Ah, Valentine’s Day - when we turn to thoughts of love. Love, and popcorn. Because date night. Since the pandemic, though, the parameters of date night have changed for many of us, and going OUT to dinner and a movie happens less than it used to, whether you are courting or you are already part of a couple.
But watching movies about romance and love is still a great way to relax and connect with a loved one. Love, after all, is a universal emotion. If you’re planning to stay in for Valentine’s Day, I’ve collected a list of romantic movies, with a little information about each one:
Romance
- Anyone But You (2023) - a classic pretending-to-be-a-couple scenario
- Past Lives (2023) - childhood friends, separated for decades, are reunited
- The Taste of Things (2023) - a man cooks for his lover (who is also his cook) to persuade her to marry him
- Cyrano (2022) - a man is afraid to pursue his love because of his unusual appearance
- Once (2007) - two people meet and connect through music, as their relationship blossoms
- The Notebook (2004) - a wealthy, independent young woman falls for a poor but passionate young man
- Monsoon Wedding (2001) - when a family reunites for an unexpected wedding, secrets and sparks fly
- Moonstruck (1987) - a Brooklyn widow falls in love with her fiancé’s brother
Romantic comedies (rom-coms)
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018) - Rachel goes with her boyfriend to a wedding and finds out that he is rich
- Definitely, Maybe (2008) - a divorced man answers his daughter’s questions about his past loves
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - a young boy asks a radio host for help in finding his dad a new wife
- The Princess Bride (1987) - Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
Classic romance
- Casablanca (1942) - Here’s looking at you, kid.
- Roman Holiday (1953) - undercover princess, out and about in Rome
- To Catch a Thief (1955) - a jewel thief falls in love with his target
- An Affair to Remember (1957) - circumstances prevent two lovers from reuniting
Disney romance
- Lady and the Tramp (1955) - dog meets dog
- Beauty and the Beast (1991 & 2017) - girl meets beast
- The Aristocats (1970) - cat meets cat
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) dog meets dog, family grows…
So go ahead and plan your favorite stay-in meal of choice. Pop the champagne or the fizzy water. You can probably find most of these movies through streaming, but you can also find all the movies on this list at the library. We’d LOVE to see you there.
New at the Library
Adult DVDs
- Venom, the Last Dance directed by Kelly Marcel
- Reagan directed by Sean McNamara
- Conclave directed by Edward Berger
Children's DVDs
- IF directed by John Krasinski
- The Amazing Maurice directed by Toby Genkel
- The Wild Robot directed by Chris Sanders
Audiobooks
- Intermezzo: A Novel by Sally Rooney
- Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
- Trial: A Novel by Richard North Patterson
