5 Romantic Movies for a Valentine’s Day Date Night at Home
January 23, 2012
Going to dinner and a movie on Valentine’s Day night doesn’t always work out for everyone. Maybe you can’t find a sitter or there’s not enough room in your budget, or possibly you just don’t feel like fighting those crowds and waiting for hours to be seated at your favorite restaurant.
Some of my favorite dates with my husband include getting the kids in bed, ordering Chinese food and watching a great movie. There are no crowds to fight, no babysitter to pay and we save money.
If your Valentine’s Day date night is looking like it’s going to be spent at home, here are some romantic movies for you and your significant other. Order in, snuggle up on the couch together and enjoy a very low-key date.
Once
This is in my top 5 favorite movies. It is rated R and does have quite a bit of language, so if that bothers you, this isn’t for you. Other than that, it’s a unique love story. But most of all, the music is phenomenal. Trust me, after you watch Once, you will be ordering the soundtrack. It’s a quirky indie film worth watching.
Description: A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.
P.S. I Love You
Get ready to break out the tissues. P.S. I Love You has a little bit of everything – comedy, romance and an interesting story line. Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are perfect in this together and Harry Connick, Jr. is so funny. This is one movie in my film collection I watch just about every year and yes, I cry every time.
Description: A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life.
The Notebook
I know The Notebook is such an obvious choice for a list of romantic movies, but I couldn’t leave it out. I still talk to some of my friends who have never seen it, but say they keep meaning to rent it.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams have so much chemistry, it’s almost like we’re watching their true love story. I was so excited to hear they were actually dating and then so sad to hear when they broke up. I’ll just keep living in my fantasy world and dream they are still living out a true love story.
Description: A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences.
Water for Elephants
This is a newer film, just released in 2011 and it recently won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Drama. From the moment I heard this book was being made into a movie, and that Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson were starring, I was on pins and needles waiting for it to make its theatrical debut. It didn’t disappoint me.
Description: Against all odds, a veterinary student (Pattinson) and a beautiful circus performer from a bygone era (Witherspoon), meet and fall in love through their shared compassion for a special elephant. But their secret romance incurs the wrath of her dangerously volatile husband (Waltz).
The Holiday
I know the Holidays are over and watching a movie focused around Christmastime might be the last thing you want to spend your Valentine’s night doing. But, I watched this movie again recently and it’s so good, I just had to include it. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are adorable and you’ll instantly fall in love with Jude Law and Jack Black. I love how their two stories intertwine and I also love how it leaves you deciding how their story continues. It’s so romantic, it’s funny and it has Jude Law eye candy – what else could we ask for?
Description: Iris (Winslet) is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda (Diaz), realizes the man she lives with has been unfaithful. Two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same place. They meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday. Iris moves into Amanda’s L.A. house in sunny California as Amanda arrives in the snow covered English countryside. Shortly after arriving at their destinations, both women find the last thing either wants or expects: a new romance. Amanda is charmed by Iris’ handsome brother Graham (Law) and Iris, with inspiration provided by legendary screenwriter Arthur (Wallach), mends her heart when she meets film composer Miles (Black).
I hope this list gave you some good movie ideas for your Valentine’s Day date night. Let me leave you with a few honorable mentions:
- Dear John– starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried
- Something Borrowed– starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski and Colin Egglesfield
- Life As We Know It– starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel
- The Time Traveler’s Wife)– starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana
