10 Romantic Movie Moments

Movie love scenes, done properly, and with chemistry, turn your heart into melted bliss. Legendary romantic interludes are sweet, guilty pleasures, like molten chocolate trickled over strawberries, and leave you wanting more. Here are ten unarguable contenders for all-time best romantic moments:

1. Boys on the Side. Jane (Whoopi Goldberg) sits at a piano, playing a Carpenters song. Earlier, she dissed the band thoroughly, but now sings sweetly, yielding to the idea that love has many guises, and woman-to-woman love can be beautiful. The audience witnesses her shifting her stance on stale attitudes and old thinking. Love defies rules.

2. Ghost. In night’s soft sleeplessness, Demi Moore sits creating beauty at her potting wheel. Patrick Swayze misses her beside him in bed and looks for her. He sits down behind her. As her hands work the clay, his work her. Unchained Melody crescendos. If you don’t feel heat, your soul is on ice. Hands down, nearly every movie-goer survey puts this one up front.

3. The Way We Were. There was never better chemistry. Barbara Streisand bumps into life-long love Robert Redford after years spent apart. They know they cannot, will not be together, but they truly love each other. It’s imprinted on their faces. Yet you know they will never share the daughter they made.

4. Ghost (again). This time we consider the final scene, wherein Swayze says goodbye to Moore forever and tells her the true meaning of life. It’s what you’ve always hoped for: Love stays with you. Believe it.

5. Bridget Jones’ Diary. This funny, sarcastic romp ends with the loveliest of moments. Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger, has dumped Hugh Grant. You must suspend disbelieve to swallow that. She has argued with her man, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), and believes him gone for good. Clad in a sweater and panties, she dashes after him, into the snowy night, and chases him for blocks.  Suddenly, Mark’s there. He wraps her in his coat, kisses her soundly. Ladies and gentlemen, that is romance.

6. Pretty Woman. Richard Gere, rich business mogul, stands beneath Julia Robert’s tenement fire escape. She is a reluctant hooker. He tells her of a prince rescuing a princess from life’s disappointments. She rescues him right back. If you ever longed for happily ever after, this is it.

7. Dirty Dancing. The coming-of-age movie has more than one romantic moment, but we chose Swayze and Gray dancing together in his cabin one sultry afternoon. The music, lighting, and chemistry are exemplary. Swayze teaches this teenager how a woman feels with a man, but without a hint of sleaze. Her face, her body, her trembling openness remind us how special that first time can be. We’ve been there, haven’t we?

8. For Me and Gal. This is a vintage Hollywood treasure. Search it out. Vaudeville troopers Judy Garland and Gene Kelly are war-time star crossed lovers. Kelly seems an irresponsible no-good-nic. He wants Judy. She loves him, but refusing to be an enabler, leaves him. He redeems himself as a frontline hero, but she thinks he’s dead. Giving a benefit concert, she sees him in the audience. Singing, crying, laughing, she moves through the crowd and into his arms. It’s a perfect Hollywood melting moment.

9. Romeo and Juliet (1996). The greatest love story of all time is modernized for Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The classic balcony scene transmutes to a swimming pool scene – hip, fun, warm, and ultra romantic. A rose by any other name…

10. The Notebook. What could be more romantic than a kiss in the rain? This one is smoking! Two angry lovers quarrel about their past transgressions. Both realize they misunderstood something, but they can’t stop fighting. He shuts her up with a kiss – a deep, consuming toe bender. This scene is a 36-second gift to the audience.

As summer nights simmer under the timeless light of the moon, revisit some of these films and stir things up in your love life. Don’t forget the popcorn, and a bit of molten chocolate.

What are your favorite on-screen moments of romance?

9 thoughts on “10 Romantic Movie Moments

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  3. pa75

    Oh yes ‘The Sound of Music’ – I could listen to Christopher Plummer’s voice for the rest of my life, no problem. I have read with Liam and Gina Rose in regard to my love interest who is part Italian, so I love ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ also and hope he will be the wonderful guy in the end like Francis ended up with! Will have to watch ‘Chocolat’ with him when we get together. I agree with you Liam, Mary’s words to George really tug at the heart. Also highly recommend ‘My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding’ if you want a romantic comedy. And if y’all ever have an opportunity to see ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ with Betty White and Leslie Nielsen, it’s a good one but think it’s a made-for-TV movie that’s not out on DVD, I’ve searched for it. Thanks Taryn and everyone who made suggestions!

    Reply
  4. misskrystal

    Gina Rose-just watched under the tuscan sun, again! Diane Lane is my favorite as far as romance films..May I suggest, her first film, “A little romance”, with Sir Lawrence Olivier-OMG this one is amazing….You gotta see this one, classic…

    Not to sound silly lol (I am still a girl) but in the “Tuscan Sun” I love how she ends up with that guy at the end…He was so much better for her and it shows how the universe just works everything out for us if we just go with it….

    Don’t laugh, but, I got pulled into “Serendipity” with Cusak, the other night…Generic yet really cute.

    I still love the “sound of music”…..

    Cheers,
    Miss Krystal

    Reply
  5. Gina Rose ext.9500Gina Rose ext.9500

    oh yeah…..LOL…..three more I own

    Chocolat with Johnny Depp

    A Good Year Russell Crowe ( you have got to see this one )!

    Under The Tuscan Sun

    Blessed Be )O(
    Gina Rose ext.9500

    Reply
  6. Gina Rose ext.9500Gina Rose ext.9500

    Oh yes…..two more favorites……

    McClintock….. and The Quiet Man ( filmed in Ireland), both movies starring John Wayne and my favorite actress Maureen O’Hara.

    Blesssed Be )O(
    Gina Rose ext.9500

    Reply
  7. Gina Rose ext.9500Gina Rose ext.9500

    I like romantic comedy type movies…..

    The Boyfriend School, starring Shelley Long and Steve Guttenberg is my all time favorite……

    The Ghost and Mrs Muir…..the original one starring Rex Harrison is my second favorite.

    The Money Pit

    The Big Country ( an old saga western with an all-star cast is good too)

    Romancing the Stone

    Giant….another saga with an allstar cast ( Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor, James Dean)

    Those are a few…..

    Blessed Be )O(
    Gina Rose ext.9500

    Reply
  8. liam - ext. 9290

    ‘Casablanca’ failed to make this list? I can think of few examples of cinematic romance more potent than that of Rick and Ilsa and their plight. Consider such scenes as the flashback sequence in Paris when Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman) says, ‘Kiss me … Kiss me as if it were the last time …’ And most certainly, the airport scene, where Rick puts Ilsa on the plane, sending her away with Lazlo, has to be the most romantic scene in all of film history. The realism, the tragedy …And in a more idealistic vein, what about the romantic scenes in Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life?’ I mean, really, are there many scenes in any movie more romantic than when Mary, as a child, leans over to whisper in George’s bad ear, ‘George Bailey, I’ll love you ’till the day I die.’? On the hand I was so pleased to see a mention of Judy Garland…Kudos for that one. She was beyond brilliant. Oddly, I can’t recall seeing that particular film…Sounds like a good addition to my movie watching list. Thanks!

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