Good Media
Love in the Movies
Andrea Rock, contributing editor
In December, I noted that there are fewer Christmas television shows aired than there were in “the good old days,” and recommended Christmas DVDs to rent or buy. Now in February, the month of Valentines Day, I’ll bemoan the current state of film and television about romantic love. In today’s world, romance is increasingly treated as “a second hand emotion,” as Tina Turner crooned in her 1984 hit single, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” Sexual innuendo, sexual dialogue, and explicit sexual scenes dominate modern media, rarely connected to the notion of love and marriage. So this month, why not rent or buy some of the classic oldies that celebrate good, old-fashioned love, with all of its trials and triumphs!
Here is a long list of favorites to consider:
“Gone with the Wind.” 1939, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Classic love story set during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
“Casablanca.” 1942, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Set during World War II, a man torn between love and virtue, as he fights against the Nazis in his own way.
“Roman Holiday.” 1953, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.
“An Affair To Remember.” 1957, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. A handsome playboy and beautiful nightclub singer begin a shipboard romance that blossoms into love, questions, and an uncertain future.
“West Side Story.” 1961, starring Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, and George Beymer. The film version of the Broadway musical, which was based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
“Breakfast At Tiffany’s.” 1961, starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.
“Doctor Zhivago.” 1965, starring Julie Christie and Omar Sharif. Set during the tumultuous times of World War I and the Russian Revolution. Based on the Russian novel by Boris Pasternak.
“Love Story.” “1970, starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal. Based on an Erich Segal novel, the story of love between a man and his wife, and also between the man and his father.
“The Way We Were.” 1973, starring Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand. A story about star-crossed lovers, radical politics, personal ideals, and bittersweet endings.
“An Officer And A Gentleman.” 1982, starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger. A U.S. Navy officer candidate and a factory worker develop a romantic relationship.
“Princess Bride.” 1987, starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin and Robin Wright. A classic fairy tale, read by a kindly grandfather, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess.
“Sleepless in Seattle.” 1993, starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger. A recently-widowed man's son calls a radio talk show in an attempt to find his father a partner.
“As Good As It Gets.” 1997, starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt. An obsessive-compulsive writer and a single mom eventually realize the depth of their relationship.
“A Walk to Remember.” 2002, starring Mandy Moore, Shane West, and Peter Coyote. Two North Carolina teens are thrown together after one gets into trouble and is made to do community service.
“The Notebook.” 2004, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love during the 1940s. Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel.
I hope that your month, and your year, are filled with love!
