Skip the Typical Chick Flicks This V’Day
What
are you planning for the most romantic day of the
year? Instead of going out for dinner and a movie, how about
staying in? Cook a romantic dinner and watch a movie for just
you two. During pandemic years, this is our best bet anyway!
For
this evening, let’s consider three romantic movies of the ‘80s that both men
and women might enjoy.
The Princess Bride (1987) with Cary Elwes and Robin Wright
Lying
in bed with a cold, the little boy’s grandfather begins telling a
story. After the first few sentences of the book, the little one
sighs, “Ah no, is this going to be a kissing book?”
Intelligent
and with perfect comedic timing, this story pokes fun at love stories and fairy
tales, all the while unfolding an endearing love story. It’s
this back and forth between, love, action, and betrayal – with a bit of
cluelessness – that really sells this as a classic comedic movie. Besides
excellent casting and superb scripting, the narration of the grandfather aids
in the suspension of disbelief.
Classic
quotes from this movie are still bandied about today such as: “Never go against
a Sicilian when death is on the line…ha, ha….” At this point, the
Sicilian falls over dead.
“The
bride tells her soon-to-be father-in-law, the king, that as soon as she reaches
the honeymoon suite she is killing herself. To this he deadpans, “Won’t
that be nice.”
“As
you wish,” the man-in-black yells as he rolls down a remarkably high
hill. Granted, this last line is much funnier when you see the
film.
When Harry Met Sally (1989) with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal
Taking
the long road traveling toward love, Harry and Sally make you wait for
it. Nevertheless, the wait is worth it. They meet,
dislike each other, argue, years pass, and finally learn to listen to each
other.
Once
they finally become friends, they share everything—including Harry’s
romantic conquests and his belief that they were all quite
satisfied. This line of sharing leads to the quote that
ranked #33 on the 100 Years...100 Movie
Quotes.
Sitting
in a crowded delicatessen, and clearly irritated, Sally states, “All men
are sure it never happens to them; and most women at one time or another have
done it, so you do the math.” Harry smirks. She proves her point
with the iconic, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” table-pounding climax people are still
talking about (video). It’s the scene that made all of us
identify with a fellow diner who said, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Dirty Dancing (1987) with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze
It
seems like forbidden love draws us into a story quicker than ice cream melting
on a hot summer day. Like Romeo and Juliet, a relationship between a
doctor’s daughter and the hired help was a no-no. Nevertheless, just
as Romeo and Juliet became lovers despite family pressures, Baby, and Johnny—a
dance instructor at the vacation resort—do as well. Happily, this is
where the similarity ends.
In
this story, our two lovers prevail due to their love of dancing and Baby’s
blind eye to stereotypes. Through her openness and eagerness to help
others, the sheer veil of our class system is revealed and falls
away. The climax of the movie begins with Johnny delivering a
classic line most men in love can identify with. Even though false
accusations result in his firing, Johnny returns to the resort to dance with
Baby for their final dance. When he finds her seated in the corner
of the dining room, he sneers, “No one puts Baby in the corner!”
Classic.
The
two then stroll out to the dance floor surprising all, including her father,
with a perfectly executed dance routine played out to the tune “I’ve had the time
of my life”. Watch the movie and share that
feeling.
Please
Read
Dating
Etiquette: What do people really want on their dates?
Beware
Sharing Too Much & Hurting Others on Social Networking Sites
Rules to
Avoid Sleeping in the Doghouse on V'day
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