Romantic Movies: Pride & Prejudice

It's hard to beat Miss Jane Austen when it comes to romance. She made a career out of chronicling it, and rightly so.

Like Emma and it's updated version, Clueless, which also were adapted from Austen novels, Pride & Prejudice captures the power of a romantic tug-of-war. Why is that so compelling that people keep making this movie over and over? Because that's what human beings do: they court and spark, to quote an old Joni Mitchell song. To use another cliché, seldom does the course of true romance run smooth, and Austen knew how to convey that in a way that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until you finish the book or the end credits roll.

There are many good movie and mini-series versions of Pride & Prejudice, but one of my favorites was the movie made in 2005, which stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett and Matthew Macfadyen as one of the sexiest actors ever to play Mr. Darcy ever (IMHO). (Colin Firth from a 1996 version is neck-and-neck with him, though.)

On the unsexy end of the spectrum, there's Brenda Blethyn, who played the matriarch, Mrs. Bennett. That comment isn't a reflection on the appeal of actress, who is quite lovely. Her character, however, had a voice that could strip paint. She was well-matched with Donald Sutherland, who played Elizabeth's long-suffering father who somehow cheerfully endures his wife's vapors. And they're all joined by Elizabeth's grab bag of sisters, who run the gamut from classy to bookish to downright twitty.

These and the other well-crafted characters, combined with incredible scenery and well-above-average cinematography, make for an incredible viewing experience on every level. Not only is the movie a feast for the eyes, but it also has the capacity to fill up the empty spaces in your heart and complete your inauguration into the ranks of the romantic film lovers. I challenge you to not be moved by the closing scene. If you've seen this version, you know what I mean. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and see it -- even if it's only the last 10 minutes. It will make your heart go pitty-pat.

Here's the trailer from the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice:

Romantic Movies: Clueless

Image via WikipediaClueless is one of my favorite romantic movies because it combines two favorite genres in one: romance and teen movies. It also gets bonus points for being a stylish '90s update of the classic Jane Austen story, Emma.

This movie proves some things are eternal. Like in Austen's day, meddling friends, devotion to fashion, showing off for the object of our affection and falling in love for the first time are part and parcel of growing up. But in this case, the spot-on teenage lingo creates a fresh and delightful take on an old story. And when you add in the very specific wardrobe of richie-rich Beverly Hills teens, you have a perfect snapshot of love in a specific place in time. Most of us probably didn't have quite as much privilege and wealth while growing up as the characters in Clueless, but that doesn't matter. You can pile as many designer mini-skirts, BMWs and mansions into a story as you want, but love will always be universal.

In my opinion, Clueless would be half the movie it is without Alicia Silverstone playing the lead character, Cher. She manages to be beautiful to look at while revealing flaws that could be too obnoxious to bear in a lot of other people. Silverstone's innate charm caused her character to nearly float around on energetic, un-self-conscious self-involvement. And her own personal inexperience factored into the mix when she mistakenly pronounced "Haitians" as "Hate-ee-uns" during filming and director Amy Heckerling left it in the movie. It's just that type of vulnerability that made her well-suited for the part.

The rest of the cast is accomplished, too. Paul Rudd is the perfect choice as Cher's tormentor and the undersung Dan Hedaya plays the part of her dad to a tee. Stacy Dash also convinces us she's gleefully self-involved, as does bad boy Jeremy Sisto. Together, these accomplished actors; which also included Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Justin Walker, Wallace Shawn and Twink Kaplan; created a classic romantic movie that has every right to sit proudly beside any of the other adaptations of Jane Austen's work.

Here's the trailer:

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Romantic Movies: Gone with the Wind

I just couldn't have a blog about romantic movies without mentioning Gone with the Wind. I don't remember whether I read the book or saw the movie first because I've done both so many times.

I'm sure I don't bring anything new to the party by focusing on this particular romantic movie, but I can't help myself. The themes are huge and iconic: love war, infidelity, The Old South, family and love of the land. All those and more are packed into just under four hours. It's like The Jerry Springer Show with hoop skirts and a side of crack cocaine to keep the energy level up.

One of the things I love most about old movies like this is that the surroundings start out so beautiful, then move into ruin and decay and are restored to beauty again. Somewhere during that journey in Gone with the Wind, however, you start to realize that beauty is relative. Scarlett, played by the lovely English actress Vivien Leigh, is universally acknowledged as the belle of the county and beyond. But how beautiful is she really? As the movie progresses, she lies, cheats, steals, manipulates and mis-marries. The question is, does Scarlett's long slide into selfishness and depravity make her any less beautiful? I say yes.

For me, her beauty is only restored at the end when she realizes that the man who loved her all along is the man that she loves too. Maybe her luster is restored in my eyes because I also know what it feels like to make the wrong choice where love is concerned. Maybe that's why we all watch romantic movies -- we're all just trying to figure out that thing called love.

Here's the trailer:

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Why Romantic Movies?

Image via WikipediaRomantic movies are often sold on at least the possibility of "the great kiss" between two famous movie stars, making the viewers wish they could be kissed like that. They're usually also filled with plots in which the guy doesn't give up until he gets the girl (or the guy gets the guy or the girl gets the girl) and they live happily ever after. This formula works because who doesn’t dream of their Prince or Princess Charming at some time in their lives? Romantic movies externalize that desire and project it onto the big screen.

Even if you have a less than perfect love life, you can always experience the thrill of romance by going to a theater or by popping in a DVD in the privacy of your own home. It's amazing how satisfying that can be.

This blog is all about giving you choices in romantic movies. To get you started, we have a list of 100 romantic films, which is linked to yet another list that contains over a hundred more. And each of our reviews contains the original trailer for the movie. When that's not available, we include the best video compilation we can find so you can get an idea of what the movie is like before you rent or buy it.

So put your feet up, get a cup of coffee and have fun perusing this collection of romantic movies. You might just find it inspirational!

100 Romantic Movies

These 100 romantic movies are in no particular order. They're just what I consider to be the best romantic movies. I certify them to be romantic! But that doesn't mean they're all hearts and flowers. Some of them are tales of obsessive and not-too-healthy love. Yet even those manage to at least inform and, in some cases, inspire.

At the bottom of the page is a link to even more romantic movies. As extensive as these lists are, some of your favorites might have been left off. If you have a favorite romantic movie that's missing, please leave a comment to let me know and I'll add it.

Click the "Read review" links to read my reviews.

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Click here to see even more romantic movies!