Valentine's Day: Romantic Films

Hi everyone,

We all have that one Rom Com that we love to watch around and on Valentine's Day. I have a fair few to be honest. Some that drive my husband up the wall and he ends up falling asleep and some where he will snuggle up to me on the sofa to watch. I have to give him credit though as a lot of the time, he lets me choose the film we watch.

Here is our top 8 Romantic Films. Some will be cheesy, some will be heart breaking and others may not make sense but bear with us.

1. The Notebook: Nicholas Sparks wrote the novel 'The Notebook' in 1996 and the film was directed by Nick Cassavetes with the screenplay written by Jeremy Liven and Jan Sardi. It stars James Garner and Gena Rowlands as Noah and Allie with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams playing their younger selves. It's a heart breaking film, detailing just how much love can mean to someone, even in the darkest moments such as one of them having dementia. I won't spoil the ending. If you haven't watched it or have pre conceptions about it, I would recommend you watch it and then come to your own conclusions.

2. Bridget Jones' Diary: Helen Fielding is the genius behind this set of stories about the infamous Bridget Jones. Renée Zellweger plays Bridget Jones in the film series and over the course of the films we see her date a few men. But ultimately her heart belongs to Mark Darcy. And in our book Colin Firth is a much better catch than Hugh Grant. Hugh Grant is not the type of guy to commit to a relationship and he can be a right snob. But that's just our opinion of him. It's so nice that Bridget ends up with Mark Darcy and gets her happy ending.

3. The Wedding Singer: This classic from 1998 is one not to be missed! Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore play Robbie Hart and Julia Sullivan who begin as friends and realise later in the film that they are made for each other despite what Julia's family think. Initially she is engaged to Glen Gulia which in turn would make her Julia Gulia but Glen is a womaniser which he manages to keep under wraps until Robbie finds out. This is on top of Robbie being left at the altar by his fiancée Linda. In the end, Julia and Robbie get married and live happily ever after. Set in the 1980's, this film is not to be missed. Cue the shoulder pad wedding dresses and legwarmers etc.

4. Ps. I Love You: Another one of our favourites. One that starts off as a heart breaking story but ends up being a journey of discovering oneself. Holly (played by Hilary Swank) lost her husband Gerry (played by Gerard Butler) to a brain tumour. In his final months, he wrote her letters all ending with the phrase 'Ps. I Love You'. The letters mark a new journey for Holly to take, one of self discovery and one of the hope of finding love again.

5. Pride & Prejudice: There have been many an adaptation of Pride & Prejudice over the years, but one that stands out to us is Joe Wright's film adaptation in 2005. Starring an all star cast including the late and great Donald Sutherland, it shows that true love knows no bounds. Love isn't about social standing or where someone comes from. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy are a prime example of this. Both stubborn at first and not sure of each other, they eventually realise that their original feelings about each other couldn't be further from the truth. Love prevails in the end.

6. Me Before You: Sorry all, another tear jerker. Me Before You stars Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. A story of love, acceptance and hope, Me Before You challenges our perspective on love. True love. Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) is quadriplegic after being hit by a motorcycle. Lou Clark (Emilia Clarke) is hired by Will's mother to be his caregiver, in the hope she can convince him to change his mind about his future. Lou is dating Patrick who although is very sweet, doesn't quite get Lou for who she is. Eventually Lou and Will bond and fall in love. But the bond they have doesn't change Will's mind about his future. Instead, he encourages Lou in her future, the film ending with Lou visiting Paris, France having received a letter from Will with enough money in to follow her dreams. Have the tissues ready for this one.

7. Goodbye June: This film is a story of what family means. Always being there for each other, being caring and loving your family even in the moments where they drive you crazy. Goodbye June was written by Joe Anders and directed by Kate Winslet. Helen Mirren plays June, a mum whose cancer has returned and is now terminal. The film details her family rushing to be with her to ensure she enjoys the time she has left including time with her grandchildren. You will need the tissues for this one. Quick fact: Joe Anders is Kate Winslet's son.

8. The Proposal: What starts out as a simple business arrangement, ends up being the love story of how opposites attract. Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is an editor in chief for a New York publishing company and Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is her assistant. When Margaret is faced with deportation due to a visa violation, she pretends that herself and Andrew are engaged. They head off for the weekend to Andrew's parents for his Gammy's 90th birthday (played by the late amazing Betty White) and the idea of a weekend wedding is too good to pass up. After debating her conscience, Margaret plans to leave the US for Canada, but Andrew stops her having realised that he really loves her. One to watch with your girlfriends on Galentine's Day.

So that is our list of romantic films. Do you agree with our picks? What is your favourite romantic film? Let us know in the comments

Lily x