Romantic Film Friday

Day 260

Even though Valentine’s Day was earlier this week I am going to post about some more of my favorite romantic movies. Enjoy!

Last Chance Harvey (2008)

* Dustin Hoffman is Harvey Shine, a man who goes to London to attend his estranged daughter’s wedding. He meets Kate (played by Emma Thompson) at the airport and the two have a casual conversation, but soon they spend the entire day together, talking, walking, attending the daughter’s wedding reception and developing strong feelings for one another. A beautiful, simple love story that is refreshingly genuine and realistically paced.

Moonstruck (1987)

* This romantic comedy stars Cher as Loretta Castorini, a widow who has just accepted a marriage proposal from Johnny only to meet and fall in love with Johnny’s younger brother Ronny (played by Nicolas Cage). This is a delightful movie, with terrific, Oscar-winning performances by Cher and Olympia Dukakis (as Loretta’s mother, Rose) and a brilliant Oscar-winning screenplay. And any movie that features Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” has to be good, right?!

On Golden Pond (1981)

* Here is a tender movie about a married couple in their golden years. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn portray Norman and Ethel Thayer, a couple who are spending a summer at their cabin on Golden Pond. Part of the movie explores the strained relationship between Norman and his daughter Chelsea (played by Jane Fonda), who visits them with her boyfriend and his son, but the main focus is on Norman and Ethel. Norman struggles with getting older and facing death but is helped by the love and devotion of Ethel. Fonda and Hepburn both won Academy Awards for their fine work.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

* This is an excellent adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s most revered books. Keira Knightley is luminous as Elizabeth Bennet, a woman of beauty and principles who makes a rather harsh, uninformed judgment of Mr. Darcy (played by Matthew Macfadyen) only to learn that there is more to him than she expected. This is a touching, multi-layered story of love and all of its complications and features an outstanding cast!

The Princess Bride (1987)

* There are so many memorable, hilarious lines from this movie that I would love to quote, but I am focusing on the romantic aspect of this “storybook” movie. Cary Elwes is the dashing Westley and Robin Wright is the breathtaking Buttercup, a couple madly in love with each other that find their love constantly thwarted and challenged by the likes of a pirate, an evil prince and even death! Of course this movie is full of great jokes and memorable supporting characters, but the romance can stand on its own.

Random Harvest (1942)

* In this romantic tear-jerker Ronald Colman portrays ‘Smitty’, a shell-shocked veteran of WWI suffering from amnesia. He meets the vibrant, beautiful Paula (played by Greer Garson) who takes care of him and nurses him back to health. They eventually fall in love, marry and start a new life together. But when ‘Smitty’ is in an accident he remembers everything about his past life but nothing about his new life, including his wife Paula. A bittersweet, heartbreaking movie!

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

* Another superb adaptation of another Jane Austen classic, this one concerns 19th century sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood (played by Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet). Each sister falls in love with a different man only to face complications, misunderstandings and other obstacles that could prevent them from being happy in love. Emma Thompson won a well-deserved Oscar for adapting the movie’s clever, inventive screenplay. The movie itself is wonderful and charming!

Be sure to check this blog next Friday for more of

my favorite romantic films!