Looking for a great, non-stalker way to say "Be mine!" to your Valentine? This Feb. 14, skip the fancy dinners and expensive gifts—though we'd never turn them down—because nothing sets the schmoopy mood like a romantic movie with a sublime onscreen couple. Think Rhett and Scarlett, Rick and Ilsa, Harry and Sally!
To help you sentimental types plan that perfect date night, we've compiled our top 10 romance movies. Like a big, heart-shaped box of chocolates, our assortment has something irresistible for every cinephile—from light, frothy confections (The Princess Bride) to darker, bittersweet treats (Casablanca).
Check out our Valentine's Day gift guide for girls
Feeling amorous yet? Snuggle up to the top 10 romance movies we love, and see if you aren't totally swept away.
Then share the love by telling us which flicks you heart the most!
10. Titanic
Our hearts will go on for this high-seas melodrama, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as star-crossed lovers aboard the titular luxury liner. (Spoiler alert: The ship sinks.) Directed by king-of-the-world James Cameron, Titanic not only won a boatload of Oscars (a record-tying 11); it also became a box-office juggernaut, with "Titaniacs" flooding into theaters for a good boohoo.
9. Love Actually
What's better than seeing two people in love? How about a bunch? Love Actually interweaves multiple characters with various love connections over one Christmas season. This London-set rom-com is packed with holiday cheer and a top-notch cast, including Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley. Not every story gets neatly gift-wrapped up, because love is messy, actually—but also grand.
8. Breakfast at Tiffany's
We're mad for this Mad Men-era gem, starring the incomparable Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. Quirky, vulnerable, and stunning in a little black dress, socialite Holly charms all of New York, especially her new neighbor, struggling writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard). Just try not to cry as Holly and Paul search in the rain for her no-name cat and "Moon River" soars on the score.
7. The Princess Bride
Not include Princess Bride on our list? Inconceivable! This hilarious and highly quotable swashbuckler also boasts one of the sweetest fairytale love stories. A pre-Saw Cary Elwes stars as the dashing pirate (and former stable boy) Westley, while a pre-Penn Robin Wright plays his true love, Buttercup, who must be rescued from an evil prince. We asked for a royal rollicking romance, and director Rob Reiner said, "As you wish."
6. When Harry Met Sally...
Rom-com perfection! Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan match wits in this feisty, funny battle of the sexes, which taught us how to fake an orgasm—at least in a crowded diner. Gloomy Harry and spunky Sally decide to just be friends, but we know (before they do) that these two opposites will attract and enjoy a happily-ever-after. We'll have what they're having.
5. Beauty and the Beast
A fresh take on the tale as old as time, this Disney classic is pure enchantment. Paige O'Hara voices smart, independent Belle, who's imprisoned by the hideous Beast (Robby Benson), but comes to love the soulful guy. The first animated film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, Beauty dazzles with elegant visuals and infectious musical numbers. Want to sing along? Be our guest.
4. Brokeback Mountain
Forget all those parodies and "can't quit you" jokes, because Ang Lee's monumental Mountain is a heartbreaking, groundbreaking love story. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play Wyoming ranch hands who share a tent, some horseplay and ultimately a strong emotional bond for two decades. Ledger's untimely death adds another sad dimension to this devastating drama. Grab your handkerchiefs and saddle on up.
3. Annie Hall
Love conquers all, even Darth Vader! Yep, this Woody Allen triumph beat out Star Wars for the 1978 Best Picture Oscar. Chock full of laugh lines, poignant insights, and even runaway lobsters, the film traces the failed affair between neurotic comic Alvy (Allen) and aspiring singer Annie (adorably ditzy Diane Keaton). Fortunately, the studio nixed Allen's working title, Anhedonia, which means "the inability to feel pleasure." Annie Hall gives us the opposite of that.
2. Gone With the Wind
Frankly, my dear, we do give a damn! Even after all these years, the tempestuous coupling of rakish cad Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and quintessential steel magnolia Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) sets our hearts aflutter! This gorgeous, sweeping Civil War romance is still the highest-grossing movie of all time, when adjusted for inflation. Think you can top that, Avatar? Fiddle-dee-dee!
1. Casablanca
Play it, Sam. Play this movie over and over again. It has everything: Bogie! Bergman! Nazis! We're reduced to sentimental saps every time we watch nightclub owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart) reconnect with former flame Ilsa (ravishing Ingrid Bergman). A 1944 Best Picture Oscar winner, Casablanca is so iconic it inspired Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam and scenes in When Harry Met Sally... As time goes by, we'll always have Paris—and this ultimate Hollywood romance!
