Good movie for romantic anniversary movie night?
April 18, 2024 10:32 AM Subscribe
A friend's celebration of their 23rd anniversary includes a quiet movie night at home. They have some favorite standbys they've already seen, but I wondered if the hive mind might have any great suggestions.
Pretty unsurprising criteria: romantic, comedy or comedy-adjacent, happy ending. Something reflecting a long relationship rather than an early relationship would probably be good. All cinema eras welcome.
Thanks!
Pretty unsurprising criteria: romantic, comedy or comedy-adjacent, happy ending. Something reflecting a long relationship rather than an early relationship would probably be good. All cinema eras welcome.
Thanks!
Best answer: Fifty First Dates is sweet, funny and has a happy ending!
posted by Ochre,Hugh at 11:44 AM on April 18 [3 favorites]
posted by Ochre,Hugh at 11:44 AM on April 18 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I thought of ALL the movies that I think are wonderful and I can barely think of one that has a great, fun (not-brand-new) relationship.
The closest I can come really are the Thin Man series.
posted by ReluctantViking at 11:47 AM on April 18 [1 favorite]
The closest I can come really are the Thin Man series.
posted by ReluctantViking at 11:47 AM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm going to disagree on Before Midnight, I saved it for valentine's night a few years ago as we were both fans of the first two and it was a definite cold shower.
posted by biffa at 11:57 AM on April 18 [4 favorites]
posted by biffa at 11:57 AM on April 18 [4 favorites]
Best answer: My wife and I are fans of Raising Arizona - we watched it again together recently and were pleased at how well it still held up. Not necessarily late in the relationship unless you count the ending, but I loved in particular how they worked together in the climax of the movie. Same thing with Stranger Than Fiction. It's very meta, but a good reminder about how love stories aren't cleanly written in real life.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 12:00 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
posted by SoundInhabitant at 12:00 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My Cousin Vinny is a romantic comedy disgusting itself as a courtroom comedy, but you've probably seen that one.
Trouble in Paradise (1932) is harder to find and an absolute blast as a pre-code RomCom.
posted by East14thTaco at 12:22 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Trouble in Paradise (1932) is harder to find and an absolute blast as a pre-code RomCom.
posted by East14thTaco at 12:22 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yeah, Before Midnight is about a couple dealing with some heavy issues.
In My Cousin Vinny, Vinny and Lisa seem to have been together a long time, seem to have known each other forever, he's pretty embedded in her family, and they have a longtime-couple dynamic, comfortable and bickering and having each others' backs, so that's not a bad fit. That said, it's not really romantic in its tone.
posted by trig at 12:52 PM on April 18
In My Cousin Vinny, Vinny and Lisa seem to have been together a long time, seem to have known each other forever, he's pretty embedded in her family, and they have a longtime-couple dynamic, comfortable and bickering and having each others' backs, so that's not a bad fit. That said, it's not really romantic in its tone.
posted by trig at 12:52 PM on April 18
Best answer: Strangely, Everything Everywhere All At Once comes to mind! It is not exactly "a romance movie" or a rom-com (though it is very comedic) and yet it's one of the most romantic movies of recent memory for me.
The relationship the protagonist has with her husband has been troubled for a while, but during the course of the movie they see each other in a new light and find a new way of loving each other. Especially recommended if they are fans of science fiction/fantasy or if they have gone through the trials/joys of raising a kid together.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 12:53 PM on April 18 [8 favorites]
The relationship the protagonist has with her husband has been troubled for a while, but during the course of the movie they see each other in a new light and find a new way of loving each other. Especially recommended if they are fans of science fiction/fantasy or if they have gone through the trials/joys of raising a kid together.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 12:53 PM on April 18 [8 favorites]
Best answer: How about When Harry Met Sally, The Wedding Singer, or Sleepless in Seattle?
posted by little mouth at 1:11 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
posted by little mouth at 1:11 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Crazy Stupid Love
About Time
Only Lovers Left Alive
posted by cocoagirl at 1:11 PM on April 18 [4 favorites]
About Time
Only Lovers Left Alive
posted by cocoagirl at 1:11 PM on April 18 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Maybe not totally happy ending worthy, maybe a little bittersweet, but On Golden Pond, might work. Particularly for long lived relationship.
The Out of Towners for a couple truly weathering some crazy ups and downs.
posted by brookeb at 1:18 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
The Out of Towners for a couple truly weathering some crazy ups and downs.
posted by brookeb at 1:18 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think a challenge is that a movie has to resolve a problem to have a satisfying narrative arc, and if the couple has already been together, then the "fall in love" problem of a rom-com has already been solved. So maybe that's why the few movies I thought of that have couples (but not focused on kids/family) - the Mummy Returns, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, True Lies- are all action movies to help give them new problems.
Perhaps something like the Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing - if I remember correctly, while there's conflict, the movie is overall sweet. Most of the romantic drama is a couple that is clearly younger, and there's a running (older) pairing that I felt implied two people who had a history together?
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 1:49 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Perhaps something like the Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing - if I remember correctly, while there's conflict, the movie is overall sweet. Most of the romantic drama is a couple that is clearly younger, and there's a running (older) pairing that I felt implied two people who had a history together?
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 1:49 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Love and Basketball is not a comedy, more of a romantic drama, I guess. But it did come out in 2000, so it might have a soundtrack that lines up with what would have been in the air 23 years ago.
posted by eckeric at 1:56 PM on April 18
posted by eckeric at 1:56 PM on April 18
Best answer: What about a more classic movie?
The Thin Man with Myrna Loy and Wiliam Powell (and the first few sequels) are SUPERFUN, full of boozy banter between married, rich, married folks.
Also, Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn movies rock (but don't go for colorized versions) because their sparring/banter was undergirded by their real, longtime romance. There are a number but Adam's Rib seems like it would fit your list quite well.
And if you can stand something that is by turns happy and sad and happy, then I can't think of a better marriage movie than Penny Serenade with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. (Grant makes a speech that makes me cry every time I watch it, and I am able to recite most of the speech by heart.) It starts early in their marriage but continues for a while. And it's lovely. Sigh.
These are all from the 30s/40s, and the couples in each really LIKE one another as well as love one another.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:07 PM on April 18 [5 favorites]
The Thin Man with Myrna Loy and Wiliam Powell (and the first few sequels) are SUPERFUN, full of boozy banter between married, rich, married folks.
Also, Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn movies rock (but don't go for colorized versions) because their sparring/banter was undergirded by their real, longtime romance. There are a number but Adam's Rib seems like it would fit your list quite well.
And if you can stand something that is by turns happy and sad and happy, then I can't think of a better marriage movie than Penny Serenade with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. (Grant makes a speech that makes me cry every time I watch it, and I am able to recite most of the speech by heart.) It starts early in their marriage but continues for a while. And it's lovely. Sigh.
These are all from the 30s/40s, and the couples in each really LIKE one another as well as love one another.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:07 PM on April 18 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding The Thin Man movies for an established comfortable relationship. After the Thin Man is a fun one, for its surprise villain if nothing else.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:08 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:08 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Ordinary Love — drama, not a comedy, you may cry but there is a happy ending
Always Be My Maybe
Maggie’s Plan
posted by phonebia at 2:10 PM on April 18
Always Be My Maybe
Maggie’s Plan
posted by phonebia at 2:10 PM on April 18
Best answer: Big Fish is a sweet movie about a long romance. Please watch this if you haven't seen it. It grows on me a bit more everytime I watch it...
And in the sad and sappy, there's The Notebook.
posted by hydra77 at 2:12 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
And in the sad and sappy, there's The Notebook.
posted by hydra77 at 2:12 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
Best answer: CW a bit of nudity, and spoiler
the final scene in Don McKellar's Last Night works for me, and I think it's a kind of perfect statement of love in the face of death
the movie is an end-of-world movie, but good. but good.
posted by elkevelvet at 2:13 PM on April 18
the final scene in Don McKellar's Last Night works for me, and I think it's a kind of perfect statement of love in the face of death
the movie is an end-of-world movie, but good. but good.
posted by elkevelvet at 2:13 PM on April 18
Best answer: I'm going to add an older Dutch film, "Antonia's Line"
It's not a particularly romantic film, but the depictions of relationships are great. Depictions of women, great. And available to view online
posted by elkevelvet at 2:23 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
It's not a particularly romantic film, but the depictions of relationships are great. Depictions of women, great. And available to view online
posted by elkevelvet at 2:23 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For older movies I would recommend:
Philadelphia Story,
the Apartment,
Marty,
the Shop around the Corner,
and Roman Holiday.
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 2:56 PM on April 18 [2 favorites]
Philadelphia Story,
the Apartment,
Marty,
the Shop around the Corner,
and Roman Holiday.
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 2:56 PM on April 18 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It's not a comedy (although it's fairly light in tone overall) and it does have some sad parts (but the ending is lovely!), but I'm still going to recommend The Taste of Things. It's a beautiful movie about a couple who have had a long relationship that's based on mutual love, admiration and respect. Plus, the cooking scenes are gorgeous.
I know a couple who were high school sweethearts and are still married 30+ years later who saw this for their anniversary this year so I figured it was worth mentioning.
posted by edencosmic at 2:59 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
I know a couple who were high school sweethearts and are still married 30+ years later who saw this for their anniversary this year so I figured it was worth mentioning.
posted by edencosmic at 2:59 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Local Hero isn't a rom-com but it's sweet, there are romantic moments, it has a happy (if ambiguous) ending, and two of the secondary characters are an *extremely* happily married couple.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:14 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:14 PM on April 18 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It's The Princess Bride, isn't it?
posted by adekllny at 5:18 PM on April 18 [5 favorites]
posted by adekllny at 5:18 PM on April 18 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Hope Springs -- it's a rom-com-ish film with Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep about a couple that has been married for thirty years and they go to an intensive couples marital bootcamp to try to get the spark in their marriage back. You know your friends and whether they would find it charming and/or relatable.
posted by virve at 5:39 PM on April 18
posted by virve at 5:39 PM on April 18
Best answer: I'm not sure if this is quite what they're looking for, but what came to mind immediately for me was the 1995 version of Persuasion, with Amanda Root an Ciarán Hinds. Not a comedy (although it has some humor, and ends happily), but a beautiful story about love enduring over the years, and one of my absolute favorites.
posted by cellar door at 7:29 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
posted by cellar door at 7:29 PM on April 18 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Palm Springs is a smart, raunchy dirtbag romcom, but it's best experienced knowing NOTHING else going in. Hold on for fifteen minutes and then hang on to the roller coaster.
posted by foxfirefey at 1:27 AM on April 19
posted by foxfirefey at 1:27 AM on April 19
Best answer: If an older subtitled movie would appeal, for a pure epic romance it’s hard to beat L’Atalante.
posted by veery at 11:48 AM on April 19
posted by veery at 11:48 AM on April 19
Best answer: Truly, Madly, Deeply is quirky and romantic, with the late, awesome Alan Rickman in a rare romantic lead role.
posted by cross_impact at 11:59 AM on April 19 [1 favorite]
posted by cross_impact at 11:59 AM on April 19 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Jolie/Pitt Mr & Mrs Smith is one of my go tos. Lots of insight into marriage, fight scenes and explosions including very cathartic shooting up of a Home Depot. There is one Mr vs Mrs Smith fight that could be disturbing for some viewers. But I’m still going to say that would be my pick.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:14 PM on April 19
posted by warriorqueen at 12:14 PM on April 19
Best answer: I agree with those who suggested The Thin Man and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (the Brad and Angelia version)!
posted by I_carried_a_watermelon at 7:51 PM on April 21
posted by I_carried_a_watermelon at 7:51 PM on April 21
Response by poster: Looks like they went with The Thin Man and quite enjoyed it.
Thank you all for all these phenomenally good answers! So much variety, so many thoughtful approaches.
And now they have some excellent suggestions for NEXT year - and perhaps for some not-actually-anniversary movie nights in between.
Thank you all so much for your fantastic suggestions!
posted by kristi at 7:23 PM on April 26
Thank you all for all these phenomenally good answers! So much variety, so many thoughtful approaches.
And now they have some excellent suggestions for NEXT year - and perhaps for some not-actually-anniversary movie nights in between.
Thank you all so much for your fantastic suggestions!
posted by kristi at 7:23 PM on April 26
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posted by straw at 11:34 AM on April 18