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Monday, February 17, 2014

My Top Romance Films

My honors freshman English students have just finished reading Romeo and Juliet in class. I have to say I've been impressed at how well they have done with the material they've been given. I've remarked over and over again at just how well they have responded to the story and how engaged they have been with something that was written about 400 years ago.

And because I'm a nerd and I like lists, I decided that now would be a good time for me to make a list of my top romance stories of all time. 

DISCLAIMER: I'm actually going to try on this list. My favorite movies and books might just be action-adventures, but I'm going to get in touch with my feminine side and give this a solid effort. 

1. Jack and Rose in Titanic - There's no romance like "Oh-no-we're-both-going-to-die romance." I  won't lie that I saw this when I was in fourth grade. The movie was a huge deal at the time and it's probably the first romance I ever saw that I actually cared about. Come to think of it, it might have just been the first tragedy I ever saw.

2. The Notebook - I made fun of this film relentlessly when it first came out. But then, I make fun of most movies the first time I see them. The film seems to borrow themes from Romeo and Juliet by talking a lot about summer romances and how they are "like shooting stars" which blaze brilliantly for a short time and then burn out. Both were held apart by the disapproval of others. Romeo and Juliet were shooting stars who basically vowed to burn out together. So this is almost like what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had just had more patience and an awesome old house to renovate.

3. Padme and Anakin in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones - Ha, just kidding. That's a terrible romance.

4. The Decoy Bride - I watched this one with Christina because it had David Tennant in it. It's a silly movie, but it's fun. Yes, the whole premise is a bit ridiculous (famous actress needs a decoy to distract paparazzi so that she can have a private wedding) but it takes place in a tiny island hamlet in Scotland and feels almost like the British version of Sweet Home Alabama. I just like Tennant as a bumbling writer who stumbles on success almost by accident.

5. Letters to Juliet - another film I saw with Christina. It's a fun-filled romp through the Italian countryside with a snooty British guy who turns out to be not half-bad. You know where this is going...but in all seriousness, half the film revolves around an elderly couple who are seeking each other after fifty years apart. Those two are probably just as interesting as the younger couple and provide what Shakespeare never seemed to be able to show: two elderly people in love.


Just for fun: Warm Bodies - a zombie take on the story of Romeo and Juliet. The guy's name is Rrr (for Romeo) while the girl's name is Julie. There is a balcony scene. They're held apart by the disapproval of zombies and humans. So..yeah. Shakespeare's influence right there. 

1 comment:

  1. Nooooo.... I see Star Wars with the word terrible next to it. I personally didn't think that Attack of the Clones was a bad romance story, but then again I don't really care about or pay attention to romance stories.

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