The 100 Greatest Romances
The Different Movie Lists
1. Casablanca (1942)
Also on the Greatest (2), 10th Anniversary (3), Thrillers (37), and Inspirational (32) Lists - Definitely worth its place as number 2. A great movie that was not a romance as I thought it would be, being more like an anti-romance taking place during WWII. I was hesitant to watch this movie at first but afterwards I will recommend this to anyone. The main plot is about 2 people trying to escape German occupied Morocco to the US. The dialogue is very strong and it contains several underlying plotlines not immediately noticeable. It very easily drags you into the movie.
2. Gone With the Wind (1939)
Also on the Greatest (4), 10th Anniversary (6), Inspirational (43), and the 10 Top 10 - Epic (4) Lists - The classic itself, if not one of the longest movies on the list. The romantic movie of the Civil War era, if any others were even made. Considered by many to be the best romance of all time. The story consists of a love quadrangle that contains the horrors of war as it's backdrop. A must watch for anyone, and one of my wife's favorites.
3. West Side Story (1961)
Also on the Greatest (41), 10th Anniversary (51), and Musicals (2) Lists - The musical based on Romeo and Juliet set in "modern" day New York. Very good catchy music and great acting. It really shows the grittiness of New York at times. Although I question whether gangs in NYC really know all the moves in choreographed dances.
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
Also on the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (4) List -
5. An Affair to Remember (1957)
6. The Way We Were (1973)
7. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Also on the Greatest (39) List -
8. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Also on the Greatest (11), 10th Anniversary (20), Inspirational (1), and the 10 Top 10 - Fantasy (3) Lists - The classic about a man who feels his life is in the dumps and then a miracle grants him his wish of never being born and shows to him how much of an impact he has had. The epitome of the idiom "careful what you wish for." A little impractical at times, especially the view of the world without him, but uplifting and enjoyable non the less.
9. Love Story (1970)
I imagined this was going to be more of a "chick flick" then anything else but my wife vouched for it, so I watched it. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It basically is a love story based on a couple, where one is eventually diagnosed with a terminal illness. It is touching and sad but still a very good movie.
10. City Lights (1931)
Also on the Greatest (76), 10th Anniversary (11), Comedies (38), Inspirational (33), and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (1) Lists -
11. Annie Hall (1977)
Also on the Greatest (31), 10th Anniversary (35), Comedies (4), and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (2) Lists - Woody Allen's best movie ever. The movie follows the relationship between a whiney city boy played by Allen and his girlfriend a country bumpkin (Keaton). Its told mostly in the first person perspective of Allen resulting in a very funny "real" type of movie. When your in a comedic type of mood, this would be a good movie to watch.
12. My Fair Lady (1964)
Also on the Greatest (91) and Musicals (8) Lists - Based on the inspirational play Pygmalion that very few people have actually heard about. Its a very simple concept really, a highly educated linguist who can tell the difference between any accent ever is challenged to convert a street tramp into the belle of the ball. The problem starts when he starts to have feelings for her. Some very enjoyable songs, although not as well know as some other musicals, still sing-a-long worthy.
13. Out of Africa (1985)
14. The African Queen (1951)
Also on the Greatest (17), 10th Anniversary (65), and Inspirational (48) Lists - A rather fun movie about a rough around the edges man who saves a prim and proper girl. Eventually they sail down a river chasing after a German ship so that they can destroy it. Bogart plays the part of the rough guy perfectly and the match up of the two main characters is pure magic. The story seems to slow down a bit in the middle as they are just on a steamship in the river for most of the time but the movie works well with it.
15. Wuthering Heights (1939)
Also on the Greatest (73) List -
16. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Also on the Greatest (10), 10th Anniversary (5), Comedies (16), and Musicals (1) Lists - The top musical on the list. Rather strange at times it is very enjoyable and the music is definitely catchy. The plot follows a couple of vaudeville actors, where after the advent of movies with sound, her career is in jeopardy due to her shrill voice. For those of you whole love musicals you have probably have already seen this but if not, you should.
17. MoonStruck (1987)
Also on the Comedies (41) and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom Lists -
18. Vertigo (1958)
Also on the Greatest (61), 10th Anniversary (9), Thrillers(18), and the 10 Top 10 - Mystery (1) Lists - Another of the Hitchcock movies on the list, this one focusing on a police detective's fear of heights. After a fellow officer is killed because he is frozen with fear John Ferguson (Stewart) retires from the force. Unfortunately he is then asked to follow his friends wife, who also dies because of his fear of heights. The best thing about the movie was the remarkable camera effects showing Ferguson's vertigo.
19. Ghost (1990)
This is one of those "modern" romances that everyone has seen at least part of the movie. That is because it is on almost all the time on one channel or another. Well I decided it was time to sit down and watch and I was pleasantly surprised. It is intensive, romantic, and humorous. The movie is basically a murder mystery where a guy is killed and he haunts his woman to try and figure out who killed him. Very good, a definite recommendation.
20. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Also on the Greatest (52) List - Personally, I feel this is among the great classics like Gone With the Wind and should be closer to the top of the list. The story is about the soldiers and families shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story is about an army officer who is sent to a remote outpost because he refused to box for the army. The film is filled with tragic romances between the characters, culminating in the trademark scene of the movie where Lancaster and Kerr are rolling around the sand and kissing on the beach.
21. Pretty Woman (1990)
22. On Golden Pond (1981)
Also on the Inspirational (45) List -
23. Now, Voyager (1942)
24. King Kong (1933)
Also on the Greatest (24), 10th Anniversary (41), Thrillers(12), and the 10 Top 10 - Fantasy (4) Lists - I started out watching this movie basing it on the recent Peter Jackson remake. The problem is that you need to take into consideration the time period. Currently the graphics of King Kong would be downright laughable today, while back then they were cutting edge. The movie was very enjoyable though. Actually, Jackson's remake just seemed to be an extension of the movie, taking all the same parts and just putting in extra parts in between. That made the movie fly right by since I already knew basically what was going to happen. But it was still a good movie and groundbreaking at the time. The fight between Kong and the T-Rex was very well done and actually more violent than I was anticipating, especially since the meeting with the natives was far less violent then I would have thought. All in all, I would recommend seeing this one before the Peter Jackson movie, but an entertaining movie none the less.
25. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Also on the Comedies (23) and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (6) Lists - The movie follows the 11 year romantic journey of 2 people, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. The acting is superb in the movie and the story line is perfect. Definitely a "chick flick" but one worthy of seeing by anyone.
26. The Lady Eve (1941)
Also on the Comedies (55) List -
27. The Sound of Music (1965)
Also on the Greatest (55), 10th Anniversary (40), Musicals (4), and Inspirational (41) Lists - One of the most popular musicals of all time. It is based on the Von Trapp family who during WWII were eventually forced to leave their native Austria. The main plot of the movie follows a former nun who finds her true calling as a governess to the family and eventually melts the heart of the once stern father. This all occurs in lighthearted nature over several irritatingly get stuck in your head musical numbers. Obviously their situation was portrayed not as dire as it actually was but it is still an enjoyable movie.
28. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
29. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Also on the Inspirational (68) List -
30. Swing Time (1936)
Also on the 10th Anniversary (90) List -
31. The King and I (1956)
Also on the Musicals (11) List -
32. Dark Victory (1939)
Also on the Inspirational (72) List -
33. Camille (1937)
34. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Also on the Musicals (22) and the 10 Top 10 - Animation (7) List - Beauty and the Beast is the second movie that Disney released after they revitalized their animated movies with The Little Mermaid. When I watch Beauty and the Beast I feel the musical genera, like Phantom of the Opera, spills out of the TV screen. This movie was also one of the first movies to use computer generated scenes with traditional animation overlaid on top of it. Being one of the first movies to do this, one would expect it to be choppy and not well done, however the background is almost flawless, if not obviously computer generated, during the big dancing scene towards the end of the movie. In regards to the story, I have often heard people decry the movie as showing a weak central female character hoping the brutish man would change for her. Instead, while I watch it, I see a very strong female protagonist who stands toe-to-toe with every man in the movie, never once backing down. If anything this is almost a female empowerment movie, showing women that they don't have to take what is given to them and that they can take what they want for their lives. On top of everything is the music. The music composed for this movie is one of those that gets stuck in my head for days and I'm not all that perturbed by it. I love the music for this and Angela Lansbury has a surprising nice singing voice to boot. Overall, a highly enjoyable movie which is not a misogynistic as I think people claim it to be.
35. Gigi (1958)
36. Random Hearts (1942)
37. Titantic (1997)
Also on the 10th Anniversary (83), Thrillers(25), and the 10 Top 10 - Epic (6) Lists -
38. It Happened One Night (1934)
Also on the Greatest (35), 10th Anniversary (46), Comedies (8), and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom Lists - Another classic staring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The plot is simple, rich girl runs away from home because her daddy won't let her marry the man she wants. This draws national attention as the father posts a reward for finding her. This is where Gable comes in as a reporter to get the scoop of a lifetime. Well written and very humorous. Another timeless classic.
39. An American in Paris (1951)
Also on the Greatest (68) and Musicals (9) Lists - Overall An American in Paris is a good movie. The plot is easy to follow and intriguing, the dancing is phenomenal, and the singing is entertaining, but the musical portions seemed to have no connection to the plot of the movie. Maybe I am just jaded by modern day movies but the meaning for last 18 minutes completely eluded me. The very end also seemed to be a bit too good to be true. The story is basically an American painter (Gene Kelly) is in Paris and falls in love with a French girl (Leslie Caron) who happens to be engaged to another man. Like anyone would expect the French girl ends up with the American but for no apparent reason the man she was engaged to seems happy at the match. Not one of the best movies on the list and seemed to drag on at times.
40. Ninotchka (1939)
Also on the Comedies (52) List -
41. Funny Girl (1968)
Also on the Musicals (16) List - Based on the name, the cultural hype around the musical, and that it stars Barbra Streisand, I had assumed that this would strictly be a comedy. I was dead wrong. While the movie was definitely laugh out loud funny at times, I was not anticipating the sad turn that the movie takes towards the end. It also wasn't out of nowhere. The ending makes sense after what was built throughout the story but it was totally unexpected. The play is about a girl, Fanny, who does not see herself as traditionally pretty but wants to make it in theater anyway so she leans in towards her humorous side. And while her humor does open doors for her, it's really her gumption that gets her to where she is one of the most popular performers of her time. Her counterpoint is a husband who leans in towards the toxic masculinity hard, to the point that he'd rather completely destroy his life instead of accept financial help from his well-to-do wife. And while it was unexpected, it was really enjoyable and I'd recommend it.
42. Anna Karenina (1935)
43. A Star is Born (1954)
Also on the Musicals (7) List -
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Also on the Greatest (51), 10th Anniversary (44), Comedies (15), and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (5) Lists - Staring the royalty of the big screen, Stewart, Grant and Hepburn, this is a quick witted romantic comedy. Some of the jokes are rather fast at times though, so if you are not paying attention you are likely to miss them. The story involves a love pentagon with Tracy Lord (Hepburn) about to get married and the national tabloid wanting a story on it. The tabloid sends in some reporters via Lord's ex-husband (Grant) who represents the fun rich while her fiancée represents the poor hardworking guy who just wants his name in the paper. Insert romance here and you have a classic that is as timeless now as it was then.
45. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Also on the 10 Top 10 - RomCom (10) List - This seems to me to be another in a long line of Meg Ryan romance movies. The plots always seem to be similar and nothing really stands out about most of them, except this one I seem to remember a bit more than most of them. The acting usually pretty good in all of them, just this one seems to have a better, more heart endearing plot. The other movies after this seem to be getting just a bit too much like a cliché. Overall a rather good movie to watch on a rainy afternoon.
46. To Catch a Thief (1955)
47. Splendor in the Grass (1961)
48. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
49. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
50. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
This is actually a very sweet movie that follows the (fictional?) writing of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. I think the plot line was very well done, interspersing lines from Romeo and Juliet into the the actual movie as inspiration for the play itself. You would think that something like that would feel forced but I think they pulled it off rather well. The movie also has humor interspersed throughout the movie but not too much that it would be considered a comedy. All in all I think a must watch if you are in the mood for a nice romantic movie.
51. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Also on the Greatest (97), 10th Anniversary (88), and Comedies (14) Lists - This movie caught my eye a while ago because it was about a paleontologist, and being a paleontologist myself I was curious. Since this is an older comedy though I was cautious. What people found to be funny at that time and current days standards are often very different, however this was on the 100 Greatest Movies list and seemed to be ranked highly among comedies so I gave it a shot. In regards to the movie itself, even though the paleontology was downright atrocious (if those dinosaur skeletons looked any faker I may have vomited) the movie was actually enjoyable. I even laughed out loud a couple of times, something I don't often say for these older movies even if I enjoy them. The plot is thin but the characters are fun for the most part. Hepburn's character could use a good punch in the face though. She plays a very spacey woman who seems to not understand what she is doing the majority of the time while in the process of "ruining" Grant's chances of obtaining a grant for his museum. Things work out in the end of course, because how often do they not? Overall, I'd say an enjoyable movie and well worth the cost of admission.
52. The Graduate (1967)
Also on the Greatest (7), 10th Anniversary (17), and Comedies (9) Lists - The story of a man who just graduated from college and has his whole life in front of him and is not sure what to do now. This is a weird movie about how a man starts sleeping with a woman twice his age then is forbidden to ever see her daughter again. Enjoyable and funny, a must watch.
53. A Place in the Sun (1951)
54. Sabrina (1954)
55. Reds (1981)
Also on the 10 Top 10 - Epic (9) List -
56. The English Patient (1996)
57. Two for the Road (1967)
58. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Also on the Greatest (99) and Inspirational (35) Lists - And yet another movie on the list regarding tolerance and race relations. Though it has a pretty simple plot white girl brings black guy home to her overly protective parents in the strict 60's. What made this movie different was the simplicity with how they presented the subject. The male was a top of his class, handsome physician. In other words he is the perfect mate to make any parent proud to have as a son-in-law. The only problem, he's black. The movie is lighthearted at times with still the reality that her parents need to come grips with the fact that her daughter is in an interracial relationship.
59. Picnic (1955)
60. To Have and Have Not (1944)
61. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
I actually wanted to see this movie because all of the history that it seems to have. It is a very cute movie about a screen writer living next door to a socialite who does not have a real job. The acting is superb and the storyline is not as simple as one might think. A definite must watch and I feel it should be higher up on the list.
62. The Apartment (1960)
Also on the Greatest (93), 10th Anniversary (80), and Comedies (20) Lists -
63. Sunrise (1927)
Also on the 10th Anniversary (82) List -
64. Marty (1955)
65. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Also on the Greatest (27), 10th Anniversary (42), Thrillers (13), and the 10 Top 10 - Gangster (5) Lists - Starring Warren Beatty as Clyde and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie, this movie is a hit right at the start. The plot line is great, it follows two of the most infamous bank robbers in history from the beginning where Clyde is a car thief and Bonnie his hostage, to their end when they are both shot up. Kind of a romantic thriller with a dismal ending.
66. Manhattan (1979)
Also on the Comedies (46) List -
67. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Also on the Greatest (45) and 10th Anniversary (47) Lists - Another fine work by Brando. The screenplay was written by Williams himself so you know its not going to be that bad figuring the play is one of the best ever written. It is based on a fragile former prostitute who visits her sister in New Orleans and is mercilessly taunted by her brother-in-law. A bit confusing at times but very well acted non the less.
68. What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Also on the Comedies (61) List -
69. Harold and Maude (1971)
Also on the Comedies (45), Inspirational (89), and the 10 Top 10 - RomCom Lists -
70. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
71. Way Down East (1920)
72. Roxanne (1987)
73. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
74. Woman of the Year (1942)
Also on the Comedies (90) List -
75. The American President (1995)
76. The Quiet Man (1952)
77. The Awful Truth (1937)
Also on the Comedies (68) List -
78. Coming Home (1978)
79. Jezebel (1939)
80. The Sheik (1921)
81. The Goodbye Girl (1977)
82. Witness (1985)
83. Morocco (1930)
84. Double Indemnity (1944)
Also on the Greatest (38), 10th Anniversary (29), and Thrillers (24) Lists - The movie starts off with the killer admitting that he did it and then the movie progresses as the killer relates the details of the crime. The first part of the movie felt very dated but I soon got into it and I could see why this would be one of the greatest thrillers of all time. I didn't know what was going to happen next and I really liked it. Other than the general premise of the movie, which is why would the killer sit there and record everything instead of trying to get away, mostly everything seemed to fit nicely into place. A very good movie and one that stands the test of time, I believe.
85. Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
86. Notorious (1946)
Also on the Thrillers (38) List -
87. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
88. The Princess Bride (1987)
Personally I felt this should have been on the Comedy list more than on the Romance list. This is a very funny movie and pretty much has everything you need in a movie, romance, sword fights, etc. An adult fairytale set in the medieval period, it is about a princess whose betrothed is killed and then brought back to life. He then goes and tries to win back his love. If you are in the mood to be entertained this is the movie for you.
89. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Also on the 10th Anniversary (67) List -
90. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
First off I did not expect this ever popular "chick flick" to be about a torrid affair. Basically Eastwood comes strolling into town to take pictures of the bridges and ends up having a romance with a married woman. Don't get me wrong, the story line is excellent and the acting is good. I was just not expecting it.
91. Working Girl (1988)
Also on the Inspirational (87) List -
92. Porgy and Bess (1959)
93. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Ok, what do you think of when I mention 1980's movies? Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing? I thought so. This movie is so ingrained in 80's culture I thought it would be extremely cheesy and stupid. I was wrong and usually when a movie becomes iconic, it is for a reason and this is no exception. A rather enjoyable movie.
94. Body Heat (1981)
Also on the Thrillers (92) List -
95. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
This is my second favorite Disney movie (after Dumbo) and I just absolutely love it. The music is romantic and fitting. The story line is sweet and tender. The perfect snuggle up and date movie.
96. Barefoot in the Park (1967)
97. Grease (1978)
Also on the Musicals (20) List - Another iconic movie on the romance list. This is the 1970's musical. A very fun movie to watch and since everyone knows the words it's all the better.
98. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
99. Pillow Talk (1959)
100. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Also on the 10 Top 10 - Sports (10) List - I guess this would be one of the first of the modern romantic movies. I enjoyed it but I think it got a bit too much hype for itself. The acting I felt was a little over done at times but the romance was good and I guess that is why it is on the list.