5 classic romantic movies to watch this Valentine's Day
Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, the fact that it falls on a weekend provides an opportunity to watch or re-watch some of the greatest love stories Hollywood has to offer. While there are a copious number of romantic flicks that make you want to fall in love, there are some that have gone on to become the ideal love story. This season, we take a look at five classic romance dramas to hunker down and watch with your partner.
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts' on-screen love story is the stuff of dreams. Directed by Gary Marshall, 'Pretty Woman' follows Hollywood escort Vivian Ward and a wealthy raider, Edward Lewis, who hires Roberts' War for several business functions. Sparks fly during the pair's week-long stay. What follows is a classic love story when Lewis falls head over heels for her.
'You've Got Mail' (1998)
Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. 'You've Got Mail' follows Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, who fall in love when exchanging mail online. Trouble ensues when they realize their virtual lovers are also major business rivals in real life. Also starring are familiar names in Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn, and Greg Kinnear.
'The Notebook' (2004)
Ryan Gosling's status as a Hollywood heartthrob began with 'The Notebook'. Starring Rachel McAdams as his co-star, the Nick Cassavetes-directed romance drama sees the two as a young couple in the 1940s. Their story is narrated by an elderly man reading it from a notebook to a fellow nursing home resident.
'The Proposal' (2009)
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds make you laugh, cry, and cheer for them to get together in their love story that travels from New York City to Alaska. Bullock plays Margaret Tate, an editor-in-chief of a publishing house who learns of her possible deportation from the US after her visa application is denied. In her attempt to retain her position at work, she convinces her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds), to act as her fiancé.
'The Sound of Music' (1965)
Regarded as a timeless romance classic, 'The Sound of Music' stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, along with Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, and Eleanor Parker in key roles. Set in Austria, the film is a fictional retelling of Maria von Trapp's experiences as governess to her seven children, her marriage to Captain Georg von Trapp, and their miraculous escape in 1938.
