Valentines Day is a different ball game when there is a baby (or many) in the picture. What previously would have been a for-sure night out, with nice dinner and obligatory wine, complete with butterflies over cards and flowers has been replaced with forfeiting all of the above unless the gods that be provide you with a babysitter who doesn’t have plans of their own that night. That, and the will to do anything but curl up and sleep in your child-free zone. No, this year Valentines Day is different, and thats okay – it is just a day after all, you can still be as loved as you are the other 364 days of the year.
In the spirit of all things love though, it can be nice to curl up on the sofa, pop on a bag of microwave popcorn, throw in a bag of Minstrels (my favourites) and maybe even a glass of that wine (you don’t have to forfeit EVERYTHING just because your babysitter is being wined and dined) once the kids are in bed. For the sake of the day thats in it, it calls for a rom-com, and calls for the man in your life to give in and pretend to be horrified (but love it really) at the chick flick – sorry, romantic comedy – you throw on. He’ll be thankful it’s not 50 Shades of Grey (probably).
Here’s a selection of fantastic choices you can find on Netflix if you’re having my kind of Valentines Day this year; there’s plenty more to choose from but these are my top picks:
1. Romeo and Juliet. Ah, Leonardo di Caprio when he was every teenage girls bedroom wall poster boy, quoting Shakespeare like he means it. Their love is just so pure, so perfectly in iambic pentameter. A love story for the ages, and some eye candy in this one to boot.
2. 10 Things I hate about you. This is one of my all time favourite films, and not just for how beautiful Heath Ledger was in it. Another link to Shakespeare, this one is the story of boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy wins girl around, and some lovely angsty poetry. Special props to the Guidance counsellor writing her own version of 50 Shades of Grey many years before it was published, some fantastic comedy moments. Also features a super young Joseph Gordon Levitt (him of 500 Days of Summer fame).
3. Ghost. We watched this one in Religion class in school, and the teacher fast forwarded through THAT scene at the potters wheel. This one involves Patrick Swayze, which is an essential for any list of romantic films, and is definitely one for getting that lovey-dovey feeling. Expect to leave this one with Unchained Melody stuck in your head, and a penchant to watch some more Patrick Swayze movies.
4. Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts meets Richard Gere who rescues her from her life as a hooker, after he hires her as his escort. There’s a love story in there somewhere. Not unlike Romeo and Juliet, the entire romance happens over a week, and will most likely leave you with a smile on your face at the end.
5. The Proposal. What to do if you face deportation but you don’t want to give up your job? Marry your co-worker, who can’t stand you, of course – sure, why wouldn’t Sandra Bullock? Obviously, everything goes to plan and has no inane consequences… oh wait. It’s a funny one and less chick-flicky than some of the ones above; watch out for Sandra Bullock “getting Low”. Hilarious.
6. Mr and Mrs Smith. The movie where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fell in love supposedly; a tale of a married couple whose mission it is to kill each other; and not just for leaving the milk out either. It’s high octane, has funny moments in it and isn’t quite a chick flick but does indeed hit the romantic notes. It’s also got two rather attractive leads at their most attractive, which is a definite bonus.
7. Pride and Prejudice (BBC Mini Series). Okay, slightly cheating as this isn’t a movie, but seriously. Colin Firth. As Mr Darcy. Well worth the six hours you need to invest to get through it. Best get another packet of popcorn (and another glass of wine).
So those are my romantic picks to settle down with this Valentines night, what about you?
As a member of the Netflix Ireland Stream Team I have received a complimentary one year Netflix membership along with an Apple Tv. I will in turn be featuring Netflix related blog posts. All opinions are my own, and I was already subscribed to the service beforehand.
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