50 Favorite Romances: 46 - 50

Also check out 1 - 5, 6 - 10, 11 - 15, 16 - 20, 21 - 25, 26 - 30, 31 - 35, 36 - 40, and 41 - 45.

46. Amelie (2001)

You mean she would rather imagine herself relating to an absent person than build relationships with those around her?

Adorable, impeccably designed film about an introvert who learns how to care about other people and get out of her head. There's a spectacular cast of supporting characters that are unbelievably French and quirky, but in the end, the movie belongs to Audrey Tautou, her hard to pull off short bangs, and big eyes. Her delight in carrying out ridiculous schemes or fear when confronted with the reality of making a move on the photobooth scrapbooker she becomes enamored with is all shown in her eyes. Completely satisfying from start to finish, with the added bonus of a magical and tres French soundtrack.

47. Firelight (1997)

Firelight makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit in the firelight's glow there aren't any rules any more.

Have you ever been watching/reading Jane Eyre and though, "I wish there was a lot more sex"? Then this is the movie for you. Charles Godwin's (Stephen Dillane) wife is comatose and needs an heir, so he hires a young French woman (Sophie Marceau) to spend three nights with him and bear his child. By the end of the third night, they're both enjoying themselves more than they're willing to admit. However, they don't see each other until years later when the woman wants to track down the daughter she gave birth to. She finds work at the Godwin house as a governess (isn't it always?) to find an angry father and a bratty child. Will the governess win them over in the end? Of course. Is this an incredibly grim movie with unexpected moments of modernity? Yes. Did I discover this film on the Oxygen Network? Obviously, but it's much better than one would expect. Watch it.

48. The Wedding Singer (1998)

Sir, one more outburst, I will strangle you with my microphone wire.

The Wedding Singer is the perfect TBS, Saturday afternoon movie. You don't have to think too hard, but it doesn't make you feel dumber. It's also one of the rare moments when Adam Sandler manages to play an endearing and funny character. It probably helps that Drew Barrymore is at her bubbly best, and the 80s angle feels a bit more fresh here than in other film. Mostly, it's a sweet "friends end up falling for each other because, no duh, her fiance is the worst" story. Not to mention a drunken Steve Buscemi, Chaka Khan singing Jon Lovitz, comedy perennial Allen Covert, and Boy George loving Alexis Arquette. Classic.

49. The Goodbye Girl (1977)

You know I love listening to you talk. I hate living with you but your conversation is first rate.

Can we talk about how attractive 1970s Richard Dreyfuss is? Because he is. He plays actor Elliott Garfield who moves into an apartment with newly single Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and her daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) after a subletting mishap. Personalities clash--Paula hates actors and Elliott can't help but be stubborn about everything--but they end up bringing out good things in each other. Neil Simon's snappy dialogue is something you don't see in film anymore, so it's a treat watching The Goodbye Girl.

50. The Way We Were (1973)

When you love someone, from Roosevelt to me, you go deaf, dumb, and blind.

Might as well end with the sappiest movie I could think of. It's the tragic story of two people that probably shouldn't have gotten together, but end up mostly just wasting each others' time. So Katie (Barbra Streisand) was some socialist nerd in college and Hubbell (Robert Redford) was some golden boy who everything came easy for. After college they meet when Hubbell's in the service during WWII and they hook up. Katie basically pushes him into a relationship and things keep happening. There's lots of arguments about changing personalities, and I can never decide if it's realistic or ridiculous. I just know I like it. But let's be real, the real star of the show is Barbra's song:



Fin.