Romance movies have always been a popular genre in film, but only some really leave an impact. These are what I think are possibly the top 2 romance movies.
The first one, a classic, is 1o Things I Hate About You (1999). The movie’s central trope is a bad girl with a bad boy. Kat (Julia Stiles) and Patrick (Heath Ledger) are both the “mean outcasts” against relationships, but over time we see them soften up to each other. However, the main 3 standout romantic moments throughout the movie are what make that trope work so well and make the film more memorable. I believe the first charming moment is when Kat is intoxicated and Patrick is driving her home. They are sitting there talking and this is the first time we see a softer side of Patrick. He explains how he knows the fact that everyone “digs” her sister, Bianca, saying, “No offense, but she’s without.” The significance of this is how we see a different opinion from someone because even the audience has seen how Bianca is favored. This shows how Patrick doesn’t care about all that stuff and how he sees Kat, and how he genuinely likes her for her.
Then, while Kat is on the field, Patrick sings “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli as an apology to her. The choice of this song means a lot. It explains the action of falling in love and wanting to be with someone. It sings how the person should believe him and let him love her. Lastly, the most memorable moment is Kat’s poem after she finds out Patrick was paid to take her out (in the beginning). “I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I hate it when you stare I hate your big dumb combat boots And the way you read my mind I hate you so much that it makes me sick And even makes me rhyme I hate the way you’re always right I hate it when you lie I hate it when you make me laugh Even worse when you make me cry I hate it when you’re not around And the fact that you didn’t call But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you Not even close Not even a little bit Not even at all.” This is the most vulnerable we ever see Kat. She reads this poem while she and Patrick make teary eye contact. It was a confession of feelings that showed how real it became for them.
The next one is more recent and also not as well known, The Wedding Year (2019). This movie has always gotten mixed reviews, but I have enjoyed its humor, traditional cliches, and slight realism. It is about Mara Baylor (Sarah Hyland) who is a chaotic non-committal 27-year-old with a dream in photography. We see Mara go on a date with Jake (Tyler James Williams) with no actual relationship goal but despite them being different people, they fall in love. However, it’s not necessarily specific scenes that make it memorable for me. It’s the storyline. We see them in this whirlwind relationship and their moments where they just bask in each other’s presence, it’s heartwarming to think of a love like that. So, we do get charming moments throughout.
Yet, we also get to see both sides of a relationship with disagreements and forgiveness until Mara calls it off (but it’s a romance movie, of course, it’s a happy ending). During their time apart, we see a journey of self-improvement from Jake and Mara. We see them finally take more action to achieve their career dreams. I think showing how time apart actually benefited them was memorable to me because it shows how sometimes you need to be sure of yourself before you can be sure of a relationship. It’s a romance movie while also showing sometimes it’s okay to cut a relationship off to fix yourself. Eventually, though, they run into each other months later at a wedding and rekindle their love. Now, this rekindling at the end shows they never stopped thinking about or loving each other, but now they’ve worked on themselves and matured to understand one another. They’re an example of when you know, you know.
