Pop the popcorn, grab your significant other or some ice cream and get ready for The Wood Word’s list of films to watch on Valentine’s Day, suitable for any level of romance.
For Couples
1. “An Affair to Remember” (1957) – This romantic film was nominated for four Academy Awards and inspired the 1993 film, “Sleepless in Seattle.” Girl and guy meet and fall in love (of course) but they are both engaged to someone else. They agree to meet on the top of the Empire State Building 6 months later, but complications show that there is no easy road to love.
2. “Bringing Up Baby” (1938) – One of the original “screwball comedies,” the film begins with a stolen car and swiftly devolves into madness including a ripped dress, a man in a negligee, and a leopard named “baby.” With stars like Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant at the helm, this film is hilarious romance at its best.
3. “Music and Lyrics” (2007) – When a “happy has-been” pop star attempts to make a comeback by writing a new song with the girl who waters his plants, a fun, musical movie is the result. I dare you not to dance to “Pop Goes My Heart.”
4. “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964) – For those looking for the unique, look no further than “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.” From the beginning, each line of dialogue is sung, in a colorful symphony of romance.
5. “When Harry Met Sally” (1989) – Probably the most famous romantic comedy, this flick debates the question “can a man and a woman be just friends without sex getting in the way?” The only way to find out is to watch and enjoy.
For Singletons
1. “(500) Days of Summer” (2009) – Tom Hansen meets Summer Finn and it’s love at first sight…for him. It takes him 500 days to realize that Summer isn’t the girl for him, but along the way it’s one laugh after another before the heartbreak occurs.
2. “Down With Love” (2003) – A feminist author becomes the target of a dashing playboy when she publishes a book that proclaims “Down With Love.” The result is a film filled with comic sexual innuendos and clever wordplay.
3. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) – What if you could erase all memories of one of your exes? Would you want to? Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey star as the two lovers who erase each other from their minds.
4. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) – No romance? No bother! The romantic attachment is not of primary concern in this film; instead it’s about a father and a son and their search for the Holy Grail.
5. “Hot Fuzz” (2007) – Pop in this movie and enjoy a movie that’s more bromance than romance. A spoof of every action film ever made, it’s funny as only the British can do it.