Here at FTS we want to give a random weekly top 10 list about..well whatever we want. This week Jess and Lindsay list their Top 10 Romantic Gestures in Film (In no particular order.)
Top 10 Romantic Gestures in Film
10. Say Anything – The infamous boombox scene
Recently discussed on our Favorite Uses of Music in Film podcast, this scene features John Cusack as the incredibly endearing Lloyd Dobler, who cannot get over his ex/girl of his dreams, Diane Court (Ione Skye). In this iconic scene he hoists a boombox over his head and Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” starts playing outside of Diane’s bedroom window.
9.Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Peter steals back Rachel’s topless photo from the bar
After Peter (Jason Segel) royally fucks up his new relationship with Rachel (Mila Kunis), he retrieves her incriminating and mortifying picture from a local bar’s collage of nudes. In the process he earns a beating from the bar owner, but is still able to prove to Rachel that he really did care about her.
8 Juno – Mailbox full of tic tacs
The tables are turned a bit in the movie Juno, this time having the lady make the big romantic jump. In the movie, title character Juno (Ellen Page) decides to confess her feelings for baby daddy Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera) by filling his mailbox with his favorite vice: orange tic tacs.
7. An Affair to Remember – The top of the Empire State Building
When Nickie (Cary Grant) and Terry (Deborah Kerr) meet on a cruise ship, their chemistry is undeniable and love blossoms. But there’s one hold-up: they’re both engaged to other people who they think they love too. So at the end of their trip they decide that if they feel the same for each other and can end their other engagements within 6 months, they’ll meet at the top of the Empire State Building (“it’s the nearest place to heaven”) and start their life together. This premise has become a part pop culture and seen in plenty of other movies and TV shows, most prominently in Sleepless in Seattle.
6. 10 Things I Hate About You – Patrick performs on the bleachers
Patrick (Heath Ledger) might have ulterior motives at this point, but it doesn’t change the fact that him hijacking the high school stadium’s PA system to sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” to Kat (Julie Stiles) is completely adorable. Not even cops can stop him, as he dances away from them proving he’s not only capable of a sweet gesture, but also has a great sense of humor.
5. Rushmore – Max’s plan to build an aquarium
When Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) finds out his high school teacher Ms Cross (Olivia Williams) has a fondness for aquatic life, he decides to impress her by building a huge aquarium on one of the Rushmore Academy sport fields. Only thing is he definitely did not have permission for that extracurricular. Getting expelled for your one true love? Now that’s dedication.
4. True Romance – Stealing your love’s pimp’s drug stash
In True Romance, Clarence (Christian Slater) immediately falls for blonde bombshell Alabama (Patricia Arquette) after the two share a passionate night together. Even after Alabama admits that she is simply a call girl hired by Clarence’s buddies, the two profess their mutual feelings of love. The big gesture comes when he stands up to Alabama’s pimp and steals a large bag he thinks to be hers, but in reality was full of cocaine. The two then set out on a dangerous path to sell the drugs and use the money to move away and start their lives together.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs The World – Defeating a league of evil exes
Defeating not one but SEVEN evil ex-boyfriends for the rights to date your girl? Now THAT’S a romantic gesture! And that’s exactly what Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must do in order to be with the literal ‘girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead.)
2. Slumdog Millionaire – Going on a game show to get your love’s attention
In a tale of fate and destiny, Slumdog Millionaire shows how all the events of someone’s life can lead to one defining moment. In the film, our protaganist Jamal (Dev Patel) finds himself with the position of a lifetime when he gets the opportunity to appear on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. But Jamal’s motive for being on the show isn’t money, it the chance to reconnect with his one and only lifetime love, Latika.
1. The Wedding Singer – Serenading your love on an airplane, in front of her fiance, while they’re eloping
When Adam Sandler was still making tolerable comedies, he starred in the romcom that was stuck in the 80’s: The Wedding Singer. Sandler plays Robbie the wedding singer that falls in love with cute waitress Julia (Drew Barrymore) who happens to be engaged to a real dickhead. In one of the movie’s sweetest moments, Robbie serenades her over an airplane PA system with an adorable tune he wrote himself called “I Wanna Grow Old With You.”
What romantic gestures in film do you think are pretty amazing? -Lindsay & Jessica
Recently discussed on our Favorite Uses of Music in Film podcast, this scene features John Cusack as the incredibly endearing Lloyd Dobler, who cannot get over his ex/girl of his dreams, Diane Court (Ione Skye). In this iconic scene he hoists a boombox over his head and Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” starts playing outside of Diane’s bedroom window.
