Being that The Longest Ride is being released this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to bring you my top 10 Romance films of all-time. I also want to state that this is my least favorite film genre simply because every film is the same. Anyway, romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theaters and on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters and the journey that their genuinely strong, true and pure romantic love takes them through dating, courtship or marriage. Romance films make the romantic love story or the search for strong and pure love and romance the main plot focus. Occasionally, romance lovers face obstacles such as finances, physical illness, various forms of discrimination, psychological restraints or family that threaten to break their union of love. As in all quite strong, deep, and close romantic relationships, tensions of day-to-day life, temptations (of infidelity), and differences in compatibility enter into the plots of romantic films. These movies are ranked 11-20 so when you see number 5 it is actually number 15.You can also check out my other list here So without further ado...
10. Love Actually
This film is absolutely hilarious and it's great to see all of these amazing British actors in one movie together. The seemingly perfect wedding of Juliet (played by Keira Knightley) and Peter (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) brings many of the principals together, including heartsick best man Mark (played by Andrew Lincoln), who harbors a very unrequited crush on Juliet. There's also recent widower Daniel (played by Liam Neeson), trying to help his lonely stepson Sam (played by Thomas Sangster) express his true feelings to a classmate. Across town, devoted working mother Karen (played by Emma Thompson) tries to rekindle the passion of her husband, Harry (played by Alan Rickman), who secretly pines for a young colleague of his. In the same office, the lonely Sarah (played by Laura Linney) not-so-secretly pines for a man just a few desks away (played by Rodrigo Santoro), who returns her affections but may not be able to dissuade her neuroses. Providing the unofficial soundtrack for all of the couples is an aging rocker (played by Bill Nighy) who just wants to cash in and get laid -- but even he might find a meaningful relationship in the most unlikely of places. Love Actually has a rating of 63% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This is a hilarious film and it's also the debut of Jason Segal as a screenwriter and he knocked it out of the park. Peter Bretter (played by Jason Segal) has spent six years idolizing his girlfriend, television star Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell). He's the guy left holding her purse in paparazzi photos and accidentally omitted from acceptance award speeches. But his world is rocked when she dumps him and Peter finds himself alone. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sees that not having Sarah may just ruin his life. To clear his head, Peter takes an impulsive trip to Oahu, where he is confronted by his worst nightmare: his ex and her tragically hip new British-rocker boyfriend, Aldous (played by Russell Brand), are sharing his hotel. But, as he torments himself with the reality of Sarah's new life, he finds relief in a flirtation with Rachel (played by Mila Kunis), a beautiful resort employee whose laid-back approach tempts him to rejoin the world. He also finds relief in several hundred embarrassing, fruity cocktails. Forgetting Sarah Marshall has a rating of 85% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Roman Holiday
This films plot has been used and used time and time again, but it can never top this film especially with two of the greatest actors of all-time. A princess (played by Audrey Hepburn\) plays hooky from her royal duties for 24 hours with a reporter (played by Gregory Peck). Roman Holiday was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Story, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing while winning 3 (Best Actress, Best Costume Design and Best Story) and it has a rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Her
This film (while odd) is amazing and it paints a picture of a world we could easily live in in the future. a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system. A withdrawn writer (played by Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Her was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Production Design, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song and Best Original Score while winning the aawrd for Best Original Song and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Moonstruck
I don't like Cher one bit, but I can actually tolerate her in this film, plus her and Nicolas Cage's chemistry is terrific. When there's a full moon over Brooklyn, anything can happen, and everything happens in the neighborhood where widowed bookkeeper Loretta Castorini (played by Cher) lives. First, Loretta agrees to marry a man she does not love, Johnny Cammareri (played by Danny Aiello), simply because he knows how to propose properly. Before the wedding can take place, Cammareri must visit his dying mother in Sicily. In his absence, Loretta is supposed to try to patch up the differences between Johnny and his brother, bakery operator Ronny Cammareri (played by Nicolas Cage). Having never forgiven Johnny for indirectly causing the accident that crippled him, Ronny flies into a rage whenever his brother's name is mentioned. He does, however, fall for Loretta like a ton of bricks. After a torrid affair, Loretta tries to avoid Ronny out of respect to Johnny, but he's just too fascinating to resist. Meanwhile, Loretta's father (played by Vincent Gardenia) is fooling around with his mistress Mona (played by Anita Gillette), while Loretta's mother (played by Olympia Dukakis) is wooed by a college professor (played by John Mahoney). These brief flings are forgiven and forgotten, but there's still the delicate situation of Loretta being in love with her future brother-in-law. Moonstruck was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay while winning 3 (Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) and it has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. The Graduate
This film is full of amazing one-liners and it has some spectacular performances along with one of the best movie soundtracks of all-time. Mentally adrift the summer after graduating from college, suburbanite Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman) would rather float in his parents' pool than follow adult advice about his future. But the exhortation of family friend Mr. Robinson (played by Murray Hamilton) to seize every possible opportunity inspires Ben to accept an offer of sex from icily feline Mrs. Robinson (played by Anne Bancroft). The affair and the pool are all well and good until Ben is pushed to go out with the Robinsons' daughter Elaine (played by Katharine Ross) and he falls in love with her. Mrs. Robinson sabotages the relationship and an understandably disgusted Elaine runs back to college. Determined not to let Elaine get away, Ben follows her to school and then disrupts her family-sanctioned wedding. None too happy about her pre-determined destiny, Elaine flees with Ben -- but to what? The Graduate was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography while winning the award for Best Director and it has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
This film presents a powerful message that is still relevant to this day and it's also special for being Spencer Tracey's last film as he tragically passed away 17 days after the film was done filming. Old-line liberals Matt Drayton (played by Spencer Tracy) and Christina Drayton (played by Katharine Hepburn) have raised their daughter Joanna "Joey" Drayton (played by Katharine Houghton) to think for herself. Still, they aren't completely prepared for the shock when Joanna returns home from a vacation with a new fiance: black doctor John Wayde Prentice Jr. (Sidney Poitier). The young folks must also contend with Prentice's disapproving parents. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score while winning 2 (Best Original Score and Best Actress) and it has a rating of 67% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Gone with the Wind
This film is the ultimate classic film and it tells a powerful story and in my opinion it still holds up to this day. In April of 1861, at the palatial Southern estate of Tara, where Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) hears that her casual beau Ashley Wilkes (played by Leslie Howard) plans to marry "mealy mouthed" Melanie Hamilton (played by Olivia de Havilland). Despite warnings from her father (Thomas Mitchell) and her faithful servant Mammy (played by Hattie McDaniel), Scarlett intends to throw herself at Ashley at an upcoming barbecue at Twelve Oaks. Alone with Ashley, she goes into a fit of histrionics, all of which is witnessed by roguish Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable), the black sheep of a wealthy Charleston family, who is instantly fascinated by the feisty, thoroughly self-centered Scarlett. Gone with the Wind was nominated for 13 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, 2 nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score and Best Sound while winning 8 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Casablanca
This is literally the most quotable film of all-time and it is the perfect example of a film noir. Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty Capt. Renault (played by Claude Rains), Rick's Cafe has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (played by Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman), Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. Casablanca was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography while winning 3 (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Titanic
I know it might be uncool for a guy to like the movie, but it is an amazing film with some visual effects that were revolutionary at the time. American treasure-seeker Brock Lovett (played by Bill Paxton) retrieves artifacts from the submerged ship. Lovett looks for diamonds but finds a drawing of a young woman, nude except for a necklace. When 102-year-old Rose (played by Gloria Stuart) reveals she's the person in the portrait, she is summoned to the wreckage site to tell her story of the 56-carat diamond necklace and her experiences of 84 years earlier. The scene then shifts to 1912 Southampton where passengers boarding the Titanic include penniless Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and society girl Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Kate Winslet), returning to Philadelphia with her wealthy fiance Cal Hockley (played by Billy Zane). After the April 10th launch, Rose develops a passionate interest in Jack, and Cal's reaction is vengeful. At midpoint in the film, the Titanic slides against the iceberg and water rushes into the front compartments. Even engulfed, Cal continues to pursue Jack and Rose as the massive liner begins its descent. Titanic was nominated for 14 Academy Award including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects while winning 11 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 88% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what are some of your favorite romance films of all-time and what do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. Love Actually
This film is absolutely hilarious and it's great to see all of these amazing British actors in one movie together. The seemingly perfect wedding of Juliet (played by Keira Knightley) and Peter (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) brings many of the principals together, including heartsick best man Mark (played by Andrew Lincoln), who harbors a very unrequited crush on Juliet. There's also recent widower Daniel (played by Liam Neeson), trying to help his lonely stepson Sam (played by Thomas Sangster) express his true feelings to a classmate. Across town, devoted working mother Karen (played by Emma Thompson) tries to rekindle the passion of her husband, Harry (played by Alan Rickman), who secretly pines for a young colleague of his. In the same office, the lonely Sarah (played by Laura Linney) not-so-secretly pines for a man just a few desks away (played by Rodrigo Santoro), who returns her affections but may not be able to dissuade her neuroses. Providing the unofficial soundtrack for all of the couples is an aging rocker (played by Bill Nighy) who just wants to cash in and get laid -- but even he might find a meaningful relationship in the most unlikely of places. Love Actually has a rating of 63% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This is a hilarious film and it's also the debut of Jason Segal as a screenwriter and he knocked it out of the park. Peter Bretter (played by Jason Segal) has spent six years idolizing his girlfriend, television star Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell). He's the guy left holding her purse in paparazzi photos and accidentally omitted from acceptance award speeches. But his world is rocked when she dumps him and Peter finds himself alone. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sees that not having Sarah may just ruin his life. To clear his head, Peter takes an impulsive trip to Oahu, where he is confronted by his worst nightmare: his ex and her tragically hip new British-rocker boyfriend, Aldous (played by Russell Brand), are sharing his hotel. But, as he torments himself with the reality of Sarah's new life, he finds relief in a flirtation with Rachel (played by Mila Kunis), a beautiful resort employee whose laid-back approach tempts him to rejoin the world. He also finds relief in several hundred embarrassing, fruity cocktails. Forgetting Sarah Marshall has a rating of 85% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Roman Holiday
This films plot has been used and used time and time again, but it can never top this film especially with two of the greatest actors of all-time. A princess (played by Audrey Hepburn\) plays hooky from her royal duties for 24 hours with a reporter (played by Gregory Peck). Roman Holiday was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Story, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing while winning 3 (Best Actress, Best Costume Design and Best Story) and it has a rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Her
This film (while odd) is amazing and it paints a picture of a world we could easily live in in the future. a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system. A withdrawn writer (played by Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Her was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Production Design, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song and Best Original Score while winning the aawrd for Best Original Song and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Moonstruck
I don't like Cher one bit, but I can actually tolerate her in this film, plus her and Nicolas Cage's chemistry is terrific. When there's a full moon over Brooklyn, anything can happen, and everything happens in the neighborhood where widowed bookkeeper Loretta Castorini (played by Cher) lives. First, Loretta agrees to marry a man she does not love, Johnny Cammareri (played by Danny Aiello), simply because he knows how to propose properly. Before the wedding can take place, Cammareri must visit his dying mother in Sicily. In his absence, Loretta is supposed to try to patch up the differences between Johnny and his brother, bakery operator Ronny Cammareri (played by Nicolas Cage). Having never forgiven Johnny for indirectly causing the accident that crippled him, Ronny flies into a rage whenever his brother's name is mentioned. He does, however, fall for Loretta like a ton of bricks. After a torrid affair, Loretta tries to avoid Ronny out of respect to Johnny, but he's just too fascinating to resist. Meanwhile, Loretta's father (played by Vincent Gardenia) is fooling around with his mistress Mona (played by Anita Gillette), while Loretta's mother (played by Olympia Dukakis) is wooed by a college professor (played by John Mahoney). These brief flings are forgiven and forgotten, but there's still the delicate situation of Loretta being in love with her future brother-in-law. Moonstruck was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay while winning 3 (Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) and it has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. The Graduate
This film is full of amazing one-liners and it has some spectacular performances along with one of the best movie soundtracks of all-time. Mentally adrift the summer after graduating from college, suburbanite Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman) would rather float in his parents' pool than follow adult advice about his future. But the exhortation of family friend Mr. Robinson (played by Murray Hamilton) to seize every possible opportunity inspires Ben to accept an offer of sex from icily feline Mrs. Robinson (played by Anne Bancroft). The affair and the pool are all well and good until Ben is pushed to go out with the Robinsons' daughter Elaine (played by Katharine Ross) and he falls in love with her. Mrs. Robinson sabotages the relationship and an understandably disgusted Elaine runs back to college. Determined not to let Elaine get away, Ben follows her to school and then disrupts her family-sanctioned wedding. None too happy about her pre-determined destiny, Elaine flees with Ben -- but to what? The Graduate was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography while winning the award for Best Director and it has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
This film presents a powerful message that is still relevant to this day and it's also special for being Spencer Tracey's last film as he tragically passed away 17 days after the film was done filming. Old-line liberals Matt Drayton (played by Spencer Tracy) and Christina Drayton (played by Katharine Hepburn) have raised their daughter Joanna "Joey" Drayton (played by Katharine Houghton) to think for herself. Still, they aren't completely prepared for the shock when Joanna returns home from a vacation with a new fiance: black doctor John Wayde Prentice Jr. (Sidney Poitier). The young folks must also contend with Prentice's disapproving parents. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score while winning 2 (Best Original Score and Best Actress) and it has a rating of 67% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Gone with the Wind
This film is the ultimate classic film and it tells a powerful story and in my opinion it still holds up to this day. In April of 1861, at the palatial Southern estate of Tara, where Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) hears that her casual beau Ashley Wilkes (played by Leslie Howard) plans to marry "mealy mouthed" Melanie Hamilton (played by Olivia de Havilland). Despite warnings from her father (Thomas Mitchell) and her faithful servant Mammy (played by Hattie McDaniel), Scarlett intends to throw herself at Ashley at an upcoming barbecue at Twelve Oaks. Alone with Ashley, she goes into a fit of histrionics, all of which is witnessed by roguish Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable), the black sheep of a wealthy Charleston family, who is instantly fascinated by the feisty, thoroughly self-centered Scarlett. Gone with the Wind was nominated for 13 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, 2 nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score and Best Sound while winning 8 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Casablanca
This is literally the most quotable film of all-time and it is the perfect example of a film noir. Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty Capt. Renault (played by Claude Rains), Rick's Cafe has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (played by Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman), Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. Casablanca was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography while winning 3 (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Titanic
I know it might be uncool for a guy to like the movie, but it is an amazing film with some visual effects that were revolutionary at the time. American treasure-seeker Brock Lovett (played by Bill Paxton) retrieves artifacts from the submerged ship. Lovett looks for diamonds but finds a drawing of a young woman, nude except for a necklace. When 102-year-old Rose (played by Gloria Stuart) reveals she's the person in the portrait, she is summoned to the wreckage site to tell her story of the 56-carat diamond necklace and her experiences of 84 years earlier. The scene then shifts to 1912 Southampton where passengers boarding the Titanic include penniless Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and society girl Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Kate Winslet), returning to Philadelphia with her wealthy fiance Cal Hockley (played by Billy Zane). After the April 10th launch, Rose develops a passionate interest in Jack, and Cal's reaction is vengeful. At midpoint in the film, the Titanic slides against the iceberg and water rushes into the front compartments. Even engulfed, Cal continues to pursue Jack and Rose as the massive liner begins its descent. Titanic was nominated for 14 Academy Award including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects while winning 11 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Costume Design, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 88% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what are some of your favorite romance films of all-time and what do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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