# Recommend Romantic Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650 "2011-06-07T19:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/41 "2011-06-09T13:16:46Z")
[While you Where Sleeping.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114924/) Very sweet movie. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/42 "2011-06-09T13:55:54Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Love, Actually** would fit the bill. Except for the Alan Rickman / female office assistant bit :(. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/43 "2011-06-09T15:34:46Z")
A Very Long Engagement Somewhere in Time Much Ado About Nothing (Ken Branagh version) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/44 "2011-06-09T15:45:32Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > **L.A. Story** > [@Zebra](#): > > A Very Long Engagement Two movies with tuba-playing women! Make it a double feature! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/45 "2011-06-09T16:04:33Z")
> [@pakalolo](#): > > [True Romance](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108399/combined) Amen! And if you will permit a slight violation of the OP’s “hetero love stories that don’t involve infidelity or serious angst” there are some thrillers that cross the border into romance such as: [A Place in the Sun (1951)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043924/) [Blade Runner (1982)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/) [Body Heat (1981)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082089/) [Elmer Gantry (1960)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053793/) and if you can find it [Gotham (TV 1988)/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095246/) ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/46 "2011-06-09T18:35:58Z")
Yeah, infidelity is really off the table. Sad or ambiguous endings as well. And the love story should be the primary plot, the reason for the existence of the movie. For example, _Body Heat_ is a favorite movie for many reasons, but isn’t a candidate here. Same with _Love, Actually_. Etc. But, many good suggestions … and additional confirmations. 🙂 More always welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/47 "2011-06-09T19:16:55Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > … NOT necessarily romantic comedies, and especially not modern romantic comedies. blech. But, hetero love stories that don’t involve infidelity or serious angst. Lighthearted is OK, as is more serious/dramatic. Steamy preferred but not required. Also prefer protagonists that are over, say, 25. Any era, any genre. > > Go! Let’s see. Steamy? Check Protags 25? Check No infidelity? Check, though something is suspected. Not a formula rom-com? Check. Lighthearted? Check. Zack and Miri make a porno. No, really. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/48 "2011-06-09T19:21:02Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > Zack and Miri make a porno. > > No, really. I believe you! And I sorta wanted to see it anyway … ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/49 "2011-06-09T19:55:41Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Amen! > > And if you will permit a slight violation of the OP’s “hetero love stories that don’t involve infidelity or serious angst” :smack: I missed the “don’t” in the OP. Oh, well… ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/50 "2011-06-09T20:25:45Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > Let’s see. > Steamy? Check > Protags 25? Check > No infidelity? Check, though something is suspected. > Not a formula rom-com? Check. > Lighthearted? Check. > > Zack and Miri make a porno. > > No, really. Yes! Another “please don’t let the marketing make you miss this great movie” movie! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/51 "2011-06-09T22:50:56Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > And the love story should be the primary plot, the reason for the existence of the movie. _sad_ This rule crosses off a beautiful, lovely, wonderful movie that opens in theaters tomorrow, called [Beginners](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1532503/). It’s half about the love story of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and Anna (Mélanie Laurent), and half about the love of Oliver and his father Hal (Christopher Plummer). And a bit more (there’s the love of Oliver for his mother, the love of Hal for his lover Andy\* and the love of Oliver, Hal, Anna and for the dog Arthur (Cosmo) thrown in). The movie is so full of love and joy, with some sadness, but not overwhelmingly so. None of it is cloying or sappy in the least. - there’s no infidelity. Hal has a good marriage, never cheats, and doesn’t come out of the closet until his wife has died. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/52 "2011-06-10T02:54:41Z")
“A Matter of Life and Death” – by Powell and Pressburger, with David Niven, Kim Hunter, Richard Attenborough, Marius Goring, Roger Livesey. I noticed there was a thread about this one a while ago, here, which is good. I watch this pretty often, and it’s the only movie I’ve actually cried at for a long, long time. Good, clean fun. It’s actually pretty steamy for the time – I think Kim Hunter is nice to look at, and Kathleen Byron is pretty stern here, as a bonus, which works for her, I think (and for me). I would call it a pretty serious, moderately sexy movie with a happy ending. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650/53 "2011-06-10T03:14:00Z")
_Pride & Prejudice_ (the 2005 version) - This movie is why I’m borderline-obsessed with Keira Knightley; she’s luminous and irresistible in it. Great cast, script, cinematography and soundtrack, too. _Heaven Can Wait_ - Funny and sad and wry and wonderful, all at once. _Groundhog Day_ - One of the best romantic comedies _ever_. Sweet and sarcastic in just the right measures. Best seen in February, obviously. _Love, Actually_ - Another great BritRomCom, and not just because, ahem, Keira Knightley is in it. _While You Were Sleeping_ - I haven’t seen this since it first came out, but I remember really liking it then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-romantic-movies/584650.md?page=2)