The Most Romantic Love Stories of Cinema

By Southern Living
January 25, 2018
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Romance is in the eye of the beholder. However, there are a few movies that charm us each and every time we see them, even after a hundred re-watches. ( Casablanca, anyone?) Romantic love stories are the stuff of cinematic legend. They don’t necessarily have happy endings (unless, that is, we’re talking about the Nora Ephron rom-com trifecta). Instead, they’re tales of two souls meeting—whether they’re across the globe or across the street—connecting, sharing witty banter, and falling in love. The shapes of those stories differ, but they always warm our hearts. The classics are undeniable, and the newer additions to the romantic canon have certainly made a splash in recent years. Organized by release date, from 1940 to last week, here are the love stories currently in our favorites list and to-watch rotation. They’re the ones we’ll be reaching for, streaming, or popping into the DVD player this Valentine’s Day. Let us know your favorite romantic movies and why they have a permanent place in your heart—which ones will you be watching when Valentine’s Day arrives?
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1 of 26

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

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To buy: $9.99, amazon.com

A rom-com starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart —need we say more? It’s a good-natured screwball comedy with no lack of twists and turns in the characters’ pursuit of love.

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2 of 26

Casablanca (1943)

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Because it’s one of the most quotable love stories ever, there’s always time for a Casablanca re-watch. In it, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman play long-lost loves meeting again in the midst of World War II.

3 of 26

Roman Holiday (1953)

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Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star in this story about a princess and a journalist meeting serendipitously in romantic Rome.

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4 of 26

An Affair to Remember (1957)

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In this sweeping, heartbreaking love story, Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr play two people who, though both are already engaged to others, fall in love on a cruise ship and vow to meet at the top of the Empire State Building months later.

5 of 26

West Side Story (1961)

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This Romeo and Juliet-inspired, New York City-set musical is filled with delicate romance and fantastic songs that will be stuck in your head for weeks.

6 of 26

The Way We Were (1973)

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Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford light up the screen in this memorable Sydney Pollack-directed love story that follows the very-different-but-very-much-in-love characters Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardiner.

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7 of 26

Out of Africa (1985)

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Meryl Streep and Robert Redford fall in love at the foot of Kenya’s Ngong Hills in this gorgeous period drama based on the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen.

8 of 26

A Room with a View (1986)

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E.M. Forster’s novel about falling in love in Italy and England gets the Merchant Ivory treatment in this sumptuous re-imagining starring Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Maggie Smith.

9 of 26

Dirty Dancing (1987)

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Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze star in this dance-filled love story set to a killer soundtrack.

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10 of 26

The Princess Bride (1987)

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To buy: $5, amazon.com

A love story of epic proportions, The Princess Bride exemplifies the lengths people will go to regain lost love—i.e. becoming a pirate and kidnapping your soul mate from those who have just kidnapped her. (“As you wishhhh!)

11 of 26

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

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As relevant today as it was when it was released, Nora Ephron’s sharply written comedy about friends, love, and friends in love is a perfect watch anytime, not just on Valentine’s Day.

12 of 26

The Bodyguard (1992)

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Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner star in this part-romance, part-thriller about a bodyguard who falls in love with the famous musician he is enlisted to protect.

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13 of 26

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

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A romance set against the American frontier, this adventure-slash-love story stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe.

14 of 26

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

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To buy: $9.99, amazon.com

Can you fall in love without having actually met the other person? Find out in this charming Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks showcase with an aww-inducing final scene atop the Empire State Building, a swoon-worthy nod to An Affair to Remember.

15 of 26

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

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This Emma Thompson-penned and Ang Lee-directed film brings the Jane Austen classic to life. Starring Thompson and Kate Winslet, the story is about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and their journeys in love.

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16 of 26

The English Patient (1996)

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Based on the book of the same name by Michael Ondaatje, this film is a love story starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, and Kristin Scott Thomas set against the sweeping Sahara at the end of World War II.

17 of 26

Titanic (1997)

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No list of romantic movies would be complete without an appearance by Titanic, the film in which Kate Winslet’s Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack fall in love aboard the tragedy-bound vessel.

18 of 26

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

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Another super-quotable, Ephron-penned Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks vehicle, the ever-charming You’ve Got Mail explores what happens when the person you’ve fallen for online just so happens to be the person you least expected.

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19 of 26

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

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This 2001 Baz Luhrmann film—an epic-tragic-soaring love story between a courtesan and a poet set at Paris’ famed nightclub—stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor and is packed with contemporary music.

20 of 26

The Notebook (2004)

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To buy: $16.77, amazon.com

From the Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, this film stars Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, who bring to life Noah and Allie’s love story, a tale of love, loss, and reconnection in North Carolina.

21 of 26

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

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This lovely adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel about Elizabeth Bennet, her sisters, and the stoic Mr. Darcy is utterly romantic—in no small part due to the fluttering, shimmering score performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

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22 of 26

Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)

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Zora Neale Hurston’s beloved novel has also become one of our favorite on-screen love stories. The romance is twofold: It is as much about Janie Crawford (played here by Halle Berry) realizing her own agency and claiming her story, her life, her voice, as it is about her romantic and tragic journey with her love, Tea Cake Woods.

23 of 26

Once (2007)

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To buy: $7.99, amazon.com

This love story finds two aspiring musicians (played by real-life musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) realizing their dreams, healing their hearts, and making music together in modern-day Dublin. It’s about life’s connections—the deep loves that arrive unexpectedly and help usher you on to the next phase of your life.

24 of 26

Bright Star (2009)

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To buy: $14.99, amazon.com

Jane Campion brings the story of poet John Keats and his betrothed Fanny Brawne’s star-crossed love to the screen in this heartrending film. (It’s so romantic, but also so sad. Fair warning: You’ll need time to recover after the credits roll.)

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25 of 26

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

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It’s a gorgeously shot love story set in a ghost town, sure, but it’s also a wickedly sharp feminist Iranian spaghetti western brought to life by Ana Lily Amirpour that turns the stereotypical vampire story on its head. (Trust us, it’s genius—and plenty romantic.)

26 of 26

Call Me By Your Name (2018)

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To buy: $19.99, amazon.com

This love story is still in theaters, but it’s already cementing its place in the canon of beloved cinematic romances. In it, young Elio Perlman falls in love with Oliver, a post-doctoral researcher staying at the Perlmans’ Italian villa for the summer. It's based on a 2007 book of the same name written by André Aciman.

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