Happy late Valentine’s Day, everyone! Maybe some of you are happy that the holiday is over, and maybe some of you are a bit bummed that it’s done. Either way, the celebration of love doesn’t have to end on February 14th. While there are several different kinds of love, I want to focus on the romantic aspect, and by romantic, I mean “conducive to or characterized by the expression of love” (thank you Dictionary.com). So, for this week’s post, I’m going through some lines from movies that I think are pretty doggone romantic but that aren’t really celebrated or well-known.
1) You’ve Got Mail – “But, there is the dream of someone else.”
I know what you must be thinking. How could a breakup scene be romantic? When Kathleen says this, it shows that there’s a possibility of a forever love that her heart holds onto. We spend a lot of time dreaming up what our significant others could look like, sound like, and be like, and there’s something utterly romantic in the fact that our hearts hope for them. We love them before we meet them, and if and when we finally meet them, we have met our dream. Now, tell me that that’s not romantic and makes your heart swell just even a tad.
2) A River Runs Through It – “A place remembered, a field of grass where no one seemed to have been except the deer. And the memory is strengthened by the feeling of you, dancing in my awkward arms.”
Be still my heart! The main character, Norman, is a poet and eventual English teacher, so of course he’s going to hit this one out of the park. Indeed, this whole poem is wildly romantic, and that feeling he talks about of something feeling new, but also like home, and that Jesse (his beloved) gives him that feeling just by her touch has to make your heart sigh at the romance of it all.
3) Crazy Rich Asians – “I’m not leaving because I’m scared, or because I think I’m not enough, because maybe for the first time in my life, I know who I am. I just love Nick so much, I don’t want him to lose his mom again. So, I just wanted you to know that one day, when he marries another lucky girl who is enough for you, and you’re playing with your grandkids while the Tan Hua’s are blooming, and the birds are chirping, that it was because of me: a poor, raised by a single mother, low class, immigrant nobody.”
Just in case you haven’t seen the movie, this quote occurs during a scene in which the protagonist, Rachel, confronts her boyfriend’s (Nick’s) controlling mother. The mother has been out to get Rachel from the beginning, because Rachel is an American-born Chinese as opposed to a China-born Chinese, and that makes Rachel, in the mother’s eyes, not good enough for her son. Despite the animosity between the mother and Rachel, these lines are full of love in so many ways. One, Rachel finally accepts herself as she is and learns to love her identity. Two, Rachel shows an immense love and loyalty to her own mother for her sacrifices. Three, Rachel recognizes that the anger and hatred coming from Nick’s mother actually stems from a place of love (twisted love, but love nonetheless). Four, Rachel loves Nick so much that she’s willing to sacrifice her happiness so that he can have a wonderful life that his mother will be at peace with. You can’t have that much love packed into one scene and not call it romantic.
4) Mulan – “Mulan! Uh . . . . You forgot your helmet. Well, well, well, it’s actually, uh, your helmet, isn’t it? I mean . . . .”
Is Shang the most eloquent fella in all the land? No, but that’s part of the charm of these lines. Plus, he travelled all the way from the capital to Mulan’s little, podunk village. On horseback. To see her and supposedly to return a stupid helmet. Awww, he’s just a mushy gushy romantic trapped inside of a captain’s body, and he’s trying to be true to his heart. You won’t get this joke if you haven’t watch Mulan’s credits. Side note, why have you not watched those credits? Go watch them, and get your old-school dance groove on.
5) When in Rome – “No other shoe is going to drop, Beth. This is real. I’m real.”
Do these lines have almost every romantic cliché in the book? Sure. Is the scene particularly unique? No. Are these lines romantic? You bet your sweet candy hearts they are. Part of the romance comes from Beth opening up to Nick by showing him her favorite painting. Part of the romance comes from Nick tapping into the anxiety that so many of us have when we’re entering into something good—is this real? Can I trust this? Where is the negative hiding that’s surely going to slap me in the face? Part of the romance comes from Josh Duhamel delivering the lines, because he’s Josh Duhamel. Need I say more?
6) Bridget Jones’ Diary – “I know that. I was just buying you a new one. Time to make a new start, perhaps?”
This quote needs a bit of context. Mark has just read one of Bridget’s diary entries in which she excoriates him. He leaves her apartment, and Bridget thinks that her writing has offended him and scared him away. When she finally catches up to him, this scene ensues. The fact that Mark can compartmentalize that Bridget once hated him and instead focus on the here and now in which they are together is intensely romantic. Everyone has a past, but the real questions are: Can you accept that past, focus on your present together, and be excited for your future as a couple? Apparently, Mark can, and that’s so utterly romantic. Plus, he’s giving her an item to encourage her to write. How awesome is that? Get yourself a significant other who encourages your hobbies and passions.
7) Made of Honor – “Nobody in the world makes me laugh the way you do. I just want to be with you.”
I feel like this movie doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, there’s a lot of When Harry Met Sally in it, but it still has its own sweet charm. This line when Tom essentially confesses his love to Hannah is wonderfully romantic, because it touches on two of the most basic things necessary for being in love—the person makes you laugh, and, for some reason, you feel a strong desire to be with that person. It doesn’t matter what you two are doing. It just matters that you are together. Now, ain’t that romantic?
At the Foot of the Sierras 
I totally agreee with that line in You’ve Got Mail. Oh that line!! Simple yet so hopeful and romantic !! I often repeat that to myself. Even though ive these silly crushes i know these boys arent the ones I’ve dreamed about. There is someone else
That’s a great point. There’s something about its simplicity that makes it a fantastic line. Keep holding onto that dream. You’ll find him. 🙂 Thank you for reading!