Okay, this month I get to review more romantic flicks in honor of Valentine’s Day, which we just celebrated on Friday.
Be sure to check out my previous roundups if you want.
2020 Romantic Movie Review
While You Were Sleeping
Lucy (Sandra Bullock) is a lonely single cashier for the L-train who pines after the handsome man she sees taking the platform every day. When he’s attacked and falls onto the tracks, she saves him. At the hospital she gets mistaken for his fiancé and then she begins to fall in love…with her “fiancés” family, especially his brother Jack (Bill Pullman).
Groundhog Day
Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a cynical weatherman who gets stuck (or cursed) to relive Groundhog Day over and over as he covers the annual Groundhog Day festival in Punxutawney, PA. This is one of the most innovative romantic comedies
I’ve ever seen, with a brilliantly funny performance and a sweet love story as Phil tries to woo the news station’s producer, Rita (Andie McDowell).
13 Going On 30
When a girl (Jenna Rinc) makes a wish to be “Thirty, Flirty and Thriving” on her 13th birthday, she wakes up the next day as a 30-year-old woman (Jennifer Garner). She doesn’t remember anything about the intervening years. To help her put the pieces back together, she looks up her childhood friend, Matt (Mark Ruffalo). Turns out Jenna has the life she dreamed of, as an editor for a NY fashion magazine. Or does she? This is totally Jennifer Garner’s movie as she pulls off the feat of acting like a typical teenager, and as she slowly realizes the kind of life she really wanted.
Something’s Gotta Give
Diane Keaton is Erica Barry, a successful playwright and divorcee who seems perfectly happy on her own. Until her 20-something daughter brings home her new boyfriend…who happens to be a much older man (Jack Nicholson), who only dates young women. This is a great story about a “mature” couple finding each other and realizing they were both missing out on a real love.
The Proposal
Sandra Bullock again, only this time she plays Margaret Tate, a tough-as-nails senior editor at a book publisher. Turns out she’s Canadian and is unknowingly in the US illegally. In order to stay and keep her job, she ropes her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). This story is unique as it’s the woman who has the power in the relationship. At least until Andrew takes Margaret home to meet his family…in Alaska. Hilarious and such great chemistry between the two leads who at first hate each other. A classic “hate turns to love” story.
The Princess Bride
I can’t believe I’ve never included this movie on my list! It’s one of the funniest movies of all time, but at its heart we can never forget that it is also the epic romantic tale of Westley “As you wish” and his beloved Buttercup. I’m sure most of you can quote some of the best lines. The cast is incredible, and every role is perfection. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, do yourself a favor watch it again.
Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. The Christmas in Shellwater Key boxes et will release this winter. If you're not tired of holiday romances, scoop up Christmas in Shellwater Key, a holiday boxed set with three Shellwater Key novellas (Finding You At Christmas, Falling For You At Christmas, and Loving You At Christmas). It's still available on Kindle Unlimited.
5 comments:
Oh my Kristin, I can see I remain a failure at romantic movies. I've seen none on this list and maybe one or two on your earlier lists. But then, I'm not a big movie person any more. I was growing up when I could go to the Saturday Matinee for a nickle and then ten cents.
In my VHS collection I do have Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas along with An American President. I may have Pretty Woman as there are subtexts in that movie that draw me in. I've actually watched it on t.v. So, if I was making a Romantic Movie List, those movies would about cover it.
Do you read romance novels as much as you watch romantic movies? Just wondering.
I've seen three on your list, though it's been quite a while ago nad my memory isn't good when it comes to movies unless I've seent hem over and over again.
The Princess Bride is one of those movies when I first saw it, I thought it was silly. It was only in re-watching it that I began to see the subtext, the humor, and the real romance. I now tend to watch it every couple of years.
I do remember Something's Gotta Give and the way the relationship between Keaton and Nicholson develops. Very well done. In general I love Diana Keaton as an actor, and she did this role particularly well.
It's funny, but when I think of Groundhog Day, I have no memory of the romance part. I do remember Bill Murray learning from what went wrong before to try to get the woman. I guess, in my mind, I equated that not with really learning but just trying different things until it worked. Hmm...another one I guess I need to see again.
In terms of RomCom, my favorite is still When Harry Met Sally. I'm a real sucker for the friends to lovers trope and that movie did it really well. Great dialog, great movement through 12 years of their relationship. By the time they marry, they are both mature, independent, and know/accept each other just as they are. I am positive they end up in an amazing marriage.
But in terms of pure romance and pathos, Casablanca is my all time favorite though I still cry at the end--even knowing what is going to happen. Neither the love story nor the knowledge of the choices they have to make are easy. Though I disagree, on a personal level, with adultery I do see the metaphorical importance of the physical relationship to resolve the emotional relationship and make the choices each character ultimately wants/needs to make. It took me a number of times re-watching this with my husband to realize/believe that the love of Ilsa for her husband was the real HEA for her and that Rick's letting her go was both his saying goodbye and giving her what she truly wanted without guilt, as well as freeing himself to fight a war he needed to fight.
Thanks for making me remember these great movies.
Wonderful picks, Kristin! I've seen 4 out of 6 of these, and loved them all.
While You Were Sleeping is one of my all time favorites (I guess I better re-hook up my VCR and watch my OLD movies - which have been packed away forever.) Love The Proposal too - so many comic scenes. And Something's Got to Give - yes, loved that one too - the mature couple, poignant and funny. Now I have to go find The Princess Bride - not sure I've seen that one.
Yes to everything but Groundhog Day, anything with Sandra is great.
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