Written by: McKenna Leaden ’16

Valentine’s Day Flicks

One can always rely on a romantic comedy for the perfect dose of a sentimental love story. Girls can attest to the fact that rom-coms  have the power of making your heart smile. Furthermore, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to curl up and watch them! The two go hand in hand, so I have put together a couple of my favorite love-themed films for the occasion. Whether you have watched these several times, or you have never heard of them before, they certainly do not fall short of the feel-good movie category.

 1. Drive Me Crazy

(1999) featuring Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier

One of the best movie categories is the cheesy, high school based, ‘90’s – 2000’s styles. They are relatable even though nothing about them is too up-to-date, such as the picture quality or the wardrobe. Here, Melissa Joan Hart’s character, Nicole, is the school’s committee chair-head for this year’s biggest dance, and she is after the cutest boy in school to snag as a date. But when things do not work out between them, she is desperate for a stand-in guy. Next-door-neighbor-boy is looking like the next best option for her after he is dumped by his girlfriend. Expect a soulful touch with REO Speedwagon’s featured eighties rock song, “Keep On Loving You.” Even better, it can be found on Netflix!

Similar titles: She’s All That & 10 Things I Hate About You

2. Valentine’s Day

(2010) featuring a ton of celebrities! (Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Taylor Swift- just to name a few!)

Similar to the movie, Love Actually, viewers watch tons of relationships intertwine within the large cast assembled in this movie. Each couple creates their own stories for this year’s Valentine’s Day. Based in sunny California, viewers are taken to a local flower shop, an elementary school, a high school track, a fancy restaurant, aboard a plane, and a few other locations of love. If not for the cute stories and lessons of love, watch this movie for the never-ending, star-studded cast!

3. You’ve Got Mail

(1998) featuring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan

Although this movie was released when many of us were just born, or even before then, it is a classic with two great actors and one, a Bethel High alum! Meg Ryan, formerly known as Peggy Hyra, walked these very halls and was nominated Prom Queen. In this love story, Meg Ryan’s character is a small bookstore owner whose business is being threatened by the huge chain bookstore owned by Tom Hank’s character. Yet, the two ironically start communicating with each other via email, not knowing each other’s names or life facts. It is the perfect film for any bookworm or someone who enjoys seeing when life was much simpler, before today’s social media frenzy.

Similar titles: Sleepless in Seattle & Serendipity

*Other romance films that are fitting to the holiday, but a little more dramatic include: Nicholas Spark’s, The Best of Me, and One Day, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, which is based off of the novel by David Nicholls. Both of these can also be found on Netflix.