If you’re looking for movies to watch with that special someone this Valentine’s Day, I suggest one of these gems as an alternative to the usual “date movie” suspects. These films highlight the sorrows and comedic travails of their quirky heroes and heroines in their search for true love.
A Fish Called Wanda: John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis steam up the screen in this quirky comedy.
Amélie: Audrey Tautou gives a great performance as a hopeless romantic too shy to pursue the object of her affection.
As Good As It Gets: Jack Nicholson plays Melvin, a man difficult to love, yet who somehow gets under your skin.
Better Off Dead: John Cusack went on to star in more mainstream romantic comedies, but in this film he artfully captures the angst of teenage love.
Brokeback Mountain: This tearjerker is a moving study of love and loss between two ranch hands (Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal) in Wyoming.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The heart of this movie is the quiet chemistry between Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat.
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind: What do you do when love goes wrong? Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in this strange but beautiful film from director Michel Gondry.
Groundhog Day: A delightful comedy about the lengths to which some people go for love.
Lost in Translation: An unlikely friendship between an older man (Bill Murray) and a young woman (Scarlett Johansson) shows that connections can be made in the strangest of circumstances.
Moulin Rouge!: Paris is the romantic backdrop for this splashy and tragic musical featuring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Nights of Cabiria: One of my all-time favorite films, this Fellini masterpiece stars his wife Giulietta Masina as the love-starved Cabiria, who retains her romantic fantasies in the face of a cruel world.
Pride and Prejudice: The 2005 film adaptation of this Jane Austen novel was well-done, but this miniseries, starring Colin Firth as the proud Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as the headstrong Elizabeth Bennett, is pure magic.
The Princess Bride: Sword fights. Rodents of Unusual Size. True love. Who needs more?
Wedding Crashers: Although it could be written off as comedic fluff, there’s a genuine sweetness to this raunchy comedy.
