It’s a well-known assumption that women love romance. It’s an equally well-known assumption that we men are born lacking it and are as comfortable with it as we are with having The Talk with our children. We recognize the need to share romantic moments with our ladies and frequently turn to the dinner-and-a-movie formula. We eat, curl up on the couch and pop in a DVD. The choice of movie determines the outcome of our evening. Playing The Dirty Dozen will leave us in the doghouse. Try one of these movies to keep your girl happy. [SPOLIERS AHEAD]
There’s Something About Mary (1998)
Ben Stiller invites his high school dream girl (Cameron Diaz) to the prom with disastrous results. Years later they reconnect and he has a second chance to woo her. Competing suitors are obstacles to his chance to win her heart.
Why women like it – several of the male suitors are portrayed as being sensitive. They display genuine care for Cameron Diaz’s developmentally disabled brother. The lack of care showed by one suitor (played by Matt Dillon) is one of the clues that he is a villain.
Why men like it – physical comedy abounds. Vicious ankle-biting attack dogs and phrases about injuries only men can fully understand (“How’d you get the beans above the frank?”) occur with machine gun frequency.
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
A photographer calls in to a pet-related radio show for help with an out of control dog in his studio. Grateful to the hostess (Jeannine Garafolo) he visits the studio to ask her out. A mix-up leaves him thinking the voice on the radio belongs to the hostess’ neighbor (Uma Thurmann) whom he falls for by mistake. Hilarity ensues as the confusion gets deeper and deeper till the truth is finally exposed.
Why women like it – the photographer (Ben Chaplain) is handsome and as earnest as a puppy. Also, in the end the “average” girl character wins the heart of her love interest because he appreciates her personality, and she maintains a BFF relationship with the tall and beautiful neighbor.
Why guys like it – two amazing women both want the guy. Men love the idea of women fighting to have us. The movie also has a dog on roller skates. What guy can’t get on board with that?
My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding (2002)
This film deals with the challenges faced by couples from different cultures. Single, shy Greek girl Toula (Nia Vardalos) falls in love with Ian (John Corbett). Her family reacts badly because Ian is not Greek. Their displeasure takes the forms of resistance, practical jokes and complete misunderstanding before they reach acceptance.
Why women like it – Toula starts out frumpy but becomes beautiful and glamorous by the end of the film. It emphasizes following one’s heart. The movie also shows a number of examples of familial idiocy that any woman who has been a relationship that struck her family as odd can relate to.
Why men like it – The linguistic pranks Toula’s family play on Ian are amazing. It’s also hard not to love a movie with so much snark. The opening line is “You betta get married soon. You starting to look oooooold.” It sets a high bar for messed up family conversation and the movie delivers tons of great one-liners.
Wall-E (2008)
This classic Pixar film centers on a small, trash-collecting robot tasked with cleaning up a filthy world abandoned by mankind. He meets another robot named EVE and is instantly smitten. She’s sleek, beautiful, and untouched by the grime around her. The two pursue adventures on Earth and in Space and finally bond as they save humanity. An interesting twist is the movie’s amazing ability to convey meaning without dialogue. There’s almost not a word spoken in the first fifteen minutes of the movie yet the viewer is totally engaged.
Why women like it – EVE is the embodiment of a princess. She’s sleek, perfect in physical form, smart, extremely capable of protecting herself. She has a critical job, is strong and tough. EVE overcomes treachery and finds love all at the same time.
Why men like it – First of all, it’s a cartoon. That earns it points. Second, girl characters with huge plasma cannons are always a plus. On a deeper level, though, men relate to the dream of an obviously blue-collar guy winning the affection of a girl way out of his league. We have probably done silly things for women just like crazy-in-love Wall-E does for EVE, even when he knows she has no way to recognize that he made the effort. In the end the simple guy wins the girl by having a ton of heart.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Quite possibly the most extreme example of “How far would you go to win a woman’s heart?” movies, this film depicts a crotchety TV weatherman (Bill Murray) trapped in Punxsutawney, PA on Groundhog Day. He is forced to relive the day endlessly till he can find a way to break the cycle. He makes use of the time to try repeatedly to find a way to win the love of his crush (Andie MacDowell). Some estimates believe him to have been stuck in this temporal trap for over thirty years before finally escaping.
Why women like it – It shows a man at his best and worst, feelings naked to the world. He has incredible highs when he gains approval from the woman he loves, and moments of despair so deep he tries to end his life several times only to discover even that is not an escape.
Why men like it – We understand the futility of trying to win over a woman we just don’t understand, with whom we have nothing in common, but whom we feel compelled to connect. His triumph becomes ours.
Curl up on the couch with your lady and play any one of these. You’ll both enjoy it and you’ve have filled your romance quota for the week.
Also written by Andrew
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