8:08 pm - 02/12/2014
Say what you want about Valentine’s Day, but at this point it’s become unavoidable. Popular culture, your local drug store and your partner (both sexes are equally guilty) instill the importance of the Hallmark holiday as the end-all be-all of romantic dates on the calendar. For folks who can’t stand all the sappy love games, suck it up. You may feel sheepishly unoriginal or love sick come Valentine’s Day, but we’ve come up with a list of films that transcend the genre and will get even the non-romantics in the mood for February 14.
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004)
How do you get the drumming misery of a failed relationship out of your head? Easy. Erase it. The premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind asks you to believe that this wonderful science exists to let those who can’t help but fret on a failed romantic endeavor move on. In committing his talent to the Academy Award winning screenplay for Eternal Sunshine, Jim Carey made a successful transition into serious role after earning a boatload of cash per wacky facial expression in the 90s. At times trippy and feverishly discordant, the film is an ode to the places within the mind that store memories both big and small. It’s what you do with those memories that help shape the perception of a relationship but for Carey’s Joel, it seems as though the loss of his darling Clementine (played exceptionally well by Kate Winslet) is too much for his brain to chew on. With an extraordinary supporting cast, Eternal Sunshine examines a fictional realm we can only dream of and has us wishing that we could recount more love stories that were erased.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Let’s use our imaginations and pretend you didn’t watch Groundhog Day on cable television on the actual day Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Regardless of what day in February it is, Groundhog Day is an ideal romantic comedy to watch. The film transcended an easily forgettable holiday and found something romantic in being caught in between the seasons. It was also an ingenious marketing move to corner the market on Groundhog Day, considering other holidays like Halloween and Christmas are already locked down. Residual checks for the film’s cast and crew will flow in until the end of time. So what’s all the fuss about? In one of Bill Murray’s many classic roles, he plays Phil Connors, a self-loathing TV reporter trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive Groundhog Day over and over. It’s rumored that the writers of the film intended the time loop to last more than 40 years, giving Connors just enough time to successfully court the lovely Rita (Andie MacDowell). Groundhog Day is charming, thought-provoking and if you’re in the market for a piece of movie history, the cozy bed and breakfast that was used to shoot the film was recently put up for sale.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Straight out of the Kevin Smith universe comes a film that pushes the boundaries of sexual exploration and on a deeper level, questions what truly constitutes love. Ben Affleck stars as Holden, a New Jersey comic book artist who falls for a lipstick lesbian from Manhattan named Alyssa (you later find out who the titular Amy is). It’s a love story unlike any other on this list not because of the nature of their forbidden relationship, but Chasing Amy digs into the underlying fears and tensions of jumping into a relationship and slowly unraveling each partner’s past. It’s a necessary game all couples eventually have to play, but Smith cuts into these emotions with care, crafting a dark and humorous take on what it means to learn how to love.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Yet, sometimes they do. Finding a high-minded, middle-budgeted romantic comedy (or dramedy), which used to be a staple of the Hollywood dream factory, has become practically impossible over the last 10 or 15 years. The industry fluctuates between micro and mountainous budgeted fare that promises big rewards, with nary a thought for anything in between. Even formulaic, safe, and faceless “rom-coms,” marketed simply on the supposed value of faces, are fading with every passing year. Thus, Silver Linings Playbook is something of a small miracle in all its dysfunctional glory. As affecting as it is inappropriately hysterical, this one came from the heart for writer-director David O. Russell. Meant to be an earnest boost of confidence for his bipolar son, Russell’s film, just like Matthew Quick’s novel, captures a beautiful clarity about understanding mental health and creates an even broader portrait for a whole generation of post-Great Recession millennials coping with diminished expectations. Because even for the wonderfully acted Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), two abrasive individuals who have been dealt a crummy hand by life, a silver lining is only a cha-cha away, making all the loss, mental anguish, and judging eyes in their childhood homes worth it. A celebration about the healing power of family, friends, and football, Silver Linings Playbook is the most feel-good big screen romance in years.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
In a reality where erasing your ex doesn’t exist, keeping the girl of your dreams out of your head can be depression inducing and seeing her on primetime television has to be down right infuriating. Jason Segal wrote himself into the perfect role as the down-on-his-luck boyfriend who’s ditched for an aging rock star. The film really has it all. Russell Brand sings. Jonah Hill makes a hilarious appearance. There’s a Dracula-based opera. And oh, did we forget to mention that Kristen Bell AND Mila Kunis share screen time? We rest our case.
Other movies mentioned include: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), High Fidelity (2000), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), The Princess Bride (1987), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Garden State (2004), Say Anything (1989)
full list at the source
any other picks?
Just In Time For Valentine's Day: Best Romantic Comedies (That Won't Make You Cringe)
Say what you want about Valentine’s Day, but at this point it’s become unavoidable. Popular culture, your local drug store and your partner (both sexes are equally guilty) instill the importance of the Hallmark holiday as the end-all be-all of romantic dates on the calendar. For folks who can’t stand all the sappy love games, suck it up. You may feel sheepishly unoriginal or love sick come Valentine’s Day, but we’ve come up with a list of films that transcend the genre and will get even the non-romantics in the mood for February 14.Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004)
How do you get the drumming misery of a failed relationship out of your head? Easy. Erase it. The premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind asks you to believe that this wonderful science exists to let those who can’t help but fret on a failed romantic endeavor move on. In committing his talent to the Academy Award winning screenplay for Eternal Sunshine, Jim Carey made a successful transition into serious role after earning a boatload of cash per wacky facial expression in the 90s. At times trippy and feverishly discordant, the film is an ode to the places within the mind that store memories both big and small. It’s what you do with those memories that help shape the perception of a relationship but for Carey’s Joel, it seems as though the loss of his darling Clementine (played exceptionally well by Kate Winslet) is too much for his brain to chew on. With an extraordinary supporting cast, Eternal Sunshine examines a fictional realm we can only dream of and has us wishing that we could recount more love stories that were erased.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Let’s use our imaginations and pretend you didn’t watch Groundhog Day on cable television on the actual day Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Regardless of what day in February it is, Groundhog Day is an ideal romantic comedy to watch. The film transcended an easily forgettable holiday and found something romantic in being caught in between the seasons. It was also an ingenious marketing move to corner the market on Groundhog Day, considering other holidays like Halloween and Christmas are already locked down. Residual checks for the film’s cast and crew will flow in until the end of time. So what’s all the fuss about? In one of Bill Murray’s many classic roles, he plays Phil Connors, a self-loathing TV reporter trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive Groundhog Day over and over. It’s rumored that the writers of the film intended the time loop to last more than 40 years, giving Connors just enough time to successfully court the lovely Rita (Andie MacDowell). Groundhog Day is charming, thought-provoking and if you’re in the market for a piece of movie history, the cozy bed and breakfast that was used to shoot the film was recently put up for sale.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Straight out of the Kevin Smith universe comes a film that pushes the boundaries of sexual exploration and on a deeper level, questions what truly constitutes love. Ben Affleck stars as Holden, a New Jersey comic book artist who falls for a lipstick lesbian from Manhattan named Alyssa (you later find out who the titular Amy is). It’s a love story unlike any other on this list not because of the nature of their forbidden relationship, but Chasing Amy digs into the underlying fears and tensions of jumping into a relationship and slowly unraveling each partner’s past. It’s a necessary game all couples eventually have to play, but Smith cuts into these emotions with care, crafting a dark and humorous take on what it means to learn how to love.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Yet, sometimes they do. Finding a high-minded, middle-budgeted romantic comedy (or dramedy), which used to be a staple of the Hollywood dream factory, has become practically impossible over the last 10 or 15 years. The industry fluctuates between micro and mountainous budgeted fare that promises big rewards, with nary a thought for anything in between. Even formulaic, safe, and faceless “rom-coms,” marketed simply on the supposed value of faces, are fading with every passing year. Thus, Silver Linings Playbook is something of a small miracle in all its dysfunctional glory. As affecting as it is inappropriately hysterical, this one came from the heart for writer-director David O. Russell. Meant to be an earnest boost of confidence for his bipolar son, Russell’s film, just like Matthew Quick’s novel, captures a beautiful clarity about understanding mental health and creates an even broader portrait for a whole generation of post-Great Recession millennials coping with diminished expectations. Because even for the wonderfully acted Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), two abrasive individuals who have been dealt a crummy hand by life, a silver lining is only a cha-cha away, making all the loss, mental anguish, and judging eyes in their childhood homes worth it. A celebration about the healing power of family, friends, and football, Silver Linings Playbook is the most feel-good big screen romance in years.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
In a reality where erasing your ex doesn’t exist, keeping the girl of your dreams out of your head can be depression inducing and seeing her on primetime television has to be down right infuriating. Jason Segal wrote himself into the perfect role as the down-on-his-luck boyfriend who’s ditched for an aging rock star. The film really has it all. Russell Brand sings. Jonah Hill makes a hilarious appearance. There’s a Dracula-based opera. And oh, did we forget to mention that Kristen Bell AND Mila Kunis share screen time? We rest our case.
Other movies mentioned include: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), High Fidelity (2000), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), The Princess Bride (1987), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Garden State (2004), Say Anything (1989)
full list at the source
any other picks?
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