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| Mainstream Videos | |
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| Groundhog Day | Aside from it being my favorite holiday (kind of because I calebrate it, a few hundred people in Pennsylvania, and NO ONE ELSE!!! (Making it a private holiday! And it's on the calendars! What could be more cool?)) it's also a wonderful film about Phil (Bill Murray) who is forced to relive the same day over and over until he finally changes his life for the better. It starts when he finds himself attracted to the on-site director of his video shoot (Andie McDowell), who thinks he is self-obsessed and far too driven by ego. Problem is, she's right. He soon realizes the only way to even get her attention is to cahnge and being in the same scanario every day eventually allows him to become human by forcing him to realize that he is surrounded by real people with real needs and emotions. A fun film about making a remarkable transformation: Discovering who you are by allowing yourself to feel. |
| Don Juan DeMarco |
This is a movie a disturbingly few people have seen. Sad, as it is really a great film on so many levels. Marlon Brando plays a psychologist on the verge of retirement, whose swan song is a 21 year old who believes he is Don Juan (Johnny Depp). As the therapy progresses, Don's goal is to convince his therapist he is who he says he is, and eventually, his romantic nature begins to spark romance in all those who come near him... even his therapist. A wonderful tale of hope and finding that beauty if your heart is open to see it. |
| Sleepless in Seattle |
Perhaps the best known romantic film of this decade. It is still as fresh as it was when it was first released. It's the story of Sam (Tom Hanks) who lost his wife, and stopped living, only to exist. His son tries to help him find happiness by calling a syndicated talk show and in doing so gains the attention of Annie (Meg Ryan) who lives on the other side of the continent. It's about not giving up hope and going on, about taking chances for the sake of love, and about destiny. One word: "...magic." |
| Casper | Forget the fact that this movie is "supposedly" for kids. It's really a fantasy for adults as well. The film features so many aspects of love that it's hard to define them all. The love of a father and daughter, the love of a friend, love that lasts after someone has passed on, the kind of love that allows you to make sacrifices, some too large for some people to fathom. More than a kids film, by far. |
| Ghost | Starting to see a theme develop here? No. Actually, Ghost was the 80's "Sleepless", capturing the hearts of millions as the most popular romantic film of the decade. There's been one in each decade, by the way... Heck, in the 70's, it was "An Officer And A Gentleman". This is the story of Sam (Patrick Swayze) who refuses to go on to the afterlife to stay with his true love (Demi Moore). |
| Forget Paris | This is a charming story of two people (Billy Crystal and Deborah Winger) who go through ups and downs like every healthy relationship may, but who have the courage to face it and keep coming back no matter how bad it gets. It really enforces that people are only as strong as they're willing to let themselves be, and that if you really want to make something work, you can. |
| Jerry Maguire | When the movie was released, it was all about catchphrases and hardly anyone really tried to feel the underlying compassion of the characters. Most impressive was Renee Zelwegger's performance as a woman who wants so desperately to love the person she's married to but can't seem to pull him to understand what is really important in life and in love. I don't like Tom Cruise. Never have. Always reminded me of other spoiled kids who always had everything handed to them without asking. (Think Mackauley Culkin.) That's why I really enjoyed this... I mean, if he can overcome my personal distastes and win me over, there has to be something to the kid. |
| Phenomenon | The story is about how an average guy starts learning at a phenomenal rate, alienating all the people he once knew by using this gift. The substory, though, is about a love that believes without question, and about accepting someone for who they are. Plus it gets bonus points for being directed by John Turtletaub. An honorary turtle... :) |
| Any of the Ashman/Menken musicals |
From the start, I have really enjoyed their work. "Little Shop of Horrors (1986)" about a man who would do anything to be with the woman he has dreamed of from afar. "The Little Mermaid" about a girl willing to leave behind everything she has ever known or cared about to be with a person she has dreamed of. "Beauty and the Beast" about finding the beauty within and what destruction pride can bring. "Aladdin" about being yourself in a world which may not truly know you. How we all have potential as a "diamond in the rough" and how love is not set by class, rather by the heart. I realize three of the four films listed here are animated Disney films, but they are not your average cartoons... |
| Roxanne | Another story about a love so strong that it can withstand sacrifice. This one does seem a little more real to me than a lot of other films, perhaps because I've lived through these types of situations. Steve Martin plays a modern day Cyrano de Burgerac trying to win the love of Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) who is more impressed with a "cute guy" who has no clue about life. In this film, though, Steve is just happy touching her with his words, even if he can't touch her physically. Been there. |
| The Truth About Cats and Dogs |
Take your average woman and place her next to a woman who is physically considered "above average" and you see where the problem arises. It's about determining which is more attractive, the person inside, or the person outside. The film has one flaw, though. The "average woman" (Janneane Garaffolo) actually does look much better than the "above average" Uma Thurman. Perhaps it's just me... :) |
| Not for Everyone Videos | |
| Angus | This is a story about a portly kid who is trying to be the best he can be, only to have his pride knocked around at every corner by his childhood rival, Rick. While Angus tries to be the best, Rick is always one step more popular. While Angus struggles, Rick glides through everything. Then Rick sets up Angus for what he thinks is the biggest joke of all. Stuffing the ballot box for a school dance, pairing up his girlfriend, Melissa (a girl Angus has had a crush on since childhood) and Angus as the King and Queen of the class ball. The real story, though, is about the love between family, and being honest with the world about your feelings, no matter how they differ from the "normal". Incredible performances from the kids, and wonderful standouts from George C. Scott as Angus' Grandfather and Kathy Bates as his mother. |
| Chasing Amy | While my admiration for Kevin Smith's films is documented here in my Links section, this is (IMHO) his best film. The focus of this film is two lifelong friends who work together whose friendship is shattered because of a relationship one is having with a girl who claims to be a lesbian (but it is later found out she is bi). Ben Affleck plays Holden, a man in love with Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) but who cannot handle her past. His best friend Banky (Jason Lee) cannot deal with Alyssa at all. There are scenes in this film which express that a person's past should not be the measure of your future, and that love should be strong enough to conquer all, or we may lose out on all that is really important. |
| Movies | |
| Titanic | I know it's not on video, but it is worth the cost of admission. So far, I would have to say it is one of the best love stories I have ever encountered... which says a lot. I mean, who would ever have expected it from the same guy responsible for such machismo films as Terminator, T2, and Aliens. For a review, please check out the rest of the site. I reference it in the Movie Reviews and the "All you need is love..." rant. | Music |
| Weird Romance | This is the musical soundtrack to an off broadway production of two one act musicals based in speculative fiction (a fancy way of saying "Sci-fi"). The first is about a homeless woman who becomes a spokesmodel by operating a "simulacrum" (a human body formed in a lab without a brain, operated remotely) and the man who falls in love with the woman inside without ever meeting her. The second story is about a scientist who develops a hologram that has thoughts, dreams and memories of a person he never knew existed, and how he is drawn to her only to find out they knew each other in a previous life. Pretty far out there, I know, but they are really well performed, and should be a part of any musical lover's collection. |
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