Ask The Readers: Most Romantic Movie Scenes
We are influenced in many areas of our life by movies, but probably the most influential area is our relationships. Hollywood has been great at capturing the romantic dreams we each have for our marriages. The longing, the desire, the passion – movies have been able to capture the things that stir deep within us.
These moments captured on film have also done something else, perhaps set up unrealistic expectations in marriage (I’ll write more on this later).
This week’s ask the readers will help me with a class I am currently teaching and a future post.
What are your favorite romantic movie scenes?
Whether the scene is realistic or not, share your favorite moment from the movies in the comments.
Corey is the editor of Simple Marriage as well as a licensed marriage & family therapist. While he has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy, he only occasionally likes to be called doctor. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe so you don't miss any future posts.45 Responses to “Ask The Readers: Most Romantic Movie Scenes”
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Rebel Without a Cause – the first kiss scene between James Dean and Natalie Wood. That’s just the best kissing scene in a movie I’ve ever seen. The
it is not a movie scene, but the first kiss between jim and pam on The Office (american version) was so hot and spicy because the tension between them had been building up for so long.
another thought . . .
in terms of creating unrealistic expectations (positive and negative), i would say both sex scenes in Jerry McGuire were really out there and unrealistic (both the rough/wild scene between jerry and his ex-girlfriend and the romantic, sexy scene with renee z.’s character).
Meet Joe Black: When Joe says good bye to the girl, when she realizes who he is.
Most of my favorite movie scenes stem from my middle-school/high-school years. I laugh at some of them now, but they will always remain classics to me.
Anne of Green Gables: At the very end, where Gilbert and Anne have their first kiss. I always thought I would like my first kiss to be sort of like that.
Much Ado About Nothing: Beatrice and Benedick finally publicly admit their affection for each other, amidst their continued bickering. Finally Bendedick says, “Peace, I will stop your mouth,” and kisses her. Love it!
An Affair to Remember: Love the part when they’re walking down the stairs, and all you see is his arm pulling her back up the stairs (obviously for a kiss, though you can only see their lower half). When their faces do appear, they are just glowing.
Ok, enough with all my silly high-school romantic memories.
This one may be weird but at the end of Camelot when King Arthur meets Guinevere (being escorted by the nuns) after all of the fighting. They both love each other but know that they can’t fix the problem of her unfaithfulness and will never be together. I think I believe it is so romantic because for the first time Guinevere is real with King Arthur.
Two movies:
When Harry met Sally
The couch scenes where the couples describe how they met and fell in love.
The scene where Harry tells Sally why he loves her, it is because of all her quirks.
Good Will Hunting
When Robin Williams describes how he misses his wife’s snoring.
Princess Bride
- “as you wish” rolling down the hill
Robin Hood
- the scene where you see Kevin Costner’s butt and Maid Marion blushes
- the sex scene in Robin’s tree house
Dirty Dancing
- the teaching montage
- their first time, in his cabin
- “nobody puts baby in a corner”
Love Actually
- when Colin Firth asks the girl to marry him
Sliding Doors
- the milkshake scene
- “nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition” at the end
Titanic
- “I’m flying”
- “I’ll never let go Jack” at the end
Sound of Music
- The Laendler folk dance on the patio (my #1 romantic scene)
- kissing in the gazebo
I’m in total agreement with Jennifer about the Sound of Music. The dance scene is my #1 romantic scene of all time.
Not surprisingly, I pick the love scene in Terminator.
“I traveled back in time for you.”
The end of Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy get together.
Also, I love the part in Say Anything when Diane comes to the kickboxing place to make up with Lloyd, and he’s like “do you need someone or do you need me? forget it, it doesn’t really matter”
The scene in Phenomenon where Kyra Sedgwick washes and trims John Travolta’s hair and shaves him.
Someone else mentioned it, but I love the scene from Pride and Prejudice as well. And The Princess Bride.
I think my favorite romantic scene is not all that romantic, but I cried when I saw it. In Last of the Mohicans, Uncas and Alice form a silent love, which mostly consists of longing gazes at each other. When Alice is captured by Magua, Uncas is killed trying to rescue her. Magua throws the dead Uncas over a cliff. Alice walks to the edge of the cliff. Magua holds out his bloody hand to her and beckons to her. She turns away and walks off the edge, to join her beloved Uncas in death. *sigh* So romantic.
Oh, and the whole ending of the Notebook.
the whole movie, “the notebook”.
John Wayne kissing Maureen O’Hara in the rain in Ireland from “The Quiet Man”.
The scene from “300″ when they are discussing what King Leonidas needs to do to protect Sparta and Greece. First of all, they are clearly in love and passionate but most of all, they are 100% committed to each other. A complete, badass partnership. No one’s strength diminishes the other and the strength of one is the strength of both.
+1
@Andy That is a GREAT scene!
Love Actually – When Colin Firth lets her out of the car and he says in English “It’s my favorite time of the day, driving you”, and she says in Portuguese, “Its the saddest part of my day, leaving you”
The Truth About Cats and Dogs – Their phone conversation.
The American President – The dance scene when she says she can’t understand how he can take all of the eyes being on him asking who is this girl and why is he dancing with her, and he replies, that the eyes are all on her and the answers are Sydney Allen Wade, and because she said yes. (2nd best is when she comes walking out of the bathroom in his shirt while he is talking about her being nervous about sex)
Ghost – when she finally realizes he is really there, and the tear falls down her cheek.
Overboard – when they are on the boats at the end and leap into the water shouting the names of the lovers who died trying to be together (Catalina and Oturro?)
Others that don’t have a “scene” I can put my finger on, but bring up those feel good feelings:
A Walk in the Clouds
While You Were Sleeping
Hitch
The American President scene described by Steve is my favourite too. The movie is one of my favourites.
-mike
I’m really disappointed to see people have put (hot)’sex’ scenes as ‘romantic.’ If they had described it as a scene where they are ‘making love’ maybe I wouldn’t have been so let down, but I think it just shows how so many people, including women, equate sex with love. In Pride and Prejudice (even the Movie version), they didn’t kiss the entire time until they were married. The Notebook was more about enduring love than hot sex (they probably weren’t getting it on in the old folks home). I just wish we’d learn that sex is not love.
Runaway Bride when she tries to get him back and she gives him her running shoes.
Can’t think of a particular movie but recurring themes – where the man loves his woman because of the weird things she does; where the two people falling in love have an “us against the world” attitude and no one else seems to matter.
Pretty Woman when he searches her out and lets her know he really does love her regardless of who she is.
Titanic – sex scene in the old car
Ditto about the whole movie The Notebook. i.e. when people stay together and love each other for a lifetime.
I love all the scenes from Moulin Rouge. One that sticks out in my mind is the scene at the end where they are singing to each other in the “play.” The moving music definitely makes it romantic, but also their love for each other causing them to forgive and forget. Then she dies, but oh well! I like this movie even though it goes against my better judgement. “Love” in a lot of movies is really infatuation, especially in Moulin Rouge.
@Noelle: If you love each other, then ‘hot sex’ IS love. Hot sex is definitely one of the greatest part of love, it also includes, respect, being part of a team, honesty, loyalty and so forth.
In “Fellowship of the Ring” when Arwen says to Aragorn, “I chose a mortal life.”
Oddly enough, The Green Mile. The way Tom Hanks looks at Bonnie Hunt makes me melt! That kind of tenderness after all those years of marriage is what I aspire to.
The scene in Last of the Mohicans when she says”What are you looking at sir? And he says” I’m looking at you miss”. I love that scene. At the end of Robin Hood when she says “you came for me your alive.” and He says” I would die for you”.
A Beautiful Mind.
At the end when he is giving the acceptance speech.
A Beautiful Mind
When Crowe’s and Connelly’s characters are standing outside in their formal attire starring up at the stars. Crowe’s character takes Connelly’s character’s hand and proceeds to reveal pictures by connecting the stars.
There’s an indie movie called Sweet Land about a couple of immigrants on a farm here in Minnesota. Their whole community shunned them for various reasons and they ended up needing to harvest a huge field without the help of their neighbors; they worked hard together and when they were finished they rested side-by-side in the harvested field.
Very chaste, very real, very romantic. Wonderful movie.
Two scenes from The Notebook. The scene at the dock when he tells her it’s always been her and at the end when he crawls in bed with her and the nurses find them the next morning and they had both past away. I know it sounds bad, but that is true love how he stuck with her all the way to the end.
Oh, Also the part when he says “If your a bird I’m a bird.”
This may not be quite what you are looking for, but I remember the movie “The Story of Us” with Bruce Willis. It just seemed so realistic, and since I’ve been going through some things this year, I could really relate to it now. Especially at the end, when they decide to give it another go, how excited he is about it.
So, kind of the opposite of what you were looking for, eh?
Pretty much all of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But especially the last lines, when they are talking about whether they should try their relationship again:
Joel: I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you.
Clementine: But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I’ll get bored with you and feel trapped because that’s what happens with me.
Joel: Okay.
Clementine: [pauses] Okay.
Sommersby. 1993.
He says: How do you know I am not Jack Somersby?
She says (Jodie Foster playing part): I know because…
Him: How do you know:
Her: I know because…
Him: How do you know?
Her: I know because…
Him: How do you know:
Her: I know because I never loved him the way I love you!
So intense the way she says that last line…
Alright, one more… The Incredibles, right before the battle with the robot…
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): Wait here and stay hidden. I’m going in.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): While what? I watch helplessly from the sidelines? I don’t think so.
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I’m asking you to wait with the kids.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): And I’m telling you not a chance. You’re my husband. I’m with you for better or worse.
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I have to do this alone.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): What is this to you? Playtime?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): No.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): So you can be Mr. lncredible again?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): No!
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): Then what? What is it?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I’m not…
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): Not what?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I’m not strong enough.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): Strong enough. And this will make you stronger?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): Yes. No!
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): That’s what this is? Some sort of workout?
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I can’t lose you again!
BOB (MR. INCREDIBLE): I can’t. Not again. I’m not… strong enough.
HELEN (ELASTIGIRL): lf we work together, you won’t have to be.
There are SO many good ones to choose from. I find that more and more though, I love movies that portray life as it really is. I love the movie The Family Man (I know the whole waking up in a new life isn’t realistic, but bear with me!). I love how it shows married life realistically – hard at times and messy, but wonderful. I love when the main character Jack finally learns what love really is, and changes from selfish and self-serving to discovering a giving and unconditional love.
I think it would have to be from THE NOTEBOOK, at the end when they depart this earth together… I cannot watch that movie and not cry at the end, but it’s beautiful at the same time…
The Notebook – that moment when she becomes lucid just for a few minutes, they are dancing and she remembers. The fact that he read to her everyday so she could remember.
The whole movie of On Golden Pond. Especially when Katherine Hepburn thought Henry Fonda was dying.
The Other Boleyn Girl – scenes between S. Johannson and Eric Bana
My definition of a romantic scene has elements of sexual tension, but some amount of chasteness or self-control. I love Roman Holiday, toward the end when Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are dancing. There is a look between them and a hug that says it all. I think he kisses her too, but it’s been years – I don’t remember. He could take advantage of the situation, but he never does.
either
a. the notebook…the entire thing
or
b. In “Stranger than Fiction” when he brings her “flours”
for me it is a scene from the Village.
Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Lucius Hunt(Joaquin Phoenix) are sitting on the porch late at night. Find it on youtube , it is beautiful!
Ivy : When we are married, will you dance with me? I find dancing very agreeable.
AFTER A PAUSE
Ivy:Why can you not say what is in your head?
Lucius:Why can you not stop saying what is in yours? Why must you lead, when I want to lead? If I want to dance I will ask you to dance. If I want to speak I will open my mouth and speak. Everyone is forever plaguing me to speak further.
Why? What good is it to tell you you are in my every thought from the time I wake? What good can come from my saying that I sometimes cannot think clearly or do my work properly? What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm?
That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker. I fear for your safety before all others. And yes, I will dance with you on our wedding night.
THE LAKE HOUSE when Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are dancing in the backyard and take FOREVER to kiss. It’s sooo sexy. Also, LAST OF THE MOHIGANS when Daniel pushes through the fort to find Madeleine in the infirmary and grabs her and walks off with her. Whew!