your favorite romantic movies

[Uncle Stevie]

I love "Love Actually".

[MichiganJ]

I love "Love Actually".

Me too!

Couple of others that I didn't see mentioned:

Linklater's
Before Sunrise and Before Sunset

Cameron Crowe:
Say Anything…
Singles
Jerry Maguire
Elizabethtown (not a great movie, but I like the romance a lot)

Reiner's
The Princess Bride
The American President

Children of Paradise
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987) (Many Rohmer films qualify)
L.A. Story
Roxanne
Lady and the Tramp
Rushmore
Something to Talk About (favorite Julia Roberts film)
A Little Romance
Truly, Madly, Deeply (what Ghost should have been)
While You Were Sleeping (one of my wife's favorite Holiday movie)
Punch-Drunk Love

Lots of silents, too, but for some reason My Best Girl and Girl Shy are the two that immediately come to mind (other than most of Garbo's films).

[knitwit45]

Thanks, Alison, Silk Stockings is one of my favorites, (as if you didn't know )

Went 2 times to the dollar movies (now defunct) to see Love, Actually. I watch The Holiday anytime it's on TV, ditto While You Were Sleeping. The Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, and Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version of Persuasion are two movies I drag out at least once a year. One more "draggee" is Timothy Dalton's Jane Eyre. I really seem to love those tall, dark Brits, don't I?? Oh, and can't forget Hugh Grant in Notting Hill

[ChiO]

Upon a review of the lists, I see that nobody (including me) has mentioned any movie made by my favorite director of romantic -- sometimes in a somewhat cock-eyed way -- films.

They Live By Night
On Dangerous Ground
The Lusty Men
Johnny Guitar
Rebel Without a Cause
Hot Blood

[JackFavell]

I don't know how I missed this thread.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

I'll make the rest of my list tonight.

[charliechaplinfan]

Thanks, Alison, Silk Stockings is one of my favorites, (as if you didn't know )

Went 2 times to the dollar movies (now defunct) to see Love, Actually. I watch The Holiday anytime it's on TV, ditto While You Were Sleeping. The Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, and Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version of Persuasion are two movies I drag out at least once a year. One more "draggee" is Timothy Dalton's Jane Eyre. I really seem to love those tall, dark Brits, don't I?? Oh, and can't forget Hugh Grant in Notting Hill

My favorite romantic story is Jane Eyre, I've read it so many times, the Timothy Dalton version is the only version to watch.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir, how could I have missed it off my list.

[JackFavell]

Timothy Dalton is wonderful as Mr. Rochester! (snif!)

[kingrat]

Hey, with ChiO's unusual sense of romance, it's a wonder he didn't mention The Wages of Fear or Fires on the Plain! Actually, he does have a point about On Dangerous Ground because Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino make a wonderful pair of unlikely lovers. Still, sending him to a double feature of The Enchanted Cottage and Miracle in the Rain would probably do him a world of good.

Most, but not all, romantic films are woman-centered. To me, the 1940s are the great decade for the romantic movie, perhaps because people did get married--or wish they had--before the soldier went off to war. The war caused upheavals and separations and losses and homecomings, all those familiar elements of romantic films.

So many excellent ones have been mentioned, but I'll add a few more. Not all of them end happily. Let's start with three about love coming to people who had all but given up hope of love:

The Enchanted Cottage
Miracle in the Rain
Deep Valley

We also haven't mentioned these favorites:

Brokeback Mountain
My Beautiful Laundrette - best movie kiss ever?
The Crying Game
Shanghai Noon - Not truly a romantic movie, but Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan are a great couple, as the picture Paula posted for us shows.

[charliechaplinfan]

I haven't seen The Enchanted Cottage yet, looks like I will be doing soon.

Moulin Rouge, a film about love.

[JackFavell]

Oh, The Enchanted Cottage is marvelous! You must see it... and we'll talk about it then. I can't wait for your opinion.

Brief Encounter
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Portrait of Jennie
Wuthering Heights
The Fallen Idol
Now Voyager
Wagon Master
History is Made at Night
Angel and the Badman
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
They Live By Night
Jane Eyre - Timothy Dalton
Pride and Prejudice - Colin Firth
Flesh and the Devil
Hold Back the Dawn
Gilda
Roman Holiday
Mayerling 1936
The Quiet Man
Love Me Tonight
My Man Godfrey
Sunrise
La Belle et la Bete
Reds
Summertime
Shakespeare in Love
What's Up, Doc?
Hobson's Choice
Sense and Sensibility
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
Gun Crazy
Young at Heart
The Good Fairy
Lady and the Tramp
Love Letters

These modern movies really captivated me:

The Notebook - yes it's flawed, but who cares?
Four Weddings and a Funeral
While You Were Sleeping
Bright Star
The Young Victoria
Never Been Kissed
French Kiss
Remains of the Day

[movieman1957]

How great that you included "My Man Godfrey." I like things like "Vivacious Lady" and "Easy Living" as part of my list. I tend to find the comedies appeal more than the dramas.

[knitwit45]

Alison, watch The Enchanted Cottage next. I grew up with parents who both loved this movie, and believe me, I can understand why. It was my introduction to Dorothy Maguire, Mildred Natwick and Herbert Marshall...(thought he was blind for years!). You won't be sorry you invested the hour and a half or so.

[JackFavell]

Oh, Chris, My Man Godfrey is one of my top 3 movies of all time, I love it so much. The main reason is the romance between Godfrey and Irene -- I love the way he tries to stop himself from falling - the look on his face when they are doing dishes is so wonderful, as he is telling her why she should not be chasing after him and all along he's really just telling himself.

I cry at the end. There are only a couple of comedies where I get soppy at the finish - this one and Miracle of Morgan's Creek both get me because they are so perfect.

Robin Hood is a great romance too, I just thought of it, speaking of perfect movies.

[MissGoddess]

May I add my enthusiasm for The Enchanted Cottage? I read that this little movie apparently was a big hit in England after the war. It touched on so many experiences. It's a movie once seen is NEVER forgotten. I think it deserves something like a CRITERION treatment on DVD (alas, it's on M.O.D. which makes me fear no such treatment is imminent, but at least it IS available)...it's so unique and special.

P.S. Agree about Godfrey, too. It's my favorite movie comedy, but I also adore the love story. What a pair. I just think Godfrey and Irene are made for each other. I like them so much together I can see in my mind a whole "series" about their married life. I picture them a little like George and Gracie.

[movieman1957]

Ladies:

My daughter Maureen loves "My Man Godfrey." It was such a treat when I introduced her to it. Now every time she sees Powell she'll ask, just to make sure, "Is that Godfrey?" I think the fact that Powell and Lombard were married might have had something to do with how wonderful they were together. How nice they got past any issues from the divorce several years earlier.

You can almost make that argument with Powell and Loy in anything.