Romantic Movies

• It Happened One Night — 1934 classic where stars, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert tried to keep themselves apart
• Body Heat — 1981 tale of passion and betrayal, featuring Kathleen Turner and William Hurt
• The Big Easy — Ellen Barkin and Dennis Quaid carried out this New Orleans romantic mystery
• Gone With the Wind — Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh in Scarlett and Rhett's sultry morning-after scene
• Don't Look Now — 1973 realistic love-making scene performed by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie
• Bull Durham — Kevin Costner heats up the set when he paints Susan Sarandon's toenails — in bed!
• The Piano — Holly Hunter stars in this saga of being romantically involved with two men
• North by Northwest — Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint turn a train ride into an intimate night in this Alfred Hitchcock thriller
• The Bridges of Madison County — Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep portray a tender yet urgent mature romance
• The Way We Were — Robert Redford is part of this path of "bittersweet rock romance"

To these "expert" lists, I'd like to add one of my most recent and favorite romantic films, "Phenomenon", starring John Travolta and Kyra Sedwick. There are numerous themes of love which touch my heart each time I watch this charming movie. One scene I find very symbolic and meaningful, is where George shares an apple with Lace's children. He tells them that ,basically, if they throw it away, it'll simply be gone. If, however, they allow some of it inside them, it'll remain a part of them forever. (I.e., if we open our hearts and minds and welcome love, we can always carry it with us. People we love touch our lives and hold the power, if we honor their uniqueness, to make us more, to make us complete.)

My favorite scene of all is the one where Lace gives George a haircut and shave. Throughout the film, the character of Lace is working with a trust issue towards men. This particular scene marks the turning point for her. Through George's complete faith in her, he shows and guides her to trust him. By loving him, she grows stronger and more confident. As she even tells her children: "Don't judge him; See who he is by looking into his eyes." Consequently, my favorite line is from the scene where George is in the hospital, knowing he is dying. With a smile upon his face, he flippantly asks Lace, "Will you love me for the rest of my life?" She replies, with tears in her eyes, "No, George O'Malley, I'm, going to love you for the rest of mine."