Jake Kilroy's Top Ten Movies for Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day.

I don't think it's stupid and I don't care if a good number of people spend their energy calling it a greeting card holiday. I know people always say things like, "I don't celebrate Valentine's Day because I'm not going to buy into some bullshit holiday where everyone's supposed to show someone how much they love them. Why not just show that person you love them whenever you want?" Yes, you should show your special someone that you love them whenever you want...but why not do that AND on Valentine's Day? I don't think you're that big of a pop culture revolutionary if you stand up to Valentine's Day. What are you fighting? Everyone telling their special someone that they love them? You're really going to ignore Valentine's Day so you can show your special someone that you care some random Thursday night in March INSTEAD of Valentine's Day? ? Why not do that AND Valentine's Day? You have to see how silly it is to talk about showing a person you love them and then actively choosing not to buy them something cute in order to prove a dismal point to greeting card companies. I mean...really. That's like the high students that brag about how smart they are but then don't try in class because they're too good for it. Ugh. Also, anyone who thinks that the roots of Valentine's Day actually go as deep as greeting card companies in the 20th Century...well, no, that's just not true and you've bought into some really lazy anti-type propaganda.

Anyway. Onward.

Let's get down to it.

I won't be around my television much this Valentine's Day. However, if I were, I'd watch all the movies that makes love seem overabundant, predictable and just all-around pretty awesome. So, in case you're wondering what you should watch, I made my own list of movies that would totally get you all stoked on the red and white lacy holiday. Shrug. I thought it'd be fun.

The movies below are ranked in my head under rules I probably can't really decipher myself. But they're in order of how important I think they are to the holiday. They are not in order of how good I think they are overall. Shit, I only think three or four of the films below are actually really well-written films. But I like all of them. I mean, you can't go into romantic comedies thinking that Meg Ryan is going to remake Citizen Kane, people. Meanwhile, you can certainly go into them all giggly and happy. Look, you know the two will end up together and you don't want it any other way sometimes, you know?

I excluded classic films that have grand romances but are realistic about the pains and confusions of love: Casablanca, The Apartment, Gone With The Wind, et cetera. I excluded comedy films that are realistic about love (and its many splendid problems) while also being more funny than romantic: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Just Friends, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Annie Hall, et cetera. And there were other reasons I forget now for excluding other films for other reasons. I don't know. It all made sense in my head. But I listed the top ten films that I think would put me in some sugary good mood on Valentine's Day.

Jake Kilroy's Top Ten Movies for Valentine's Day
1. The Princess Bride
2. Love Actually
3. When Harry Met Sally...
4. The Quiet Man
5. You've Got Mail
6. The Notebook
7. Down With Love
8. French Kiss
9. Sleepless In Seattle
10. Two Weeks Notice

Happy Valentine's Day!