Movies are great at saying what we all wish to hear. They give us moments that might be too good to be true and invite us in to embrace emotions. We can live vicariously through film and experience alternative realities. Not to mention fall madly in love over and over and over again.
I’ve experienced some of my favourite moments watching stories unfold before my eyes, and I can confidently say that thanks to a few of these films, I’ve learned what love is.
“You had me at ‘Hello.’” – Jerry McGuire (1996)
Love doesn’t have to be a show: When you know, you know. Sometimes that one little moment, though it may seem insignificant at the time, is all you need. There’s nothing more you can ask of a person than to be who they are.
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” – Love Story (1970)
Love is forgiving: When you’re in love, the rose-coloured glasses have a way of taking over. The differences that might stand in the way are forgivable. Love is commitment and has permanency to it. When you love someone, you love all of them, including the mistakes and the flaws.
“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.” – It’s a Wonderful Life. (1946)
Love is selfless: To give everything to someone is a difficult promise, but to try is the most selfless thing one can do. Love is care and affection for someone. It goes above and beyond for the benefit of others and aims at the impossible to deliver the exceptional.
“I’d have to be crazy to tell you I’d even make love to you right now, right here, for the rest of my life.” – Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Love is honest: When we dedicate ourselves to a life with someone else, the commitment is genuine. It’s important to remember the moments we’d never want to change, the words we’d never take back and the love that came out of it all. Standing up for and staying with another through all the ups and downs of life is a precious act.
“I wanted it to be you so bad.” – You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Love is unexpected: Some say you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Alternatively, you don’t know how much you love someone until they show up. Only then do you realize it’s been them all along. Sometimes love is right in front of us, but we’re too busy searching for our idea of it.
“I’m in love for the last time in my life.” – Murphy’s Romance (1985)
Love lasts: Sometimes, it can feel like it takes a lifetime to find the one – that person who will share the rest of your life. But when you experience it, you know that everything that ever came before led up to that moment, and there’s nothing you’d ever do differently.
“So what happened when he climbed up the tower and rescued her? — She rescues him right back.” – Pretty Woman (1990)
Love is out there: There are two sides to everything, and in the long run, people need people. The fairy tale ideal might seem juvenile. However, it’s an expectation that believes the best is coming, and they’re worth the wait—the journey to happily ever after was never meant to be easy. The conflict is worth the victory. The sacrifice is worth the gain. And it will come at the most unexpected time and in the most unsuspecting place.
