Valentine’s Day movies for every mood
Listen to this articleValentine’s day is almost here!
I’m not shy about telling people how much I like V-Day. Even when I am single I still like to give out valentines to my family and friends. Remember when you were younger and all your classmates decorated their own little brown paper bag and then on the holiday gave out little cards and candies? I almost wish I were back in school so that I could do that – although if I was in school now they probably wouldn’t do that because everyone has a heart attack when you mention a holiday in any sort of educational setting.
My favorite thing to do on this celebration day of love is stay home. As I’ve gotten older, “avoiding crowds at all costs” has become one of my top three priorities in life, along with “always have a place to sit down” and “remember to bring a jacket even if it’s 90 degrees outside.” Boyfriend is going to be working, so I’ll be able to choose whatever I want to do. Of course, not everyone is gung ho about A) Valentine’s day and B) being alone on Valentine’s day, even if you are in a relationship. So I’ve tried to come up with the best game plan for all situations out there in an effort to ensure that everyone has a good holiday.
For people who don’t mind Valentine’s day, go ahead and get sappy with the classics – Ghost, When Harry Met Sally, Sabrina (the one with Humphrey Bogart, not Harrison Ford), Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, The Wedding Singer, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Dances with Wolves, Roxanne, Say Anything and Dirty Dancing.
For girls who want to watch a romantic movie about love but can’t convince their guy to, choose a “guy” movie with a romantic subtext. Top Gun is a nice compromise – it celebrates bro love as well as romantic love. Other good choices might be Jerry Maguire, Die Hard (might be stretching it a bit here but hey, they do kiss at the end), Speed, The Matrix Trilogy, Edward Scissorhands, Last of the Mohicans, Braveheart, Drive, or any of the Fast and the Furious movies.
For couples who want to get “in the mood” – 9 and ½ Weeks is a movie that my mom kept telling me to watch because it was “back before Mickey Rourke had all that plastic surgery.” I finally decided to watch it one day and holy crap it is actually pretty good. Other good ones: Unfaithful (good sex scenes even though she is cheating on her husband), Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Taking Lives, The Thomas Crown Affair (the more recent one), The Twilight Series (trust me on this one guys), The Notebook.
For folks who are tired of seeing the same love plot over and over again – Return to Me, Click, One Day, Before Sunrise, Once, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Punch Drunk Love, Melancholia, The Switch, Good Will Hunting.
For people who are sick of watching movies that only involve romantic love – Frozen (love between sisters), Toy Story (love between toys), Dad (love between father and son), Homeward Bound (love between dogs), Field of Dreams (love of baseball), Fight Club (love of fighting), The Fighter (love between brothers), There Will Be Blood (love of money), Psycho (love between son and dead mother).
When all else fails, just watch the Princess Bride. It is the quintessential movie that offers up everything on a silver platter: humor, action, drama, romance, fantasy — and there’s even a giant.
Note to readers: I’m not a devil woman bitch
P.S. I wanted to p add a little something to my blog from last week. After getting several emails berating me for being a mean girlfriend – one creative genius called me a “devil woman bitch” – I feel that I need to clarify a few things. Not that I need to prove anything to mean people, but just because I feel like I misrepresented our relationship a bit and wanted to clear the air.
1. I did not force Awesome to give up his dream car. He was aware of how much I hated it, but continued to drive it anyway because he is not the sort of man who lets his girlfriend dictate his life. However, he was the one who brought up getting another car when he almost had two accidents in the car due to its unsteady handling.
2. I asked him if he wanted to keep the car as a hobby and work on it in his free time to get it back to a safe driving state. He declined.
Emily Campbell is a perpetually single, 20-something girl-around-town who loves Shakespeare, old movies, Natty Boh, and of course, long walks on the beach. A sales manager by day and freelance writer by night, she was recently forced into a life of involuntary celibacy when her last relationship fizzled out over a text message. She’s tired of settling for second – or tenth – best, and she’s ready to find Mr. Right. Or, Mr. Nearly Right. No one’s perfect…which she has learned the hard (but hilarious) way.