Swoon: Best Grand Romantic Gestures in Movies

[Spartan Girl]

Arguably one of the most trite movie tropes ever is the Big Grand Romantic Gestures, but you've got to admit that some of them are good. For me, less is always more when it comes to romance. My favorite movie romantic gestures include:

The Wedding Singer: Adam Sandler serenading Drew Barrymore on the plane with the help of Billy Idol and the first class passengers. I love that movie, and any guy should get credit for getting Billy Idol on his side!

When Harry Met Sally: Like someone once said, there is nothing romantic than a guy/girl tell you that they love all your quirks and flaws.

The Five Year Engagement: The impromptu wedding they threw together at the end, complete with Chris Pratt and the sister singing to Jason Segel and Emily Blunt.

So what were your favorite Big Romantic Movie Gestures or romantic moments in general?

Edited May 29, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[Crs97]

It's not romantic, but one of the sweetest moments in a James Bond film is when Daniel Craig finds the woman in the shower trying to wash the blood off and sits with her and licks her fingers to help. Nothing sexual or romantic, but makes me swoon.

[Shannon L.]

 

It's not romantic, but one of the sweetest moments in a James Bond film is when Daniel Craig finds the woman in the shower trying to wash the blood off and sits with her and licks her fingers to help. Nothing sexual or romantic, but makes me swoon.

This is the exact part that I put in the Sexiest Moments thread! 

 

I'm in a hurry right now, but will think on this topic more while I'm out.  This could be a fun thread.

 

Edited:  Ok, I thought of a few.  They're old, but for some reason, my that's just where my memory is leading me right now.  A couple of them aren't grand, but I still found them wonderful:

 

An Officer and a Gentleman when he walks into her place of work and sweeps her off of her feet and carries her out.  Just thinking about seeing the flash of white uniform amongst the dirty, loud machines, the kiss, him carrying her.....*sigh*

 

In Parenthood, when Nathan walks into his wife's classroom and starts singing their wedding song in an effort to apologize for a huge fight that had her leaving him. 

 

Rocky:  The entire romance, imo, was grand. Why?  Because he had nothing in regards to money or education, but he treated her like she was the only woman in the world worth being with.  Helping her lift heavy bags of pet food at work, holding onto her so she wouldn't fall at the skating rink, always defending her from her brother and making sure she as ok, asking her if he could kiss her for the first time (did I imagine that?).  That first date?  So sweet.

 

Rocky II:  The proposal.  Again, not grand in the way of staging because he didn't have much, but still...."I was wondering if you wouldn't mind marrying me too much?"  Awww!  And then, when she was in the coma after having the baby and he sat reading to her, struggling with the words, but not giving up. 

 

This one is small in effort, but big considering the character:  In Terms of Endearment, when Aurora just couldn't take much more of seeing Emma in the hospital, dying of cancer, who should show up on her doorstep, but the playboy, commitment shy, neighbor that she was having a fling with.  She desperately needed someone to lean on and there he was.  Then, of course, him saying that he loved her. 

Edited May 29, 2015 by Shannon L.

[methodwriter85]

 

And of course, Jo March running after her professor:

 

Edited May 29, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Spartan Girl]

Thought of more!

 

The Breakfast Club: I always found the ending scene with Alison ripping a patch of Andrew's varsity jacket after he kisses her good-bye to be very romantic -- as well as the simultaneous scene of Claire giving Bender her earring.

 

Easy A: Todd showing up outside Olive's house on a lawnmower holding up a stereo in a tribute to all of the '80s teen movies that Olive said how much she loved on her webcast.  Showing a girl that you listen to her and remembering what she likes...now THAT'S making an effort!

[Luckylyn]

Lloyd playing his boombox outside Diane's window. (Say Anything)

 

Matthew Goode's bloody unhinged speech (Chasing Liberty)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTwsovGpOJY

 

Wentworth's letter (Persuasion)

 

Keith chases Watts and gives her the earrings aka his future (Some Kind of Wonderful)

 

[harrie]

Easy A: Todd showing up outside Olive's house on a lawnmower holding up a stereo in a tribute to all of the '80s teen movies that Olive said how much she loved on her webcast.  Showing a girl that you listen to her and remembering what she likes...now THAT'S making an effort!

 

Unintentionally aging myself, but do you know the lawnmower bit is a mashup of Say Anything and Can't Buy Me Love?  It's done very well; and one of the things I enjoyed about Easy A was pointing out the bits from other teen comedy-type flicks that they referenced. 

Edited May 30, 2015 by harrie

[Crs97]

An Affair to Remember-when they open the door to Cary Grant and he is still so bitter but is bringing her the shawl his grandmother wanted her to have and then he figures it all out . . . Swoon!

[twoods]

Ever After, when Prince Henry was proposing to Danielle and him saying that he would feel like a King if she would be his wife. Makes me cry every time.

The end of North and South always makes me swoon, with Margaret kissing John's hand and him grabbing her face and kiss her.

Ten Things I hate about You, when Heath's character was singing " I Love You Baby".

[Luckylyn]

Ben gives Sylvia a kiss despite their parents disapproval (Liberty Heights)

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There's also a scene where Ben and Sylvia are being held by his father's disgruntled lottery winner, and he orders Ben to molest Sylvia while holding a gun on Ben.   Even though he's clearly terrified, Ben refuses to violate Sylvia.

[twoods]

I just caught Notting Hill on TV, and the scene that Anna brings Hugh Grant's character the painting and asks him to love her makes me cry every damn time.

[Spartan Girl]

Beauty and the Beast: The Beast giving Belle a library should definitely count as one of the best Grand Romantic Gestures of all time.

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: I know that the Harry/Ginny relationship wasn't as great in the movies as it was in the books, but I still found the scene where they share a  kiss in the middle of the mass rush among the students to be romantic.  No grand good-byes, no I love yous, Ginny just says "I know" because she knows.

 

Oh, and Ron and Hermione finally kissing in the Chamber of Secrets.

 

The Great Gatsby: Gatsby bringing all those flowers and cakes and getting his servants to spruce up Nick's house/yard for Daisy's arrival.  As over the top as it was, what sold it was how nervous and fidgety Gatsby was.  Whatever Gatsby's faults, Leonardo DiCaprio really made Gatsby endearing and sympathetic.  That scene makes a tragic symbol of Gatsby and Daisy's romance: he filled an entire room of flowers, and she didn't have the decency to send one to his funeral.

[methodwriter85]

Amy's dance for Bill Hader in Trainwreck. Mainly because it's so gender-flipped from the typical romcom formula, and I just loved her playing "Uptown Girl" for him after she mocked the song earlier in the film, showing that she's willing to meet him in the middle on some things.

Edited July 27, 2016 by methodwriter85

[GHScorpiosRule]

For me? Not exactly a gesture, but the KISS!! between Nathaniel and Cora in The Last of the Mohicans. And when he ran toward her screaming her name, macheting the Huron(?) who was about to slit her throat, and of course the "I WILL find you! No matter how long it takes, or how far, I WILL find you!"

And yes, I pretended it was ME he was saying those words to.  ??????

And I don't care if that last sentence is grammatically incorrect.?

[Luckylyn]

The Terminator -  Kyle's "I came across time for you" speech.   I love that line when he talks about how he carried Sarah's picture and wondered what she was thinking when it was taken because at the end of the movie you find out she was thinking of him. 

[Schweedie]

Does Shakespeare creating Twelfth Night and its hero Viola in honour of his own beloved Viola who was married and shipped off to America count? Because even though I find their love story the least interesting part of Shakespeare in Love, I still love that ending. It's a pretty great gesture. I'm sure Viola would've read it and seen herself, and the testament to his love for her that it was.

Also, perhaps straddling the line between romantic and invading someone privacy... In Just Like Heaven, when David secretly creates that beautiful rooftop garden for Elizabeth, even though she doesn't remember him from her time as a sort-of-ghost. He doen't even intend for it to be romantic and means to leave once it's done, because like he says, he just wanted her to have her garden. 

[Miss Dee]

50 First Dates: Adam Sandler helps Drew Barrymore erase all memory of him out of her life and stays away from her like she asked. Respecting your loved one's boundaries and wishes? Hot!

[WendyCR72]

With another (wasteful, IMO!) movie coming, I think Mark Darcy telling Bridget he likes her "just as she is" in the original Bridget Jones's Diary was hot, as was the very end when he bought her a new diary and wrapped her in his coat (as she was just wearing undies!) as they stood in the snow, kissing.

[topanga]

Love and Basketball: [SPOILER ALERT] Monica loses the one-on-one basketball game against Quincy, which means she's supposed to give up on him and accept that he's about to marry someone else. As she's walking away, crying, he calls to her and says, "Hey. Double or nothing?"

[Spartan Girl]

Continental Divide: John Belushi meeting up with Blair Brown's character after months apart.

[blugirlami21]

I have too many, I love romance.  These are some of my favorites.  I find that its the little things and not necessarily the big things that make me swoon.

Stranger Than Fiction - When Harold brings Anna the baker he's auditing bags of flour.  It's so sweet.

The Village - When Lucius grabs blind Ivy's hand during a tense moment.  Also sitting on her porch and giving her that speech.

Clueless - Josh coming to pick up Cher even though he was on a date.  Also his smile at his girlfriend's expense when Cher corrected her on the ride home stands out to me.

Beauty and the Beast - I second the library scene but also when he let her go home to her sick father.

Me Before You - The birthday scene where Will gives Louisa the tights.  So romantic.

Penelope - Max taking himself out of the running so that Penelope's curse could be lifted

Cold Mountain - Inman deserting to go home and be with Ada

Beautiful Creatures - Lena making Ethan completely forget who she was to protect him.

[Luckylyn]

Flipped - Bryce planting the Sycamore tree in Julie's yard.  It was just the perfect gesture to show he cared about her and took interest in what matter most to her.

Beautiful Thing - The dance in front of everyone at the end

Latter Days - The Airport "I love you"

Starman - Jenny was told she was infertile but the Starman gives her the child she always wanted.

Mr. Wonderful - Mat Dillon puts lights all over the trees as a way to say "I love you"

[JustaPerson]

Again, Justin Long. Who knew?

[methodwriter85]

Leap Year- Proposal Scene:

[Spartan Girl]

The scene in Marie Antoinette where she gives birth to their first child is sort of romantic for how Louis is portrayed in that moment, how reaches over to kiss her hand. He doesn't even care that they've had a daughter instead of a son, he's just so overjoyed that she's okay and that the baby is healthy. It's a real turning point in their relationship because it's the first time you see any kind of romantic love between the two.