ROMANTIC MOVIES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

ROMANTIC MOVIES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY 

Ah yes. Valentine’s Day. A day of romance. Although some times romance is shaped by Hollywood. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for romantic movies. And they don’t make them like they used to. Especially the classics like Singing in the Rain, Holiday Inn, Meet Me in St. Louis. It would be awesome to fall in love like they did in the movies from the 1940’s. But I’m afraid the girl would runaway if I suddenly broke out in a song and dance. 

Yes. I wanna find love like in the movies. Minus the mangled misunderstand middle part. You know. Just get to the end. Get to the part where the guy gets the girl. The endings are the best, leaving the rest to the imagination of, ‘happily ever after’. Well, except for endings like La La Land. Or the 1953, Roman Holiday, where the guy doesn’t get the girl. I will confess. Each time I watch that movie, and I’ve seen it a hundred times, I keep hoping Gregory Peck stops. Turns around. And there’s Audrey Hepburn waiting to run into his arms. I look past Peck. But nothing. And he walks off camera. I scream, “NOOOOO!”, as the slide, ‘The End’ fades to black. You’re rolling your eyes right now, aren’t you. You think it’s silly. I told ya. I’m a sucker for a good ol fashion Hollywood romance.

Now I’m not saying that there aren’t any good rom-coms today. Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, or a movie Tom Hanks should remake like, His Girl Friday. (Or is Hanks now only doing movies about real people like Forrest Gump.) 

And of course there’s, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember. Lady & The Tramp. The original movies. Not the failed remakes. Hummm. Maybe I should take back the Tom Hanks re-doing, His Girl Friday.

I also enjoy those more dramatic romance movies like the ones based on Nicholas Sparks books. The Notebook. Message in a Bottle. A Walk to Remember. Although, spoiler alert. A main character always seems to die.

The problem I have with so many modern romantic movies that have come out in recent years is, well, the same Netflix or Hallmark plot-lines with the same line up of actors where most of them are filmed in Leavenworth (although I still watch them), and then there are the ones with all the foul language and over the top sex. WHY?!?! If it’s rated R, I most likely won’t see it. 

Some say that the 2003, British made movie that took America by storm, with  Love, Actually is the most perfect romantic comedy. I say, Not, Actually. Hear me out. It could have been perfect. And I think you know where I’m going with this. Yep. Take out the whole, ‘adult movie’ segments of the film. And then put back parts of the film that was left on the floor of the editing room. Not a lot of people know  this, but all the stories lines are actually tied together with an angel interacting with all the characters. Oh the angel was in the movie. The angel was played by Rowan Atkinson. That’s right. Mr. Bean. May be someday there’ll be a Mav3rick’s Director Cut.

Yes, I know it’s Hollywood’s version of romance. But I’m OK with that. See, I look at it like this. There’s more than enough anger, violence, and drama in real life. I don’t need a movie like that taking up space in my head. But there will never, ever be enough laugher, love, and romance in this world. Even if it’s just make believe. Paul McCartney said it best. “Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs. What’s wrong with that?”