Romance: 132

A Walk in the Clouds (1995) is a romantic drama film directed by Alfonso Arau. After serving in World War II, United States Army Sgt. Paul Sutton returns to San Francisco to reunite with his wife, Betty. They had a whirlwind courtship and got married just before Paul was deployed to the Pacific. However, the war has left him with deep emotional scars and he often suffers from flashbacks. Betty’s reception is not as warm as Paul hoped, especially when he discovers that she has stopped reading his letters and kept them unopened in a footlocker. Despite this, Paul is determined to make their marriage work and tries ...

Home for the Holidays (1995) is an American family comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster. Claudia Larson, a single mother who was recently let go from her job, flies from Chicago to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, Adele and Henry. Meanwhile, her daughter opts to stay home with her boyfriend. On the plane, Claudia calls her brother Tommy, who she thinks won’t be at the dinner, and vents about her struggles on his voicemail. At their parents’ house in Baltimore, Tommy shows up with his business partner Leo Fish – whom Claudia mistakes for his new romantic partner. While Claudia is happy ...

Don Juan DeMarco (1995) is an American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a 21-year-old man who truly believes he is Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. He dresses like Zorro with a similar mask, hat, and cape, and even goes by the name Don Juan. However, his passionate affair leads him to contemplate suicide. Psychiatrist Jack Mickler intervenes at the billboard where John plans to take his life by pretending to be Don Octavio de Flores. As a result, John is held for a ten-day evaluation at a mental institution. Without medicating him, Mickler conducts the evaluation before ...

Mad Love (1995), directed by Antonia Bird, is an American teen romantic drama set in Seattle. Matt Leland is a responsible high school senior living with his hardworking father and 9-year-old twins, assuming the parental role for his absent mother. His interest is piqued by the girl across the lake who he observes through his telescope jet skiing at night. After discovering her name is Casey Roberts and she’s new to their high school from Chicago, Matt asks her out to a concert. At first, Casey is angered by Matt’s use of the telescope, but after he apologizes, the two opposites begin a passionate ...

Little Women (1994), an American historical drama film, directed by Gillian Armstrong and written by Robin Swicord, follows the March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow up in Concord, MA during and after the American Civil War. Their father is away at war and their mother, Marmee, must navigate the challenges of raising four headstrong daughters in 19th-century New England. The girls find solace in performing Jo’s plays in their attic theater. When their wealthy neighbor Mr. Laurence’s grandson Laurie moves in next door, he becomes a close friend to ...

The American romantic comedy film, Only You (1994), directed by Norman Jewison, follows the story of 11-year-old Faith Corvatch. After playing with a Ouija board alongside her brother Larry, Faith becomes convinced that her soul mate is named ‘Damon Bradley’. This belief is further solidified when a carnival fortune-teller predicts that she will marry a man with the same name. Fast forward fourteen years, and Faith is now a teacher at a Catholic school, engaged to a podiatrist. However, just ten days before the wedding, Faith discovers that her fiancé’s high-school classmate, Damon Bradley, is en route ...

Speechless (1994) is an American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ron Underwood. In the gift shop of a Las Cruces, New Mexico hotel, two insomniac writers cross paths for the first time. They quickly engage in a dispute over the last box of sleep medicine available. Little do they know that they are both speechwriters for rival candidates in a New Mexico Senate election and end up falling in love. Julia works for Democratic candidate Lloyd Wannamaker while Kevin represents Republican candidate Ray Garvin. As they unintentionally influence each other’s work, their true professions are revealed when they are ...

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) is a beloved romantic comedy helmed by director Nora Ephron. The film follows Sam Baldwin, a grieving widower and successful architect from Chicago who decides to start fresh in Seattle with his young son Jonah. A year later, on the eve of Christmas, Jonah dials into a popular radio talk show and convinces his hesitant father to open up about his late wife Maggie and their love story, particularly how he knew she was ‘the one’ when he first held her hand. This heartfelt broadcast draws the attention of thousands of women across the nation who are deeply moved by Sam’s words ...

Benny & Joon (1993) is an American romantic comedy-drama film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. Following the accidental death of their parents, siblings Benjamin ‘Benny’ Pearl and his mentally ill sister Juniper (‘Joon’) live together. When Joon loses a bet during a poker game with friends and agrees to let Sam, the eccentric cousin of Benny’s friend Mike, stay with them, Benny is initially upset. However, after spending an evening at the local diner with Sam and coming home to find that he has cleaned the house, Benny changes his mind and decides to let Sam ...

Baz Luhrmann’s directorial debut, Strictly Ballroom (1992), is an Australian romantic comedy. The film follows Scott Hastings, the son of a family of ballroom dancers who has been training since he was six years old. His mother Shirley teaches ballroom dancing, while his father Doug takes care of maintenance tasks at the studio and secretly watches footage of his own past dance competitions and Scott’s in a back room. Scott struggles to find his own unique style as he competes in the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. However, his flashy and crowd-pleasing moves are deemed unacceptable by the ...

The American romantic comedy-drama film, Frankie and Johnny (1991), directed by Garry Marshall, tells the story of two individuals facing emotional struggles. One is a waitress named Frankie who attends a baptism in Altoona, Pennsylvania for her godson. Meanwhile, a man named Johnny is freshly released from prison. After returning to her job at the Apollo Cafe in New York City, Frankie’s boss Nick sends her co-worker Helen home early due to dizziness. Later on, Johnny shows up looking for work, and despite his criminal background, Nick gives him a job as a short-order cook. As the day ends, Frankie goes back home ...

Dying Young (1991) is an American romance film directed by Joel Schumacher, based on the novel of the same name by Marti Leimbach. Hilary O’Neil is a beautiful, outgoing young woman, but she has faced challenges in both work and love. Recently, she left her unfaithful boyfriend and now lives with her eccentric mother. One day, while looking for work, Hilary responds to a newspaper ad for a nurse position. However, she is quickly dismissed before even getting an interview. Victor Geddes is a shy 28-year-old from a wealthy background with a strong education. As the ...

Mira Nair’s romantic drama film, Mississippi Masala (1991), follows the story of Jay, Kinnu, and their daughter Mina, a family of Ugandan Indians. After dictator Idi Amin expels Asians from Uganda in 1972, the family tearfully leaves their home behind and settles in Greenwood, Mississippi with relatives who own motels there. Despite spending years in England before arriving in America, Jay struggles to adapt to his new life and longs to return to Kampala. His distrust towards black people stems from the effects of Amin’s rule. Meanwhile, Mina has fully embraced American culture and has a diverse group of ...

Pretty Woman (1990), an American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by J.F. Lawton, tells the story of Edward and Vivian. One night, after leaving a business party in the Hollywood Hills, Edward takes his lawyer Philip’s Lotus Esprit and ends up in the red-light district on Hollywood Boulevard. It is there that he meets Vivian Ward, a struggling prostitute. As he struggles with the car’s stick-shift, Vivian offers to drive him to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Despite some initial awkwardness, they connect and end up having ...

Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), a romantic comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, follows the story of Joe Banks, a Staten Island resident who works in a dreary factory with an unpleasant boss named Frank Waturi. Despite regularly consulting doctors for his chronic illness, Banks remains joyless and listless. Eventually, Dr. Ellison informs him that he has an incurable disease called a ‘brain cloud’, which has no observable symptoms but will result in death within five to six months. The doctor attributes his previous job as a firefighter as the cause of his psychosomatic symptoms and urges ...

Happy Together (1989), a romantic comedy directed by Mel Damski, follows the story of Christopher, a serious young man from Chicago. As a freshman at college in LA, he is surprised to find that his roommate is Alex, a woman from NYC’s Park Avenue. The room is already filled with her belongings when Christopher arrives. Despite his initial shock at discovering his roommate’s gender, he tries to confront Alex about the cramped living space. However, she seems unbothered and explains that she moved in early due to a computer error and that the dorms are full. Though hesitant at first, Christopher must make the ...

Punchline (1988), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by David Seltzer and distributed by Columbia Pictures, follows the story of Steven Gold, a struggling medical student who also happens to be a stand-up comedian. While his medical studies prove to be a challenge, his comedic skills come naturally. However, when presented with an opportunity for success, he buckles under pressure. Enter Lilah, a devoted homemaker with dreams of becoming a comic herself. While she possesses raw talent, she lacks Steven’s expertise in the craft. Initially, Steven pays little attention to Lilah. But after being ...

Cocktail (1988), a romantic comedy-drama directed by Roger Donaldson from a screenplay by Heywood Gould and based on his book of the same name, follows Brian Flanagan. After completing his army service, he returns to New York City with hopes of securing a prominent job in the business world. However, when that doesn’t pan out, he turns to bartending while attending business school during the day. There, he meets Doug Coughlin, an experienced bartender who takes him under his wing and teaches him flairing techniques. The two become close friends, and Doug suggests ...

For Keeps (1988), directed by John G. Avildsen, follows the story of Darcy Elliot and her boyfriend Stan Bobrucz as they navigate their final year of high school in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As they prepare to attend college – Darcy to study journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Stan at Caltech for architecture – they decide to spend a weekend together with the help of Darcy’s best friend Lila. However, things take an unexpected turn when Darcy discovers she is pregnant. With Thanksgiving approaching, the couple announces their news to their families, but neither Donna nor Stan’s ...

The American romantic comedy drama film, The Pick-up Artist (1987), was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was written and directed by James Toback. Jack Jericho, a 21-year-old womanizer, constantly refines his craft. Driving around the city in a red convertible, he smoothly charms women wherever he goes. Unfortunately, this behavior doesn’t sit well with the principal at his school who reprimands him for hitting on students’ mothers. One night while out and about, Jack approaches Lulu as she waits in her mobster boyfriend Alonzo’s convertible. As Alonzo approaches and threatens him, Jack ...