Beauty and the Beast

Cover of Beauty and the Beast

There’s no getting around Disney‘s classic, so we might as well get it out of the way. I remember when Beauty and the Beast was first released, TV Guide ran an article that said something like, “A Sexy Disney Cartoon?!” While this one probably won’t get your blood pumping in that way, it’s hard not to get that flutter in your chest and a tear in your eye during the ballroom scene.

Somewhere In Time

Cover via Amazon

The reason this one makes the cut is because it’s a fun romantic tale with a sci-fi twist. There’s not as much swashbuckling action as the kids might like, but it’s a good romantic film without overblown sex or horrible language. Christopher Reeve plays a playwright who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time and find the woman he’s only ever seen in a vintage portrait that hangs in a hotel.

Don’t want to go out to rent it? You can stream it online for free at hulu.com.

The Little Mermaid

Cover via Amazon

I know, there are a lot of Disney flicks that could make this list. Honorable mentions could go to Lady and the Tramp, Hercules, and Aladdin. But not the Princess flicks where she just waits around for her stiff Prince to come around. (Sorry, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. You’re out!) I digress.

The Little Mermaid, however, does make the cut because it’s Ariel that wins Eric. Not too much of that going on in the animated world! Plus, it’s good to have that reminder as a parent that these kids are really just on loan. You can’t keep them forever, so you’ve got to treasure them while you can!

Enchanted

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I swear, last Disney entry! Guys, stick with me. This one surprised me. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like this one. Maybe it was the music by Alan Menken. (Note the other Disney flicks on the list: Yep, Menken music MAKES the film.) Maybe it was the irreverence without being too derogatory. Maybe I just miss the classic hand-drawn style that much. At any rate, Enchanted is a charming little flick that you can watch with your little princesses and not feel like jumping out of the window.

The Princess Bride

Can anyone really argue with me on this one? Really, who doesn’t like this swashbuckling tale of true love? Bet you already have this one memorized. It’s never too late to clog your kids’ brains with this stuff as well. “Anybody want a peanut?”

Wall-E

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I covered this one in a previous post, ‘Wall-E Fully Restored My Faith In Pixar’. I got so caught up with the history of Pixar in that post, that I failed to mention the love story between Wall-E and Eve. That romance is the driving force of the movie. The fact that you are sucked in to that romance with little dialogue between two robots is fantastic. Highest possible recommendation!

Note: Even though it is owned and operated by Disney, I don’t consider Pixar movies to be in the same league as typical Disney films, seeing how Pixar pushed the envelope and broke the mold of how animation is done. Not just technically, but story-wise. Pixar did away with the notion that anything animated had to be a musical. With very few exceptios, this wasn’t seen in American animation. My blog. My prerogative.

Ever After

Looks like the fairy tales are winning in the romance department! Ever After is a fun reinvention of the different incarnations of the Cinderella stories. The damsel doesn’t find herself in so much distress in this one, however! (Can you tell I enjoy a strong female character? I guess with two daughters I want them to know they can take care of themselves!) Definitely worth a look or reviewing. Whichever the case may be!

Shrek

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An animated film that’s not in any way connected to Disney! (On the business side anyway. Well, at least for now. See ‘Disney Inks Distribution Deal With DreamWorks’) There’s no denying the heart contained within the original Shrek film. With a cast consisting of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow, is there really any room for argument?

Ladyhawke

Cover of Ladyhawke

Despite the silly Andrew Powell score, this film is a classic that will have you measuring the depths of your love! Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are two star-crossed lovers who are cursed to spend an eternity next to each other, yet far away. She turns in to a hawk during the day. He is a wolf at night. During the agonizing moments as the sun sets and rises, they glimpse each other as they transform, but can never be truly together until the curse is broken.

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

You won’t have to send the kids out of the room for this one, but they may or may not sit through it. (Oddly enough, my two year old will!) It’s my wife’s favorite version of this story, so I’m including it for her. (Happy Valentine’s Day, Babe!) She’s read the novel and sat through countless variations on film, so I’ll trust her to be an expert. Coming from a guy that finds something else to do when she puts on the BBC productions of Jane Austen’s novels, I can tell you that I did enjoy this movie. It’s a close second to Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensability as far as film versions of Jane Austen novels go.

Whew! There you have it: my two cents on what romantic films the entire family can enjoy. I’m about to burn my popcorn, so I better run. See you in cyberspace!