Alyssa Duff ’19, Website Editor/Social Media Manager
Whether you have a date or not, you can still enjoy your Valentine’s Day. Do so by watching these five movies!
- Ten Things I Hate About You
The classic 1999 American romantic comedy film, is a modernization of William Shakespeare’s late-16th century comedy The Taming of the Shrew. In the movie, new high school student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is fond of the oh-so-popular Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). But in order to get around her father’s strict rule that Bianca cannot date until her sister does, Cameron attempts to get bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to date Bianca’s ill-tempered sister, Kat (Julia Stiles). The film is titled after a poem that Kat wrote based upon her love for Partick. Junior Katelyn Barton said, “I love the movie because it is not like the typical romance movie. I mean, it sort of is, but not completely because the girl does not actually care about the guy, and the guy does not actually care about the girl in the beginning.” While the film has the underlying concept of a cheesy romantic movie, it also has a twist because it all started as a paid job for Patrick, and a plea from Bianca to Kat. Barton added, “My favorite part is when Patrick is running across the bleachers singing and confessing his love to Kat.” She went on to explain that she loved the scene because even though it was funny watching Patrick run from authorities, it was a public romantic gesture. If you are looking for a light hearted romantic movie, check this one out!
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Looking for a hilarious movie that everyone loves? Check out the classic 2003 romantic comedy is based on a short comic book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. In the film, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is a writer for a women’s magazine called Composure as the “How to…” girl. Throughout her career she has become less interested with her current writing and begins to wish that she could write more about topics such as politics, economics, religion, and poverty. After Andie’s best friend Michelle (Kathryn Hahn) experiences yet another break-up, Andie is inspired to write a new article titled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, in which she will start dating a guy, and make the classic mistakes in order to drive the guy away. However, at the same time, advertising executive Ben Barry’s boss questions Ben’s (Matthew McConaughey) knowledge about romance. Ben bets he could make any woman fall in love with him if he wanted to. His boss accepts the bet and states that if he makes a woman fall in love with him before the upcoming company ball, in just 10 days, he can have the upcoming pitch. They unknowingly picked each other for their alternative motives. “I love the scene where they are playing ‘BS’ because that is when they really begin to fall in love. But overall, I enjoy the movie because it is funny and cute, but also has a strong female lead,” said Juliette Gassner.
- Leap Year
The American romantic comedy, released in 2010, is about a woman named Anna (Amy Adams) who heads to Ireland to ask her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to accept her wedding proposal on Leap Day, when tradition supposedly holds that men cannot refuse a woman’s proposal for marriage. Her plans are interrupted by a series of increasingly unfortunate events and are further complicated when she hires a handsome Irish innkeeper (Matthew Goode) to take her to her boyfriend in Dublin. Junior Jessica Milarch said, “I absolutely love this movie because I have never seen one quite like it. Anna has plans to marry her boyfriend, and goes through with them, but she cannot stop thinking about Declan, the Irish man who took her to Dublin.” Throughout their journey, they begin to learn a lot about each other, including the fact that Declan once was engaged, in which he gave the girl his mother’s ring. Anna encourages him to, while in Dublin, get the ring back. Declan also asks Anna, “If there was a fire and you had sixty seconds to grab three things, what would they be?” After prompting her fiancé with the same question, she realizes that Jeremy would not take her; therefore, she travels back to Dublin in order to confess her love to Declan. If you are searching for a romantic comedy that you probably have not seen, check out this amazing movie!
- The Notebook
The romantic drama, released in 2004, was based on the 1966 novel by Nicholas Sparks. Set back in the 1940s, character Noah often visits Allie, a female patron of a nursing home. Noah reads from an old, faded notebook containing the account of a young couple whose love was tragically put to a stop after seperating in the midst of World War II. When Noah returns from the war, his father has sold their home so that he can buy an abandoned house. While visiting Charleston, Noah witnesses Allie and Lon kissing at a restaurant; but he convinces himself that if he restores the house to her previous specifications, Allie will come back to him.. The couple was reunited, and despite having taken different paths, they found themselves unable to resist the call of a second chance. “I like the movie because it is a classic, but not super cheesy. I also like the fact that it is set back in the 1940s and not super modern,” junior Emma Niemi said.
- Titanic
Released in 1997, the romantic historical tragedy is a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. 17-year-old first-class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), her fiancé Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), and her mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) board the ship together. Ruth emphasizes that Rose’s marriage will resolve their family’s financial problems and retain their high-class history. Distraught over the engagement, Rose considers suicide by jumping from the stern, but Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a penniless artist, intervenes and convinces her not to jump. Jack and Rose develop a friendship, despite Cal and Ruth’s disapproval. After hitting an iceberg the ship begins to sink, and there is a limited amount of escape options. Sophomore Katie White said, “My favorite part is in the beginning when Jack wins his ticket during a poker game because if it was not for that, then they would have never met. I just think it is such a great story, and I have always been interested in it, which I know sounds dorky… but it is just my favorite.” Looking for a classic? Check out this romantic take on a historical disaster.
Photo courtesy of Amazon
Lyon Life 