Thursday, February 14, 2013

Love Stories for Valentine's Day

What better day to celebrate cinematic love stories! Here are my top 14 for February 14th. They may not be the most "critically acclaimed" films, but they are my personal favorites.



It Happened One Night (1934)

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert hit the open road.

ELLIE: I'll stop a car and I won't use my thumb!






Gone with the Wind (1939)

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh survive the Civil War, Reconstruction and a dress made of velvet drapes.

RHETT: Did you ever think of marrying just for fun?







Lady and the Tramp (1955)

A mangy, mischievous mutt and a pampered pedigreed princess fall in love over a plate of spaghetti.

TRAMP: Not to change the subject but, um . . . ever chased chickens?








Pillow Talk (1959)

Rock Hudson pretends to be a cowboy from Texas and Doris Day believes every word he says.

BRAD: Are you getting out of that bed or am I coming in after you?








Love Story (1970)

Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal are Ivy League lovers who look cool playing football in the snow and don't believe in God.

OLIVER: She's not some crazy hippie.








Rocky (1976)

Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire fill each others gaps.

ROCKY: I think we make a real sharp couple of coconuts.









Annie Hall (1977)

New Yorkers Wood Allen and Diane Keaton read books about death, suffer through therapy, and endure several viewings of The Sorrow and the Pity before they ultimately break up at a health food restaurant in L.A.

ALVY: I can't enjoy anything unless everybody is. If one guy is starving someplace, that puts a crimp in my evening.







When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal prove that men and women cannot be friends.

SALLY: I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, if not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it's real; if it's out of the can then nothing.










Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fall in love at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. Enough said.

SAM: I am not going to New York to meet some woman who could be a crazy, sick lunatic. Didn't you see Fatal Attraction?!








Jerry Maguire (1996)

Tom Cruise and Rene Zellweger find out that love means always saying you're sorry.

DOROTHY: You had me at hello.








Titanic (1997)

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have a whirlwind courtship aboard the doomed ocean liner. Kate survives and her heart will go on.

JACK: I don't know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to White Star Line about all of this.









You've Got Mail (1998)

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are booksellers who fall in love and make intriguing references to The Godfather.

KATHLEEN: I could never be with someone who has a boat.








My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

John Corbett and Nia Vardalos have the biggest, fattest, Greekiest wedding EVER!

TOULA: When I was growing up, I knew I was different. The other girls were blonde and delicate, and I was a swarthy six-year-old with sideburns. 








Something's Gotta Give (2003)

Jack Nicholson, a cigar smoking, womanizer, falls in love with Diane Keaton, an uptight playwright who wears turtlenecks in the summer. Hilarity ensues.

 ERICA: Harry, your heart attack could be the best thing that's ever happened to me.

3 comments:

  1. Terrific list! I've seen nine of them!

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  2. Lewie: You are so right about Rocky. People look at me ascance when I say Rocky is one of the best love stories in cinema.

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  3. Craig: Awesome! When I post about movies I want to watch them again. I've already got Love Story on my list. Haven't seen it in a long time. Have to be in the mood. Titanic was on TV last week, so I did see that one recently. Just not enough hours in the day ...

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