Let's hear about them date movies you would like to watch with your girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever, and what movies you wish you saw with a date.
I've made simply a list of possible "date" movies, sorted in ten very very very stereotypical categories that go according to couple personality, or your boyfriend's personality, or girlfriend's personality, or whatever. These are all, in one way or the other, love stories, even if the main focus of the movie isn't the love story that it contains. So yeah, give them a try and see if you like them.
If you notice, I didn't put in any films that were too 'chick-flickish'. I think most boys and most girls would be able to tolerate, for the least, the movies I've listed.
For the couple hung up on magical fantasy movies:You would kiss Daniel Radcliffe if you had the chance? You wish you drank beer with the Hobbits in the Shire? Narnia tugs on your heart-strings? You have a fascination with stories set in fantasy fairytale-like worlds? You like to see sights that don't exist in the real world? Want to see two people kiss in the middle of an enchanted wood? Here are two movies you might fancy for your fanciful taste:
The Princess Bride (1987)Plot Synopsis: When a young boy falls ill, his grandfather pops round to visit him. To cheer his grandson up, Grandpa has brought a storybook; The Princess Bride, a tale of the love between the beautiful Buttercup and the besotted Westley, a love cruelly interrupted by Westley's tragic apparent death at sea when seeking his fortune. Heartbroken, Buttercup has sworn never to love again, but accepts the marriage proposal of the rich and handsome Prince Humperdinck, heir to the throne of Florin; but death is no barrier to true love, and in a story filled with exotically-accented swordsmen, big-hearted giants, genius kidnappers, sadistic torturers, vile swamps, Rodents of Unusual Size, the Dread Pirate Roberts and a somewhat embittered miracle worker, the love between Westley and Buttercup twists and turns on a path filled with adventure. Will the True Love of Westley and Buttercup win the day? Will Inigo Montaya find the six-fingered man who murdered his father? Will Humperdinck's evil plans come to fruition? And, more importantly, will Grandpa be able to tell the story without any of the yucky kissing?
Stardust (2007)Plot Synopsis: The passage from this world to the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold is through a breech in a wall beside an English village. In the 1800s, a boy becomes a man when he ventures through the breech in pursuit of a fallen star, to prove his love for the village beauty. The star is no lump of rock, it's a maiden, Yvaine. Tristan, the youth, is not the only one looking for her: three witches, led by Lamia, want her heart to make them young; and, the sons of the dead king of Stormhold want her because she holds a ruby that will give one of them title to the throne. Assisting Tristan are his mother, the victim of a spell, and a transvestite pirate of the skies. Will Tristan win his true love?
For the couple who has an interest in sports:Play ball. Reach third base. Score a home run. Put the ball into the hole. And other ridiculous perverted sexual innuendo you won't find in the following two movies I'm about to recommend. Basically... all I'm asking is... Can love bloom on the football field... or in a sports movie?
Jerry Maguire (1996)Plot Synopsis: Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he's really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell, an egomaniacal football player. Can Jerry resurrect his career while still staying true to himself?
Cinderella Man (2005)Plot Synopsis: Fact-based story of depression era boxing champ James J. Braddock. The film opens with Braddock winning a fight in 1928 and becoming a contender for a championship bout. The film then quickly jumps five years into the future. The depression is on and Braddock has had a series of defeats. Fighting injured, including with a broken hand, made him less of a fighter. Braddock, like many others in that era, lost everything in the stock market and scrimping by on the small fights he can get and on dock work. His wife would prefer he quit boxing, but knows how badly they need the money to get by with their three kids. Watering down milk just to make it do for several more days is a common occurrence. When his trainer manages to get him one more fight on the spur of the moment against the current #2 contender, Braddock rises to the occasion and knocks him out. His amazing comeback becomes the source of inspiration of many down-on-their-luck Americans. A series of fights later leads to the championship match against the arrogant champ, Max Baer. Baer, who had already killed two men in the ring, urges the older Braddock not to fight him, while Braddock's wife does the same.
For the vulgar couple who likes fart and semen jokes:You and your partner share the same disgusting type of humour and unashamed of it? You like hearing jokes about awkward sex experiences and walk-ins on masturbation (so, so harsh)? You like that kind of raucous comedy where people rattle off F-bombs and semen jokes from a grenade launcher at an average of two per minute? Well, boy, have I got two films for you:
There's Something About Mary (1998)Plot Synopsis: Ted was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary. The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator to track her down. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.
Knocked Up (2007)Plot Synopsis: Slobby Ben and up and coming career girl Alison meet at a bar, and end up having a one night stand. Eight weeks later, Ben is shocked when Alison meets him and reveals that she is pregnant. Despite having little in common, the two decide that they have to at least try to make some kind of relationship work for the baby's sake. Can they come together and make it work?
For the couple that likes shooting, explosions and gore:Are you the type to get excited by gunfire and stylized, violent bloodshed? You like seeing zombies shot in the head? You like to kiss while people are being sliced up? But with that underlying of romantic sweetness and twisted love? Then you might want to take a little visit to a psychologist... and in the waiting room, you and your partner can check out these two movies:
True Romance (1993)Plot Synopsis: Clarence Worley (Christian Slater), a penniless hipster in Detroit with a love for Elvis meets a mysterious hooker paid to meet him named Alabama (Patricia Arquette) on his birthday in a theater at night. Falling in love, he makes it his mission to dispose of her past, namely her violent pimp, Drexl Spivey (Gary Oldman). Defeating him and unknowingly taking a vast fortune of cocaine, the two fight to sell the white gold in Los Angeles as Drexl's associates fight to reclaim it in a bloody romantic thriller full to the brim with style.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)Plot Synopsis: Shaun is having many problems in life. His long-time girlfriend has dumped him due to their almost-daily expedition to Shaun's favorite pub, the Winchester. His temporary management job isn't going well at Foree Electronics, with his subordinates not even giving him the time of day. His deadbeat flatmates, Pete and Ed, are at each others' throats. And, oh yeah, London is overrun with multitudes of zombies. In the midst of this, he must save himself, Ed, his ex, his mom, and his precious record collection. There is a time when a hero must rise...from his couch.
For the timid, sweet, well-versed poetic couple:You like to read stories to each other and just marvel at the language and the imagery? Is your idea of fun sitting under a tree and watching the clouds and trying to see which one is the rabbit and which one is the teddy bear? Are you an eloquent daydreamer? Well, stop daydreaming, open your eyes and watch these two films together:
Shakespeare in Love (1998)Plot Synopsis: Romantic comedy set in London in the late 16th century: Young playwright William Shakespeare struggles with his latest work "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter". A great fan of Shakespeare's plays is young, wealthy Viola who is about to be married to the cold-hearted Lord Wessex, but constantly dreams of becoming an actress. Women were not allowed to act on stage at that time (female roles were played by men, too), but dressed up as a boy, Viola successfully auditions for the part of Romeo. Soon she and William are caught in a forbidden romance that provides rich inspiration for his play.
Amelie (2001)Plot Synopsis: Amélie is a story about a girl named Amélie whose childhood was suppressed by her Father's mistaken concerns of a heart defect. With these concerns Amélie gets hardly any real life contact with other people. This leads Amélie to resort to her own fantastical world and dreams of love and beauty. She later on becomes a young woman and moves to the central part of Paris as a waitress. After finding a lost treasure belonging to the former occupant of her apartment, she decides to return it to him.
After seeing his reaction and his new found perspective - she decides to devote her life to the people around her. Such as, her father who is obsessed with his garden-gnome, a failed writer, a hypochondriac, a man who stalks his ex girlfriends, the "ghost", a suppressed young soul, the love of her life and a man whose bones are as brittle as glass. But after consuming herself with these escapades - she finds out that she is disregarding her own life and damaging her quest for love. Amélie then discovers she must become more aggressive and take a hold of her life and capture the beauty of love she has always dreamed of.
For the wonderfully musical couple:Can you appreciate the philosophy and all the ingredients that go into music when it is being made? Are you passionate about your guitar or *wink* your cello? Would you like your life to be purely musical, harmonious, nothing out-of-tune? I'm afraid that's impossible but while you daydream about your favourite song and hum along to your favourite ballad, here's two films for you:
High Fidelity (2000)Plot Synopsis: High Fidelity follows the 'mid-life' crisis of Rob (John Cuaack), a thirty-something record-store owner who must face the undeniable facts - he's growing up. In a hilarious homage to the music scene, Rob and the wacky, offbeat clerks that inhabit his store expound on the intricacies of life and song all the while trying to succeed in their adult relationships. Are they listening to pop music because they are miserable? Or are they miserable because they listen to pop music? This romantic comedy provides a whimsical glimpse into the male view of the affairs of the heart.
Once (2006)Plot Synopsis: An (unnamed) Guy is a Dublin guitarist/singer-songwriter who makes a living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad's Hoover repair shop by day, and singing and playing for money on the Dublin streets by night. An (unnamed) Girl is a Czech who plays piano when she gets a chance, and does odd jobs by day and takes care of her mom and her daughter by night. Guy meets Girl, and they get to know each other as the Girl helps the Guy to put together a demo disc that he can take to London in hope of landing a music contract. During the same several day period, the Guy and the Girl work through their past loves, and reveal their budding love for one another, through their songs.
For that pseudo-antisocial, indie hipster couple:Do you rip your jeans? Do you consider yourself different from everyone else? Do you despise the mainstream? Is your idea of fun talking about strange things for hours on end and laughing at the weirdest things, except they're not weird to you? Do you crave adventures to go to the places nobody else wants to go? Do you crave movies that nobody else seems to want to watch? Here's two more:
Garden State (2004)Plot Synopsis: Andrew Largeman (Zack Braff) shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor living in Los Angeles, "Large" hasn't been home to the Garden State in nine years. But even with 3,000 miles between them, he's been unable to escape his domineering father Gideon and the silencing effect he's had on his son from afar. Stunned to find himself in his hometown after such a long absence, Large finds old acquaintances around every corner living quite unique lives as gravediggers, fast food knights and the panderers of pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best to avoid a long-simmering but inevitable confrontation with his father. By a twist of fate, Large meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl who is everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life.
Juno (2007)Plot Synopsis: A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno (Ellen Page), a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker (Michael Cera). In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?
For the thinking couple:When you speak, do other people ask you to repeat yourself, not because they didn't hear you, but because they don't understand a single thing you are trying to relate. Do you get a lot of silences, shrugs and "What?"'s any time you try to tell a joke? Does your partner suffer the same thing? Are you looking for a vantage point to look into the smarter, more intellectual side of love? I have two for you:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003)Plot Synopsis: This is the story of a guy, Joel (Jim Carrey), who discovers that his long-time girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has undergone a psychiatrist's experimental procedure in which all of her memory of Joel is removed, after the couple has tried for years to get their relationship working fluidly. Frustrated by the idea of still being in love with a woman who doesn't remember their time together, Joel agrees to undergo the procedure as well, to erase his memories of Clementine. The film, which takes place mostly within Joel's mind, follows his memories of Clementine backwards in time as each recent memory is replaced, and the procedure then goes on to the previous one, which is likewise seen, and then erased. Once the process starts, however, Joel realizes he doesn't really want to forget Clementine, so he starts smuggling her away into parts of his memory where she doesn't belong which alters other things about his memories as well...
Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004)Plot Synopsis: Before Sunrise is a passionate and intelligent romance between a young American, Jesse, (Ethan Hawke) and a French student, Celine, (Julie Delpy). A chance encounter on the train incites intrigue, and Jesse provocatively suggests that Celine postpones her return to France and embarks instead on a spontaneous expedition to Vienna. In the course of their 14-hour relationship, the two share in their love for the unrehearsed and their appreciation for the unexpected as they explore in a powerful meeting of hearts and minds.
Before Sunset is set ten years later as Jesse, a writer from the US, and Celine, a Frenchwoman working for an environment protection organization, acquainted nine years ago on the train from Budapest to Vienna, meet again when Jesse arrives in Paris for a reading of his new book. As they have only a few hours until his plane leaves, they stroll through Paris, talking about their experiences, views and whether they still love each other, although Jesse is already married with a kid.
For the hopeless romantic couple:Are you the type to not approach someone you like? Are you shy, or do they already have a boyfriend or girlfriend or like someone else? Are you that asshole they go to tell you about their love life and you just nod and then beat up your pillow after? In retrospect, would you run across a busy street and stand in the rain for the one you love? Well, you're not alone in the world. And if your life were a movie, it would look like these:
Say Anything (1989)Plot Synopsis: An improbable couple meets after high school graduation and must deal with their friends, family, and other pressures just to stay together. Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is an average kickboxer with a good heart but limited ambition. Diane Court is an aloof genius who is very closely protected by her father. When Diane gets a scholarship to study in England, she has a weighty decision to make.
Roxanne (1987)Plot Synopsis: A modernisation of Edmond Rostands "Cyrano De Bergerac". C.D. Bales (Steve Martin) is a fire chief, who just happens to have an enormous nose. He hires a new fire-fighter, Chris, who is handsome, and knows his hoses, but is useless when it comes to women. Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) is an astronomer who has just arrived in town. She catches the eye of Chris, and he asks C.D. to help him woo her. Little does Chris know that C.D. is mad about Roxanne, but hasn't found the right way to tell her - yet.
For the quirky, offbeat couple:Do you like all things strange and sarcastic? Do you prefer more bitter to sweet in the bittersweet, but still secretly crave the sweet anyway? Do you like to break the rules? Do you like to see love born from suffering? Don't worry, I've catered for you too:
Groundhog Day (1993)Plot Synopsis: A weather man (Bill Murray) is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realisation that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day.
Harold and Maude (1971)Plot Synopsis: Harold is a depressed, death-obsessed 20-year-old man-child who spends his free time attending funerals and committing suicide in front of his mother, but he does not die. At a funeral, Harold befriends Maude, a 79-year-old woman who has a zest for life. She and Harold spend much time together during which she exposes him to the wonders and possibilities of life. After rejecting his mother's three attempts to set him up with a potential wife, and committing fake suicide in front of all of them, Harold announces that he is to be married to Maude. However, Maude has a surprise for Harold that is to change his life forever.
