Romantic Movies: Bridget Jones's Diary

Even though I'm American, I have to admit that romantic movies seem even more so when they incorporate English accents. That's particularly true with period films. But it also happens to apply to Bridget Jones's Diary, which is as contemporary as they come -- in spite of being an update of Pride and Prejudice.

Ironically, Bridget is played by Texan Renée Zellweger, who manages a spot-on English accent that allows her to seem realistic foil for her authentically English co-stars, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Firth uses upper-crust Englishness to give his character Mark Darcy a distant but oh-so-gorgeous quality, while Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver oozes sexy malevolence and shows us that all English men aren't prim and proper, no matter how their accents might make us think otherwise.

Watching these three characters -- dotty, lonely and odd but lovable Bridget; uptight Darcy and snake-in-the-grass Cleaver -- interact always makes me feel this is the stuff love triangles should be made of. I heard a movie critic put this movie down recently and I couldn't figure out why. To me, it's the perfect blend of comic silliness, clever writing, romance (don't miss the last scene!) and manly eye candy that makes it the perfect romantic movie.

Here's the trailer from Bridget Jones's Diary:

If you're lucky, you might even be able to find Bridget Jones's Diary as a movie download, instead of having to rent it.

Don't forget to check out my 100 Romantic Movies list.

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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!