As Valentine’s Day is here, one can smell love in the air across Montclair State University. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and everyone is watching their favorite romantic movies.
It seems like a lot of great romantic comedies hit the perfect middle ground between drama and jokes, so the movie can take itself seriously but still be entertaining. Nobody wants to be depressed by a rom-com, but nobody wants it to be completely irreverent either.
Senior English major Maryrose Spinella has a favorite movie from the early 2000s.
“’Valentine’s Day’ with Eric Dane and Anne Hathaway, is my favorite,” Spinella said. “I like how cheesy it is, and it’s all about love and everybody gets together in the end. It all ties up.”
A lot of these romantic comedies are cheesy, but that’s kind of the point. They’re feel-good movies, portraying ridiculous situations of love that would never happen in real life.
Not every Valentine’s Day movie is a rom-com, though. Some romantic movies forgo comedy completely, and shoot for good old-fashioned romance.
Junior psychology major Ali Quast said “A Walk to Remember” is her favorite Valentine’s Day movie.
“It makes me cry every single time,” Quast said. “It shows that no matter how bad life gets, there’s still hope for a life and a happy ending.”
While these types of movies can be a little depressing, they tend to be the most accurate reflections of actual love and life. Things don’t always go perfectly, and people don’t always live happily ever after, but people still manage to move on and live life to the fullest.
However, not everyone watches movies to get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Others would rather spend the time going out or planning how they will spend the day.
“Valentine’s Day is a great time for me to hang out with my boyfriend,” said senior math major Maria Taute. “We get dinner or go on cool dates and cherish each other’s love.”
“Isn’t It Romantic” is an upcoming romantic comedy starring Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Taute also feels that Valentine’s Day shouldn’t come just once a year.
Senior English major Wendy Faria named “When Harry Met Sally” as one of her favorite Valentine’s Day movies ever.
“It’s so beautiful,” Faria said. “Meg Ryan is incredible and it’s very realistic how the characters behave, and Billy Crystal is also phenomenal in his role. It’s a timeless classic.”
Faria also cited “You’ve Got Mail,” with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, as a good movie for the holiday.
“Tom Hanks is the best, and Meg Ryan puts in another great performance,” Faria said.
However, besides movies and the special holiday, Faria went on to say that people shouldn’t just use that one day to show love.
“Every day is an opportunity to show your love for the people you care about,” Faria said.
I, myself, am not usually a big fan of romantic films, but “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is a personal favorite of mine. The film has a few different romantic plots that all converge at the end of the movie. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone all give spectacular performances that make it a hilarious pick for any romantic evening.
Many Montclair State students feel that Valentine’s Day shouldn’t come just once a year. Every day is an opportunity to embrace the ones you care about. However, if you need an excuse to check out some of these romantic movies, Valentine’s Day is a pretty good one.
