Columbia Pictures

Recent years have seen the success of unconventional romances like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Shape of Water," and it's always thought-provoking to consider how romantic love can factor into a fantastical story. "Starman," an underrated John Carpenter movie from the '80s, is about Starman, an extra-terrestrial who crash-lands on Earth and takes the form of a recently deceased man named Scott Hayden (Jeff Bridges) upon discovering his widow, Jenny (Karen Allen), with a lock of Scott's hair. Starman, having been shot down by the U.S. military after attempting to make friendly contact, reveals himself to Jenny and asks her to help him rendezvous with a rescue vessel from his planet. While Jenny is initially upset and eager to divest herself from Starman's situation, she eventually comes to care for him and helps him find his way home.

"Starman" is a sci-fi romance that explores the unlikely connection between a human woman and a celestial being that, only temporarily, takes a humanoid form. It is also a film about grief and what it means to lose the person you love and carry on living. The fact that Starman takes the form of Jenny's deceased husband is a brilliant way to fuse both angles of this one story, and his relationship with Jenny is heartfelt and evocative. "Starman" could easily have been an incredibly corny movie, but instead, Carpenter and his lead actors manage to find an authentic, compelling thread that can leave the viewer feeling thankful and contemplative.

 Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen

John Carpenter

1984

PG

1h 55m

Curzon Film Distributors

One of the best period films of the '80s, "A Room with a View" is a forgotten drama from the early career of Helena Bonham Carter. The film's story centers on Lucy Honeychurch (Bonham Carter) and her romantic course through society as a young woman. The first part of the movie takes place in Florence, where Lucy has journeyed to with her cousin and chaperone, Charlotte (Maggie Smith). Lucy is quickly swept away by an eventful stay in Italy where she witnesses many strange things (like a stabbing) and makes the acquaintance of a handsome, thoughtful young man named George Emerson (Julian Sands). Despite the fact that Lucy and George fall in love during her time in Florence, Lucy returns to England with Charlotte and enters into a socially advantageous engagement with Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). 

Julian Sands smolders as the handsome George, and it's impossible to blame Lucy for falling in love with him, especially after he takes care of her with gallant acts throughout the story. It's wonderful to watch Lucy slowly break free from the conventions of her childhood and make her own choices as a woman, and without a doubt she is fortunate to find a blissful ending with her true love. E.M. Forster's novel, "A Room of One's Own," (the book upon which this film is based) seeks to convey the hope that sincere feeling and passion can be strong enough to supersede the cold, economic conventions that determined many a young person's wedded future at the time. This adaptation captures that thoughtful optimism with beautiful imagery and emotionally intelligent performances from Carter and Sands. 

Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Maggie Smith

James Ivory

1985

Not Rated

1h 57m

Universal Pictures

Robert Redford and Meryl Streep are two of the most iconic actors in Hollywood, and it's always exciting to watch stars of their caliber play opposite one another in a romance. "Out of Africa" is probably a little too long for a movie that spends so much time letting its plot marinate, and while its length doesn't necessarily act as a draw for the average viewer, it does provide space for the film's love story to feel complete. In his Chicago Sun-Times review, Roger Ebert expands on this, explaining that "what we have here is an old-fashioned, intelligent, thoughtful love story, told with enough care and attention that we really get involved in the passions among the characters." 

Karen (Streep) and Denys (Redford) have a mature love, one that feels true to how much life they've both lived by the time they connect romantically. Theirs is a relationship between equals, quite unlike Karen's imbalanced marriage to Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer), and this becomes clear when Denys realizes that Karen's desire for monogamy and fidelity is more important to him than his own bachelor's freedom. "Out of Africa" is one of the few films on this list that ends in tragedy: Before Karen and Denys can get married as per Karen's wishes, Denys is killed in a plane crash. It's a sad ending, but the movie is based on a nonfiction memoir, and sometimes real life offers only sad endings. 

Robert Redford, Meryl Streep

Sydney Pollack

1985

PG

2h 41m

Mainline Pictures

There isn't much in the way of on-screen, queer love stories from '80s cinema. The AIDs epidemic of the '80s and '90s gave many conservative politicians and homophobic public figures an excuse to vehemently demonize members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the conservative policies that came about as a result influenced the depiction of queer characters in film and television. Luckily, art and film can also offer opportunities for expressing opposing opinions, as is the case in "My Beautiful Laundrette." "My Beautiful Laundrette" isn't super well-known, but it's one of Daniel Day Lewis's best movies and has remained an important piece of art as it stood in opposition to then-Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher and her homophobic agenda.

The film follows a young man named Omar (Gordon Warnecke) who ignores his Pakistan-born father Hussein's (Roshan Seth) hatred of Britain's rampant capitalism and takes over management of his uncle's laundrette. Omar reconnects with an old school friend, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis), who has become a right-wing street punk prone to engaging in bouts of random violence. Omar offers Johnny a job at the laundrette and the two soon rekindle their romantic relationship from their youth. Omar's love and acceptance of Johnny allows him the safety to become the person he wants to be, and Johnny's loyalty gives Omar the courage to live the life he wants, rather than the one that's expected of him.

Saeed Jeffrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gordon Warnecke

Stephen Frears

1985

R

1h 37m

Vestron Pictures

"Dirty Dancing" is a staple of the 1980s' artistic legacy, of romance in film, and of dancing and music in pop culture. Ryan Gosling's and Emma Stone's characters reenact the famous lift from "Dirty Dancing" in the film "Crazy, Stupid Love," and it's the movie that Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) watches when she's getting over a break-up on "New Girl." It inspired a stage musical adaptation, a prequel starring Diego Luna, and a short-lived TV series; there might even be a "Dirty Dancing" sequel with original star, Jennifer Grey, coming out in the next few years. It's one of the most recognizable films of all time, and luckily it really does live up to its hype. 

Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is a young woman from a wealthy background who gets involved in the happenings of the working-class staff members at her family's regular summer resort in the Catskills. "Dirty Dancing" was on the cutting edge of social commentary when it came out, exploring classism at a time when the gap between the rich and the poor was growing exponentially and featuring characters who had to deal with the realities of unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Addressing these serious issues is a part of why Johnny (Patrick Swayze) is the perfect male love interest— everyone wants a partner they know they can count on to be a good person when the going gets rough, and all the better if that someone is also a sexy, soulful dancer who looks like Patrick Swayze.

Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze

Emile Ardolino

1987

PG-13

1h 40m

MGM

The best on-screen love stories usually represent a harmonious merging of sincere, skillful writing and passionate performances. "Moonstruck" sits smack dab in the sweet spot, offering an interesting, off-beat story and two leads with extraordinary gravitas. Nicolas Cage was still very young when he starred opposite musican/actress Cher, but even then he was the same kind of creative, risk-taking actor that the world knows today. Cage's acting eccentricities nearly got him fired from "Moonstruck," but those same eccentricities are also a huge part of what made the film so successful. 

Cage plays Ronny, the passionate, rough-around-the-edges younger brother of Loretta's (Cher) fiancé, Johnny (Danny Aiello), who meets and quickly falls in love with Loretta over the course of a day. Cher's Loretta is both relatable and written with a flavorful personality, a combination that works thanks to Cher's stellar performance. Ronny and Loretta are like magnets, perpetually attracted to each other and yet incapable of coexisting without creating scintillating tension, and that's a dynamic that exists independent of the spicy family drama that makes their relationship so provocative. Luckily for them, "Moonstruck" is a rom-com, and one that provides a satisfying, funny ending for its lead couple and the rest of its quirky ensemble.

Cher, Nicolas Cage

Norman Jewison

1987

PG

1h 42m

20th Century Fox

Star Cary Elwes doesn't believe that there should be a remake of "The Princess Bride," once tweeting, "there's a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one." Elwes is definitely right that "The Princess Bride" is a perfect movie. It has action, adventure, comedy, dramatic tension, interesting characters, and, of course, romance. The whole story is tied together by the relatable and beloved experience of having a grandparent (or parent, guardian etc.) read aloud to a child who's feeling under the weather. There's a list's worth of funny moments in "The Princess Bride," not to mention numerous famous quotes and scenes that have remained relevant to the cultural zeitgeist. 

"The Princess Bride" is a particularly special kind of fantasy-adventure-comedy because it is anchored by a straightforward yet compelling love story. Westley (Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright) have to be one of the most attractive on-screen couples of all time, and their imaginary kids were surely born with the most lustrous blonde hair anyone could picture. Aside from that, Wright and Elwes convey the deep passion between their characters with ease, and Buttercup and Westley themselves are a testament to faith and loyalty in the face of adversity. Westley still goes after Buttercup despite hearing of her wedding, and Buttercup still refuses to marry the prince despite the fact that Westley has been missing for years. Their romance could easily have come across as a flimsy excuse to have Andre the Giant and Mandy Patinkin do their thing in a fantasy setting, but it's actually one of the most endearing love stories ever put to film.

Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant

Rob Reiner

1987

PG

1h 38m

Columbia Pictures

Cinephiles everywhere should be thankful that Tom Hanks turned down the role of Harry in "When Harry Met Sally," because if any major components of "When Harry Met Sally" had been different, it might not be considered one of the greatest rom-coms ever made. Despite their 14-year age-difference, stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have vibrant on-screen chemistry as romantic leads in a film penned by famed writer Nora Ephron and directed by comedic genius Rob Reiner. The pacing of "When Harry Met Sally" feels more true to reality than most other films in the genre, and it is their rocky start while driving from Chicago to New York City after college that allows for Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) to have such a distinct rapport years later. 

Harry and Sally share many beautiful moments together as friends; hushed giggles at the MoMA, a karaoke performance of "Surrey with the Fringe On-Top," and of course Sally's decisive win in a debate over lunch about whether or not a woman can convincingly fake an orgasm. Their love story is intimate and special, and is only improved by Reiner's ability to shoot New York City at its most beautiful. Perhaps the most unique and heartwarming parts of the film, though, are the interview scenes featuring elderly couples and their love stories that are sprinkled throughout the movie. There is a reassurance to be found in these interludes; Harry and Sally have a great story as well, and no matter how rocky it gets, they'll have a happy ending. 

Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher

Rob Reiner

1989

R

Runtime: 1h 35m