as time goes by

My top romance movies...

1. Roman Holiday
Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck
1953
This is my favorite movie of all time. Gregory Peck as a reporter who has dubious intentions at first, but has a heart of gold. Audrey Hepburn in her first movie ever as a naive Princess who just wants to be free from her societal duties. And a photographer who's there for comic relief and to document Princess Ann's first foray out in the real world. It's a classic romance. Plus, the fact that I love this movie so much that I attempted to reenact it during my own time in Rome (I sought out high and low for the mouth of truth, the photo below.)
Memorable Quotes:
"Hit him again, Smitty!" - Irving
"Your Excellency, I trust you will not find it necessary to use that word again. Were I not completely aware of my duty to my family and to my country, I would not have come back tonight...or indeed ever again!" -Princess Ann's response to someone reminding her of her duty.


2. It Happened One Night
Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert
1934
A classic. It is the romantic comedy that all romantic comedies should be judged against. Hugh Grant could only strive to be this good. It has another reporter who will do anything to get a story that is until he falls in love with his subject. Ellie Andrews is an heiress who desperately wants to marry the (supposed) love of her life. She runs away from her father. Her face is spread all over the papers. Peter Warne who drunkenly cursed out his boss is desperate for a front-page story, and comes across her on a bus going to New York. Banter ensues. My favorite scene is the one where she teaches him how to hitchhike. It's a mixture of heart and hilarity, which is why I love it.
Memorable Quotes:
"Do you love her?" - Alexander Andrews (Ellie's papa)
A normal human being couldn't live under the same roof with her without going nutty! She's my idea of nothing!" -Peter Warne
"I asked you a simple question! Do you love her?" -Alexander Andrews
"YES! But don't hold that against me, I'm a little screwy myself!" -Peter Warne


3. Casablanca
Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman
1942
This needs no introduction. It's one of the most beloved romance movies of all time. Love set in wartime is automatically epic and Rick & Ilsa are no exception. This has to be one of the most quoted movies of all time. Just remember, a kiss is just a kiss.
Memorable Quotes:
"Here's looking at you, kid." -Rick
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." -Rick
"Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake. Play 'As Time Goes By'" -Ilsa


4. Gone With The Wind
Clark Gable & Vivian Leigh
1939
It is a wonderful movie. It is a love story amongst the struggles of the Civil War. I was so in love with this movie that I watched it twice in one day. Scarlett O'Hara is a dynamic character and Rhett Butler is swoon worthy. I even named all my Sims characters after Rhett Butler.
Memorable Quotes:
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." -Rhett Butler
"As God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again!" -Scarlett O'Hara

5. Pillow Talk
Rock Hudson & Doris Day
1959
It's my favorite Doris & Rock collaboration. Sure, Brad Allen is a lying lothario, but damn can he make my heart flutter. Rock Hudson plays a composer who shares a party line (telephone line) with a serious workingwoman, Jan. She complains bitterly because every night she can get her own phone calls because he has tied up the line with his flirtations. When his friend hires Jan as an interior decorator, Brad is determined to be with her. Unfortunately in order to do that he lies. And as with many liars, they get caught. Bottom line, despite the lies, it is an adorable movie that I love.
Memorable Quotes:
"Mr. Allen, this may come as a surprise to you, but there are some men who don't end every sentence with a proposition." -Jan

6. Pride & Prejudice
Keira Knightely & Matthew Macfayden
2005
I love this version because I believe it condensed the novel into a respectable viewing time and because Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy was a welcomed treat. This classic British tale captivates me. I LOVE their love.
Memorable Quotes:
"I love you. Most ardently." -Mr. Darcy


7. Titanic
Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet
1997
I was nine years old. James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies was sold out so we ended up watching Titanic. And two days later I owned every magazine that Leo was in. It was love. Jack Dawson remains one of my favorite fictional characters. He was poor, yes, but he was full of life and he had the best hair. Though Rose was full of lies, this movie shows how powerful love can be in the most trying of times.
Memorable Quotes:
"I'll never let go. I'll never let go, Jack." -Rose


8. Beauty & The Beast
Paige O'Hara & Robby Benson
1991
Finally! A Disney heroine who is actually smart! She actually reads! With a mansion full of inanimate objects that dance and talk, how could this not be one of the best romantic movies? Plus the Beast gives Belle the BEST gift, a glorious library (and an AWESOME mirror.) My favorite part of this movie is the fact that she had read about Prince Charming and she finally found him!
Memorable Quotes:
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand...I want so much more than they've got planned." -Belle

9. The Sure Thing
John Cusack & Daphne Zuniga
1985
The best John Cusack movie. Hands down. Walter "Gib" Gibson is the best college boy out there. He oozes wit, is beautiful and has a buttery interior. I am so in love with him! The banter is adorable!
Memorable Quotes:
"How would you like to have a sexual encounter so intense it could conceivably change your political views?" -Gib


10. The Princess Bride
Cary Elwes & Robin Wright Penn
1987
I grew up with this movie. My neighbor and I would watch it literally everyday for months. I love the fantasy aspect of it and the fact that is has the cute Wonder Years boy in it! Billy Crystal literally steals his scenes. Cary Elwes is a Sarah Lawrence alum, and the romance between Buttercup and Wesley is unyielding. It is a wonderful story about truuuuueeee loooooveeee.
Memorable Quotes:
"As you wish." -Wesley
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." -Inigo
"INCONCEIVABLE!" -Vizzini

11. When Harry Met Sally
Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan
1989
A cynical New Yorker and a neurotic, meticulous woman make the perfect couple. I love how their story spans years and only when they become friends do they understand one another and fall in love. I LOVE the scenes with the old couples discussing their own love stories. It's adorable and adds a certain amount of charm to the movie as a whole.
Memorable Quotes:
"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I got to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Years Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." -Harry

12. Love Actually
Every British actor!
2003
One of the best holiday films that is filled with love and British accents! The stories are original and quirky. This is one romantic comedy that is full of heart and laughs!
Memorable Quotes:
"We need Kate & Leo, and we need them now." -Daniel