Top Romantic Scenes Cliche

I'm sure this is far from original, but since I love this in any form, I'm going for it any way.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'd like to share my all time favorite movie and TV love (and kiss) scenes. In no particular order:


1. The final scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. This may have to be the defining Romantic Movie Scene of all time. I mean, who isn't moved by the sight of Richard Gere in his military whites, rescuing Debra Winger from a dreary future in the paper factory when he whisks her literally off her feet and carries her towards the adventures they will share together? Not to mention the movie's quintessential love can heal even the most damaged soul theme. Any one who doesn't melt over this has no soul.


2. The moment when best friends Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Keith (Eric Stoltz) share a "practice" kiss in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful. Neither one of them expects the way the kiss affects them, and it's so clear to us, the viewers, that these two share something way more than friendship. The ending of the movie runs a close second (so I've linked it because I love it!), but this is one of my all time favorite movie kisses.




3. This is a quickie but quite possibly the best example of Finally Resolved Sexual Tension ever presented on TV. It's the kiss between The West Wing's Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney) in Season 7's "The Cold" episode. For six and a half long seasons, loyal viewers (and Donna/Josh shippers) had been longing for this. The payoff was well worth the wait. It also proved the perfect example of how to drag UST on and on without frustrating viewers.


4. The next two examples are beautiful because of the tragedy they present. Any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer knows why Buffy and her soul mate Angel can't be together. But it isn't until the episode "I Will Remember You," in Season 1 of Angel, when Angel is made human and the two have a chance to experience what life could be like, that the true sadness of the situation comes to light. In this scene, Buffy and Angel realize that they can never be together, and not only is their future taken from them, but the one glorious day they spent together will also be lost to Buffy when her memory is stripped. Too, Angel must live the rest of eternity knowing how good he almost had it. This scene breaks your heart.



5. The next scene is kind of an obscure choice. It's the last scene from the movie Green Card. Now, generally I'm not a big fan of Andie MacDowell (that rain scene with Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and a Funeral was god awful), and Gérard Depardieu has to be the homeliest romantic hero I've ever encountered. But the moment when his character George kisses uptight Bronte for the final time, the look on his face is one of pure torment. At last he's obtained the love of this prickly woman, only to face immediate deportation. I remember watching this movie with my father, and looking at him with dismay at the end of it, wondering WTF?! For nearly two hours we watch these two people fight and then fall in love, only to have them separated at the end? But upon rewatching, I realized that their separation is far from final. She can always join him in France. Even so, there is a bittersweetness in these moments between them that is pure romance.



6. This one is just hot. H.O.T. I stopped watching Lost after the second season and haven't managed to pick it back up again to find out how the romance between Kate and Sawyer (and Jack) is progressing. But when Kate and Sawyer turned to each other and sex as a way to find comfort in a hopeless situation, you couldn't help but swoon. Forget that they are dirty and most likely smelly, and that they are basically in zoo cages on display for one and all to watch. This one is steamy.


7. Okay, this needs a disclaimer. This is romantic in the sweetest, most innocent way possible. In the live action remake of Peter Pan, I finally understood the relationship between Peter and Wendy. The tension between the allure of remaining a child forever, and the irresistible pull of growing up. When Wendy gives her first "hidden" kiss to Peter, it is simply wonderful in that way that all first kisses are.

I couldn't find a clip to embed directly, but you can check out the scene here.

8. I'm not sure if this ranks as most romantic, but it is by far one of the most passionate, desperate kisses I've ever seen portrayed in the movies. The tragedy of Brokeback Mountain was in how two people so obviously meant to be together had to hide every emotion they had toward each other. But sometimes, the feelings were so strong they couldn't be denied. After four years apart, Ennis Delmar simply can't help himself when he sees Jack Twist, and the result is explosive, almost violent.


9. I think only about a thousand or so people will understand the hotness of the following scene since probably only that many were ever fans of the short lived series, Men in Trees. But the heat between Marin (Anne Heche) and Jack (James Tupper) was obvious from the first second the two met in a bar in Elmo, Alaska. It takes a heat wave for them to finally act on it. But when they finally do, dang, the screen is on fire! Jack is a guy of very few words, but the look on his face is fierce enough to say it all. Sorry for the poor vid quality, but this show is yet to be put on DVD, so there isn't much out there.

10. Maybe not romantic, per se, but definitely hot. When Annie (Susan Sarandon) and Crash (Kevin Costner) finally get together in Bull Durham, it's a match made in heaven. And who doesn't love a man as confident as Crash? I tell you, cornflakes never looked so good.



I have a lot of ideas for more, but I'm having problems linking vids. Seems everyone wants to use movie clips to make music videos rather than posting them pure. Anyway, here's some runner up scenes:

The love scene in the library, between Kiera Knightly and James McAvoy in Atonement. Whoa.

Any scene where Keanu Reeves is kissing the heroine. He is quite possibly the best on-screen kisser out there.

The reunion seen between Jude Law's Inman and Nicole Kidman's Ada in Cold Mountain. I can't bear to watch the entire film again, but I could watch this love scene over and over...

Isn't love grand? Happy Valentine's Day.