Books & Movies

Best Romantic Movies to Watch on a Date

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching you might be brainstorming ideas for a date night with your significant other. Babysitters might be hard to find or you may prefer a casual night in. Either way, watching a romantic movie together can always be a great date night. Below I’ve listed the best romantic movies. Find a classic to enjoy again or try a new film. I hope your date night ends perfectly, just like these romance movies.

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Dirty Dancing

(1987)

What’s sexier than dancing and a young, shirtless Patrick Swayze? Dirty Dancing makes a perfect date night movie. A wealthy high school graduate falls for the dance instructor at the resort her family is vacationing at. It’s a cult classic for a reason.

The Notebook

(2004)

The story of The Notebook features a young couple in the ’40s who meet during the girl’s summer vacation. Her family disapproves of their relationship continuing past the summer as he is not from the “right” sort of family. The couple is torn apart by her parents. Eventually, they find their way back to one another but it may be too late.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

(2018)

I was surprised at how much I liked this teen film. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (on Netflix) features a teenage girl whose private love letters are mistakenly sent out to the unknowing guys causing some relationship turmoil in her life. There are two more movies in this trilogy that are enjoyable as well if you want to make your date night into a movie marathon.

Say Anything

(1989)

On the eve of high school graduation, an outsider works up the nerve to ask out the popular and overachieving girl in his class. What follows is a summer of the two dating. In Say Anything you’ll recognize scenes from popular references that you didn’t know were from this movie.

Never Been Kissed

(1999)

Never Been Kissed is a cute comedy with a sweet ending. A journalist who was very unpopular in high school gets a second chance at popularity when she goes back to school as an undercover reporter. She begins to fall for the English teacher who fully believes she is a high school student.

Pride and Prejudice

(2005)

If your date is into a historical film adaptation of a famous Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice is the one for you. A family of four sisters with parents desperate to marry the girls off to wealthy men goes through measures to secure their future. The two oldest sisters meet eligible young men but assumptions and rumors may derail their relationships.

When Harry Met Sally

(1989)

When Harry Met Sally explores the ultimate question of whether a man and woman can be friends without involving sex. Will they end up sleeping together? Will one or both of them develop stronger feelings for one another? How will friends of the opposite sex judge your romantic relationships?

The Vow

(2012)

Based on a true story, The Vow is about a married couple whose relationship struggles when the wife suffers memory loss after a car accident. She doesn’t remember her husband or anything about her current life. The husband is determined to win her love again.

Sarah, Plain and Tall

(1991)

In Sarah, Plain & Tall, a woman travels to the midwest to marry a man she only knows through letters. The man believes his two children need a mother but the woman is more outspoken than he is used to. Their clashing personalities will either explode or lead to a lasting love story.

Love & Basketball

(2000)

Struggling to talk your date into watching a romance movie? Try suggesting a film with sports. Love and Basketball follows a boy and girl from childhood through adulthood. Next-door neighbors become friends and then begin to date in high school. Once college hits, their work ethics, opportunities, and jersey-chasers threaten to tear their relationship apart.

Singin’ in the Rain

(1952)

You know I had to throw one musical into this list. Singin’ in the Rain is a cute and fun film about a young woman breaking into show business by allowing her voice to be used for a famous actress whose career is threatened once “talkies” take off.

For you musical lovers (like me!), I have an entire guide dedicated to my Favorite Movie Musicals – go check it out.

Top Gun

(1986)

Another great movie suggestion for dates who are hesitant to agree to a romance film. Top Gun is an action film anyone will enjoy. A fighter pilot competes with the rest of his class to get the best assignments after graduation. One of his instructors sees his potential (in the air and in bed) despite his reckless behavior while flying.

Sleepless in Seattle

(1993)

A young boy asks a radio host to help find his widowed father a new wife. Tons of women answer the advertisement but one stands out in particular. The son is determined to have his dad meet this woman so he runs away to New York City after setting up a date on Valentine’s Day. Sleepless in Seattle is the perfect Valentine’s Day movie for date night.

Sweet Home Alabama

(2002)

Sweet Home Alabama is a cute film about a woman who needs her ex to finally sign the divorce papers so she can get married to the new man in her life. She is forced to go back to her hometown to confront her ex. What she doesn’t expect is her current fiance to surprise her in Alabama. She has to quickly try to cover up all the lies she’s told about her upbringing.

The Princess Bride

(1987)

Not my favorite movie on the list, The Princess Bride is a good compromise if you and your date are not seeing eye to eye on movie selection. A fantasy film about a young woman whose true love leaves to seek his fortune. Believing he has died, she is now to marry a prince. Her love returns and must overcome numerous obstacles to be with the woman he loves.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

(1994)

A fantastic British comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral follows a group of friends as they attend numerous weddings. The player of the group meets a woman he can’t stop thinking about. Their paths continue to cross but the relationship keeps hitting bumps before being able to take off.

Crazy Rich Asians

(2018)

A wealthy man takes his girlfriend back home to Singapore for his friend’s wedding. His family is very against his girlfriend. She’s not from Singapore and doesn’t have the correct prestige for his family’s lifestyle. Will she be driven away? I read the book first and still enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians – that’s saying something!

Pretty Woman

(1990)

In Pretty Woman, a wealthy man hires a prostitute to be his date to multiple functions throughout a week. He sponsors her shopping trip to get appropriate clothes and takes her to business dinners. She impresses him throughout the week with her looks, intelligence, and charm. Does the prostitute get a happy ending?

The Proposal

(2009)

The plot of The Proposal features a woman who forces her assistant to be her fake fiance in order to remain in the United States. To convince the government that their relationship is real she needs to attend his grandmother’s birthday party in Alaska. In Alaska, the women in his family want the couple to get married right away. Can they go through with it?

While You Were Sleeping

(1995)

Another wonderful Sandra Bullock film, While You Were Sleeping is an underrated story about a single woman who saves the life of her crush. A nurse mistakenly thinks she is the man’s fiance and she doesn’t correct her. While in a coma, his family falls in love with her and she with them. If the man wakes up will her lies be revealed?

Laws of Attraction

(2004)

Battling divorce lawyers with high-profile clients get heated in the courtroom and between the sheets. Laws of Attraction is a simple but enjoyable film starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

(2002)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a surprising hit that will have you chuckling. A single woman from a very Greek family begins improving herself by taking computer classes and getting a makeover. She falls for a non-Greek man and introducing him to her family is quite the adventure.

The Wedding Date

(2004)

I don’t know why The Wedding Date is one of my favorite movies of all time but it is. The fashion, Dermot Mulroney, a great soundtrack, it all works together to make a fantastic date night movie. The plot is a single woman hires a male escort to be her date to her sister’s wedding to make her ex jealous. But the escort might end up being the real catch.

You’ve Got Mail

(1998)

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks combine again in You’ve Got Mail for a sweet PG romance. A woman owns an independent bookstore and is being put out of business by a national chain. She is furious at the owners of the national chain. Meanwhile, she is falling in love with a man online she’s never met in person. What will happen when the man she loves also ends up being the person she despises?

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

(2003)

A journalist is charged with writing an article titled – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Her objective is to make a man fall in love with her and then do everything women do to sabotage the relationship. The man she selects ends up in a bet with colleagues to make a woman fall in love with him in ten days. This comedy is light-hearted, perfect for an easy date night viewing.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

(2005)

Another winner for couples not on the same page for what movie to watch. Mr. and Mrs. Smith combines action, comedy, and sex appeal. A married couple has secret lives, even from each other. Both are hired assassins working for competing firms. Everything is fine until they get in each other’s way on an assignment. Will their relationship prevail or will they try to take each other out?

Outlander

(2014)

Not a movie, but Outlander deserves a spot on this list because this series has become a go-to for romance night in our house. Super hot sex scenes take place in historical Scotland. That’s all you need to know.

   

I hope you’ve found a great romantic movie for your next date night. What movie would you add to the list (stipulation – the couple must be together at the end of the film)?

Mehgan

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