Saturday, February 13, 2016

MOVIE WEEKEND: VALENTINE'S DAY

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

It's not too late to pick out a movie for Valentine's Day. Besides, it doesn't have to be February fourteenth to enjoy a romantic movie.

My choices aren't contemporary because I made them for a newspaper column in 2001.

10. Sabrina, 1954, stars Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden. Although it was made before many of us were born, it's one of the finest romances I've seen, and I loved it from the start. The chauffeur's daughter, lovely Sabrina Fairchild, falls in love with the younger son of the family for whom her father drives. But perhaps the older son is the better man for Sabrina.

9. Peggy Sue Got Married , 1986, stars Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage. Peggy Sue faints at her high school reunion and comes to--back in high school. Will she do things differently the second time around?

8. Say Anything, 1989, stars John Cusack and Ione Skye. This film has my all-time favorite answer to a stupid question parents always ask. Diane Court's father asks Lloyd Dobler, a recent high school graduate, what he wants to do. Lloyd answers: "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

7. As Good As It Gets, 1997, stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear. This film brought Nicholson his third Oscar, while Hunt received her first as Carol, who gradually learns to love Nicholson's obnoxious Melvin Udall.

6. Moonstruck, 1987, stars Nicolas Cage and Cher. When the moon hits her eye like a big pizza pie, Loretta Castorini finds romance with her fiance's brother. And there's nothing halfhearted about the love between Ronny and Loretta. They're carried away by the lunacy of love.

5. An Affair to Remember, 1957, stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. It's sweet and sentimental to the point of being maudlin, and I love it. Will Nicky become a successful painter? Why doesn't beautiful nightclub singer Terry McKay meet him at the Empire State Building?

4. Sleepless in Seattle, 1993, stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Based on An Affair to Remember, but with far more humor, will this couple manage to meet at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day?

3. Annie Hall (shut up, Pickleope, 1977) stars Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. At the height of the romance between Alvy Singer and Annie Hall, Alvy tells Annie that "love is too weak a word for what I feel--I luuuuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you."

2. When Harry Met Sally, 1982, stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Harry and Sally are the best of friends--until they realize they're in love. Love almost ruins a beautiful relationship. I still repeat my favorite line delivered in the restaurant by an actress who happens to be director Rob Reiner's mother: "I'll have what she's having." You know what I mean.

1. Casablanca, 1942, stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. "Play it." Sam plays the piano and sings, "You must remember this / A kiss is still a kiss / A sigh is just a sigh . . . "

As we fade to black, I hope you can rely on love this Valentine's Day, and as times goes by.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

P.S. Wow! I didn't realize how dated this list was until I got it out of its hiding place with other articles I wrote. I've seen a lot of great movies since 2001. Maybe I'll come up with a new list next year, but I can't imagine any movie taking the #1 spot from Casablanca.

10 comments:

  1. I don't think it is dated, just great movies.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. If I'm going to have a top ten list, then I'll probably replace a couple of the songs from the eighties and nineties.

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  2. I think I'm about due for another viewing of Casablanca.

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    1. I haven't seen it in years. Who knows? It might lose it's #1 spot.

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  3. A lot of good movies there. I still believe in romance even if I made the decision to be alone 23 years ago. It just wasn't in the cards for me. Apparently, I had no luck (or good sense) when it came to relationships and, in my case, I decided that they were more trouble than they were worth. I've happily spent decades alone on Valentine's Day. Safer that way. ;)

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    1. I'm content to see Willy Dunne Wooters once a week. More than that, and he might drive me crazy.

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  4. Oh you know me-Love your list! Casablanca is tops for me and glad you love Sabrina. I would place Dr. Zhivago on my list. I could see you place Love, Actually here. I still have to see Say Anything and Annie Hall

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    1. The dialog for Say Anything isn't very good, but I love the blossoming relationship between Lloyd and Diane. Annie Hall is great because Diane Keaton is so good in it. Besides, it's funny.

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  5. Moonstruck is a wonderfully romantic movie.

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    1. When the moon hits your high like a big pizza pie, that's amore. Now I want to go out and howl at the moon.

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