10 Valentine’s Day Movies Sure to Warm the Heart
Ever After Cinderella never looked so good as in this live action update of the famous fairytale. Lacking the supernatural boon of a Fairy God-Mother, but supplying plenty of magic of its own, Drew Barrymore plays a chimney sweep with an attitude that even a prince (Dougray Scott) can’t help but love.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner Love is never black and white. So prove Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) and John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) when they announce their intended marriage to the future bride’s shocked mother (Katharine Hepburn) and father (Spencer Tracy). You can’t help but fall in love with this exploration of romance and racism.
Man from Snowy River Horses, wranglers, and Australian scenery are the backdrop for this outback romance. When Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) takes a job on the Harrison Cattle Ranch, his good horse sense is put to the test as he tries to tame a stallion, win the heart of Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), and prove himself a man.
Marty Fearing he may indeed be a confirmed batcher, Marty (Ernest Borgnine) is reluctant to accompany his pal to the Stardust Dance Hall. But fate has a surprise in store for him… if only he has the courage to take it. A wonderful look at the value of physical attractiveness versus the qualities that constitute inner beauty, Marty must finally answer the oft-repeated question; “What do you want to do?”
Return to Me The accidental death of Elizabeth Rueland (Joely Richardson) takes all hope for happiness from her devastated husband Bob (David Duchovny). But thanks to her signature on a donor card, it gives a second chance at life to Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), sufferer of a congenital heart defect. How do you say thank you for such a gift? Fate has a way…
Sabrina Growing up in the shadow of the wealthy Larrabee family, Sabrina (Julia Ormond) is understandably smitten by the charm of David (Greg Kinnear), son number two. After spending some time abroad, this daughter of the chauffeur returns to the family estate beautiful enough to finally be noticed by the playboy. But time away has also granted the young woman with a new maturity. Now she is noticing things she had never seen before… including David’s older brother Linus (Harrison Ford).
Shadowlands Perhaps my all time favorite film, Shadowlands retells the romance between C.S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins)—a quiet bachelor famous for his Christian allegories including the Narnia children’s fantasy novels—and Joy Davidman Gresham(Debra Winger), an outspoken Jewish poet who had previously explored philosophies of atheism and communism. When these two opposites attract, a gentle changing of hearts occurs, becoming its own allegory for the meaning of life and the purpose of death.
Sound Of Music Romance set to music doesn’t come any better than this! When Maria’s (Julie Andrews) attempts to conform to the life of a nun tax the patience of Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood), the wise and loving matriarch sends the high-spirited novice to consider the direction of her life while acting as a governess for Captain von Trapp’s seven children. Falling in love with the youngsters and their widowed father, Maria discovers the “dream that will take all the love she can give, every day of her life for as long as she lives…” (echoing the familiar lyrics).
A Walk in the Clouds After a series of coincidental meetings with Victoria (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), softhearted Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) can’t stop himself from offering to temporarily pose as the unwed woman’s husband while she weathers the storm of confessing her pregnant state to her father. Despite his good intentions, the pair is soon entangled in a web of white lies. Finding his heart becoming increasingly more attached to the tragic senorita, Paul feels especially overshadowed by the black cloud of knowing he already has a wife of his own.
While You Were Sleeping Lonely Lucy (Sandra Bullock) dreams of romance while collecting tickets in a subway toll booth. When the man of her fantasies is mugged and pushed onto the tracks, Lucy’s quick rescue efforts not only preserve the good-looking stranger’s life, but also launch her into the lives of his concerned family. While the anxious relatives wait for the wounded Peter (Peter Gallagher) to regain consciousness, Lucy finds herself falling for his brother Jack (Bill Pullman). The only problem is that every one thinks she is Peter’s fiancée.
