a daily basis!


:P

[Vidar]

186. not top of the list but "Somewhere in Time"

[Metta]

187. Casablanca, Harold and Maude and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Everyone knows the first by now. The second stretches the boundaries by orders of magnatude while the third is about the worth, tearing of family fabric, grief and redemption. A truly great movie. Elia Kazan directed, right around the same time he made On the Waterfront. :loveya: :hi:

[SOteric]

188. Deliverance

"You gotta purdy mouth." The feature length film about the tender exchanges between DS1 and matcom in a natural setting, completely devoid of manboxes.

Okay, so maybe my real vote would be Notorious (1946), Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

194. How about "I Spit On Your Grave"?

on the subject of the romance of forcible rape flics.

[SOteric]

195. Don't be silly.

DS1 and matcom weren't in that one. :hi:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

189. Wuthering Heights with the incredible Merle Oberon and Lawrence Olivier

Next to Barbara Stanwyck, Merle Oberon gets my vote as the most beautiful Hollywood actress of all time.



I don't usually like so-called "chick flicks", but Wuthering Heights is great. I could also recommend Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet as well as the French film with Gerard DePardieu of "Cyrano De Bergerac" which is maybe the most romantic story of all time.

[TrogL]

190. Batman and Robin

You could cut the sexual tension with a chainsaw.

[Beware the Beast Man]

191. True Romance.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

204. "You just said you love me.

Now, if I say I love you and just throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may, and you're lyin' to me, I'm gonna fuckin' die."

"I'm not lyin' to you, and I swear from this moment forth, I'll never lie to you again."


Fucking top stuff.

[Orsino]

198. Much Ado About Nothing

Branagh and Emma Thompson.

[fudge stripe cookays]

200. Period piece I adore no one's ever seen but me...

It's called "A Summer Story." Based on John Galsworthy's "The Cherry Tree." It's sort of along the Merchant/Ivory classy British film lines.

This barrister and his friend are out hiking in the English countryside. He jumps a gate and sprains his ankle, and they end up spending some time at a local farmhouse, where he falls in love with a beautiful rural girl.

But then real life gets in the way.

This movie is lethal and beautiful. You will need about 10 hankies at the end. I highly recommend. :cry:

[Metta]

201. King of Hearts.

Has love elements going through it. An allegory set during WWI in a small town in France. Three soldiers are sent as an advance to evaluate conditions before the main force is sent. Hearing voices, the leader enter a building and finds a hospital floor full of patients. As he is proclaimed the King of Hearts, he realizes the place is an insane asylum and he flees, leaving the gate to the ward unlocked. All kinds of whimsy ensues as the inmates take over the empty town after its residents flee. :pals: :donut: :)

[Progressive4Life]

202. The Sheik

An oldie (1921 to be exact), but a goodie!

[hippywife]

203. The Enchanted Cottage!!

This one gets my vote for the all time most romantic movie ever.


http://imdb.com/title/tt0037671/

A homely maid and a scarred ex-GI meet at the cottage where she works and where he was to spend his honeymoon prior to his accident. The two develop a bond and agree to marry, more out of loneliness than love. The romantic spirit of the cottage, however, overtakes them. They soon begin to look beautiful to each other, but no one else.

Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire.

Also love Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Oh, and Laura.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

205. Better than Chocolate

And I was never able to think of modern art in the same way again :evilgrin:

Sweet, romantic, thought-provoking, boundary-breaking.