The Most Romantic Movie Is:

I've never been much for romantic movies. The Hollywood habit of love emerging because of conflict, a'la argue until we fall into bed and then "poof!" -that's love? Nope. Don't buy it. And this recent message we're bombarded with which tells us that we only find real love when we're committted to someone else and have to break our commitments in order to pursue our true love, who happened to bump into us once on the subway/took a dance class with me/planned my wedding/insert corny moment here? I don't think so.

True love is borne of committment. Not a fleeting moment. The only stories I end up buying into at the movies are those that...well...I guess they don't seem very romantic on the surface. But they emerge out of a friendship that weathers all storms and endures time and temptation; it's THEN that we realize that the one we love was the one who was with us through it all. And THAT, my friends, is Real Love.

When Harry Met Sally. I saw it when I was far too young. The concept of best friends realizing after 10 years that they are in love with each other has ruined my concept of romantic love forever. Still, it's smart, funny, and just too, too honest. Which is a lot how I imagine it will be like to be in love.
The Mirror Has Two Faces. Romantic love is nothing more than a lie; a manipulation created by the media. We must rise above it in order to experience Real Pure Love. So what happens when you take attraction out of the equation...And still find romance? It's very, very confusing. A lot like love.
While You Were Sleeping. I love, love, love! the fact that Sandra Bullock's character has the juxtiposition of her idealized, 'romantic' love and the real-life, laugh-till-you-snort, cute-even-when-you-know-you're-not kind of love. But I mean, really: Which would you rather have?
Fools Rush In. "You're all the things I never knew I always wanted." The best laid plans...While everything is backwards, it still somehow feels like this is a love that is o-so right! That, when all reasons for being together are taken away and you STILL realize that you want to be with them- well, now. That's a love I can believe in.
Far and Away. Before the whole Tom and Nicole issues came up, this was simply a great film. While the typical "love to hate you" factor usually has me rolling my eyes, this is done in such genuine and honest performances of heroism, sacrifice, and loyalty that I never fail to cry.
Mansfield Park. Okay, Austin. You got me. I'm not much for Jane Austin, but this is reportedly her favourite work- and it's one of my favourites, period. As long as you can get over the historic habit of cousins falling in love with each other, this has that classic slow build of realizing love through really knowing someone well...with a few handsome twists that legitimately make you wonder if romancing those too clever for their own good can ever end in love.

Wuthering Heights. I'm questioning if this should even be included in the list. It's full of madness, revenge, manipulation...and then I realized- ah, yes! CRAZY LOVE. Another book I read when I was far too young, this film captures the out and out passion that comes when love binds souls together to the Othello-Desdemona sort of admiration that melts into disaster. Still, the concept of loving another so fully that you lose yourself to them absolutely fascinates me. Just make sure it's the 1970 Timothy Dalton ("O, James!") version. The others don't hold a candle.

Tell me what your favourite romantic movies are so we can watch them and love them, too. And- bonus round! Tell me what you think the most romantic movie ever made is, and I'll tell YOU what that says about YOU.