Valentine’s day is one of those silly holidays where we’re expected to throw a boatload of money and time at the person we love to show them how much we love them. But parents don’t always have all that time and money (or energy), and we often just want to sit on the sofa, munching on popcorn, and watch a movie with our significant other. With Netflix, we don’t even have to search for a video store anymore (sadly, for many, a thing of the past). But what to watch? Many don’t like a traditional romantic comedy, but there are options for romance, comedy, and drama all wrapped into one multi-pleasing film for both mom AND dad.
Here are some of my favourites.
This Judd Apatow movie has got it all—sex, comedy, and romance. The story of Ben and Alison’s one-night-stand-turned-parent-maker is a classic for laughs, a great cast, and all the little shockers that Apatow is famous for. Starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up is sure to make even the pickiest dad want to snuggle up for a cozy night in.
This 80s classic is the story of love-struck loser, Lloyd Dobler, played flawlessly by John Cusack. This Cameron Crowe flick is not your average rom-com, and many guys can relate to Lloyd’s awkward, uncomfortable nerdiness around the beautiful and intelligent Diane. There’s a breakup, a make-up, and the classic stereo-over-the-head-wooing, which makes all women born before 1980 swoon. And the soundtrack, as per all Crowe movies, can’t be beat.
Many consider this to be Sofia Coppola’s best film. The thinly veiled story of her marriage to director Spike Jonez, this story focuses on Charlotte (played perfectly here by Scarlett Johansson)—a lonely young bride who meets a fading American movie star (Bill Murray, in his finest dramatic role) in a hotel in Tokyo. The pair forms a bond that’s so unique and touching, and we all want to know what the hell he says to her that makes her cry so joyfully. Another killer soundtrack and beautiful city scapes of Tokyo make Lost in Translation a must-see.
This one’s definitely more for the fellas. A pre-Pulp Fiction written movie by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this movie is an off-beat romantic tale of a delinquent and his bride (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) and their adventures with pimps, Hollywood executives, and all the rest. This one’s got it all—guns, drugs, and, most importantly, romance. The movie’s going on twenty-years-old, but is as fresh today as it was in 1993.
One of the best romantic-comedies-that-isn’t-a-romantic-comedy to come out in recent years, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the story of Peter, who decides to take off to Hawaii to get over the recent breakup with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall. Unfortunately, she’s at the same resort with her new boyfriend, played brilliantly by Russell Brand. Written by star Jason Segel, this movie’s got it all and even spawned an entirely separate film, Get Him To The Greek, which focuses on Brand’s hilarious and insane character, Aldous Snow. The romance between the star and Mila Kunis is both hilarious and heart-warming. The ultimate “guy’s chick flick.”
So, spill it! What are your favourite Valentine’s Day movies?
Rock n' Roller. Former model & actress. Video game blog contributor. Animal lover. Obsessive culture junkie with a flair for drama. Tattooed. Wild at heart.
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