CofC Podcast: Best Romantic Movies of All Time

On this episode of the Speaking of … College of Charleston podcast, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we ask Colleen Glenn, associate professor and director of the College’s Film Studies Program, to weigh in on her favorite romantic movies.

We discuss some of the classes she teaches at the College, including Dreams and Movies and The Myth of the Road in American Cinema. As we shift to the upcoming holiday, she highlights her favorite romantic dramas, including Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as well as romantic comedies like The Shop Around the Corner and Moonstruck.

Glenn also talks about how rom-coms have evolved and now include a wider variety of perspectives.

“Films have become more diverse in terms of representation,” says Glenn. “We have better representation of people of color – of different races and ethnicities – on screen today, and we also see different gender orientations and sexual orientations. So, the classic rom-com formula of ‘boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back’ might now be ‘boy meets boy’ or ‘girl-meets-girl.'”

Glenn encourages moviegoers to watch movies in the theater instead of on their devices to get the full experience. She says romantic movies are just one of the many cultural systems that facilitate the “happily ever after” myth of love – and, if we’re going to blame rom-coms, we have to throw music, theater and poetry into the mix.

What’s your favorite romantic movie to watch on Valentine’s Day? Text us your favorite romantic movie on the Apple Podcasts or comment your favorites on Spotify.

Resources From This episode:

• Romantic Dramas:
  • Casablanca (1942)
  • An Affair to Remember (1957)
  • Cold Mountain (2003)
  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• Romantic Comedies:
  • It Happened One Night (1934)
  • The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
  • The Philadelphia Story (1940)
  • Some Like it Hot (1957)
  • The Apartment (1960)
  • Moonstruck (1987)
  • The Princess Bride (1987)
  • When Harry Met Sally (1989)
  • Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
• Film Noir/Thrillers:
  • Double Indemnity (1944)
  • The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
  • Fatal Attraction (1987)
  • Body Heat (1981)
• Oscar Nominees
• CinemaScope
• Great Local Theater: The Terrace