Must See Classic Romance Movies

Romance movies, believe it or not come in two forms, for us guys, it is usually as a 'buddy' movie, primarily a comedy, yet the secondary plot or plot kicker is usually a guy having trouble with his girl, and must win her back.

For the girls, its the ideal, mainly the classic, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy attempts to get girl back. Some may actually be a little action orientated (The Bodyguard) or tug on the heart strings so hard, you want to weep for a week (The Notebook).

Another popular formula is the coming-of-age story and many watch with sage nodding of heads remembering similar experiences as we grew up through adolescence.

Why do we watch these films? Simple, nothing is more powerful an emotion than love and grief.

A massive drama/romance at the movies, until the advent of Avatar in 2009 some twelve years later (again directed by James Cameron).

Rose Bukator tells the story of that fateful night of the Titanic and of the journey beforehand to her grand-daughter. Rose along with her mother and fiance are booked into the First class cabins for the first journey of the new ship - The Titanic.

An artist and out of work drifter, Jack Dawson and his best friend arrive on the ship after winning third class tickets in a game. Jack and Rose meet after Rose almost decides to jump of the bow as she does not want to marry Cal due to financial issues with the family. On April 15th 1912, is the night that changes the fate9of many on the ship.

Trivia - The first film to achieve over 1 Billion in gross worldwide Box Office receipts (600 million in the US, 1.8 Billion total worldwide). Budget was 200 million dollars. James Cameron has a reputation of being an immense perfectionist and almost militaristic on set with both cast and crew. Fox wanted to pull the plug and cut both the length of the film and look at removing Cameron, due to the film blowing out from 150 mil to 200 million in budget and because it 'wasn't' an action film.

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, has an older gentleman read from a notebook to an elderly woman, suffering dementia. The story unfolds about two young lovers in the 1940's, she is from a family of renown and wealth and he is an uneducated son of a dirt poor father. The story progresses through the meeting and turbulent relationship the pair endure through hardship and loss and also 7 years of absence. But ultimately what happened to these two young lovers?

Trivia - Ryan Gosling stayed in Charleston, South Carolina for two months and made furniture and rowed on the Ashley River in preparation for the role. Gena Rowlands is the real life mother of director, Nick Cassavetes.

This film has it all (except whats with the rich gal, poor guy theme?) great sets, great music, great dancing and a very happy ending. Set during the 60's Frances 'Baby' Houseman goes with her family in the Catskill mountains resort for a holiday.

She meets Johnny of a somewhat dubious background and when Johnnys dance partner falls sick, Baby steps in to take her place and falls in love, much to the disdain of her wealthy and elitist parents. Spawned the very popular line of 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner'.

Trivia - After many years of attempted remission and finally succumbing to pancreatic cancer in 2009 Patrick Swayze passed on. Jennifer Grey got a nose job not long after the film and has known to have regretted it ever since, due to not being as recognizable as the character 'Baby'.

A film with legendary actors Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, who portray Norman and Ethel Thayer, who have been spending summers at a cottage here since their marriage. Their estranged daughter decides to visit before her fathers birthday. Since she and her fiance will head to Europe for two weeks, they leave her fiances son with her parents, and she discovers her step son has a relationship with her father she always wanted, or does she?

Trivia - Stars Jane Fonda who is also Henry Fonda real life daughter not just in the movie. Was the very last movie Henry Fonda made before passing on. Henry also holds the record for the longest gap between Academy Awards Oscar Nominations, 1940 for Grapes of Wrath and 1981 for On Golden Pond.

High school senior Lloyd Dobler wants nothing more than to date the beautiful and intelligent Diane Court, shes a valedictorian, he is an under achiever. He wants to win her heart and much to the objection of her over protective father and before she heads out to England on a scholarship.

Trivia - Christain Slater and Robert Downey Jr were considered for the lead male role as well as Jennifer Connelly for the female lead. Ione Skye once dated Anthony Kiedis who fronts the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who open the movie with the song 'Taste The Pain'

Grease - is The Word.

A Classic love story and one thats also a musical. Set in the 1950's, good girl Sandy and Greaser rebel Danny fell in love over the summer, but will it still be on and rekindle their love when they discover they are both now attending the same high school.

Trivia - Carrie Fisher was considered for the role of Rizzo. Even though set in high school, only Larenzo Lamas, Dinah Madoff & Eddie Deezen were 19, all the other principal actors were 20 years of age or older. Henry Winkler was considered for the part of Danny, he turned it down due to fear of being typecast.

Some films are not romantic and are not comedic, grief plays a huge role in our lives as well. Marlon Brando stars in this film about a deal with a young Parisian woman whom has a sordid and sexually nihilistic affair with a middled-aged American businessman whom lays out ground rules that their clandestine relationship will be based only on sex, due to the fact that he is mourning his recently deceased wife. Considered obscene, and controversial by some, this film will leave you feeling raw, long after the credits have rolled.

Trivia - Script lines were routinely taped to Maria Schneider's naked body because of Marlon's dyslexia and reticence to memorize his dialog.Created many controversies and court cases against the actors and, director and producers in some countries.

Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr are unknown initially to each other on an ocean liner cruise from Europe to New York, each are also involved with other people, but when they meet and spend time with each other, they can't resist for a shipboard romance. They decide to test whether this is the real thing or just a passing interest by agreeing to split up, then meet in six months atop the Empire State Building. What will be the outcome?

Trivia - References to this movie in the film - Sleepless In Seattle, lead to an additional 2 million sales of the film on VHS in 1993. Deborah and Cary improvised many of the scenes in the filming of the movie.

Whilst this film has many genres, action, war movie, drama, its also, essentially a romantic movie. Humphrey Bogart is a politically undefined nightclub owner of a club, Cafe Americain in Casablanca, in soon to be Nazi occupied French territory. Ingrid Bergman is the lover who left him in Paris, and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. When Ilsa Lund (Bergman) turns up at the club, she has good reason to show why she left Rick Blaine (Bogart) or does she? Filled with intrigue, wagers, and mysterious figures and great music. Its a classic of the genre.

Trivia - The German song, "Die Wacht Am Rhein", which the inebriated Nazi officers play on the piano is a patriotic song dating to the 1840s, in which Germans vow to defend the Rhineland from a French invasion. Here in the movie to change doubt over constant confusion of that famous line, Rick never says "Play it again, Sam." He says: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. Play it!". Ilsa says "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'.

The quintessential classic romance film set during the backdrop of the American Civil War. Scarlett has gone through, war, Atlanta burning, the Union army taking everything, carpetbaggers moving from the North.Now she is after Ashley, a man she has wanted for a long time, who she is frustrated to know now that Ashley will marry her more placid cousin, Melanie. Advised to behave and not embarrass her cousin at a party at the Twelve Oaks, she meets a man, Rhett Butler, who may just turn her world on it's head.

Trivia - The film was shot on over half a million feet of film, it was edited down to 20,000 feet. If box office receipts were adjusted for inflation, this film would be the highest grossing film, ever at near 4 billion dollars.