by Julia Kelm and Kimberly Madrigal
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing is a romance film set in 1960s upstate New York, in the Catskills summer resort. Frances ‘Baby,’ played by Jennifer Grey, is there with her family, and expects the trip to be nothing special. That is until she stumbles upon a bunch of the resort’s employees, including soon-to-be love interest Johnny Castle — Patrick Swayze — dancing dirty in secret. One thing leads to another, and Baby offers to cover for a dancer, Penny Johnson, and must train with Johnny.
If you have not already seen Dirty Dancing, Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to see it. There’s a scene where Baby and Johnny are fooling around in this dance studio as Love Is Strange plays in the background that actually altered my brain chemistry when I saw it for the first time.
Desert Hearts (1985)
Desert Hearts is set in the 1950s, and Vivian Bell played by Helen Shaver comes to Reno, Nevada to file for her divorce. However, she finds herself attracted by a carefree, and spirited woman named Cay Rivvers — Patricia Charbonneau — and they have a slow burn romance. It can be difficult to find LGBTQ+ films that are good and also have a happy ending.
I wouldn’t say this film has the happiest ending in the world, but hey, at least this one doesn’t have the “bury-your-gays” trope. I watched this for the first time earlier this year, and definitely think it’s a great choice for Valentine’s Day — especially if you have a special lesbian in your life.
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
I Love You Phillip Morris is about a former police officer named Steven Russell — Jim Carrey — who becomes a conman after coming out as gay. Steven gets caught in one of his schemes, and goes to jail. There he meets the love of his life, Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor.
For this one, I wanted to pick a more outside-the-box option — something that was a little more of a comedy, and something less people were likely to have already seen. Unfortunately, for how funny certain parts of this film are, there are also a few tear-jerker moments. However, if you wanna cuddle up to something a little more unorthodox, this may be the pick for you this Valentine’s.
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
My Beautiful Laundrette is set in 1980s London. Omar, a young Pakistani man played by Gordon Warnecke, is given a dilapidated laundromat by his uncle — Saeed Jaffrey — who hopes to turn it into a successful business. Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks, but the situation defuses when he realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
I’ll be honest with you, for how exciting I made that teaser sound, this movie is a tad boring. However, it was pretty revolutionary for its time; not only did it center around a same-sex couple during the 80s, but it also talked about the serious racial issues against Pakistani immigrants in London at the time. This is a film to give you the excuse to talk about the political and economic state of the world with your film nerd partner this Valentine’s Day.
Hairspray (2007)
Hairspray is set in 1960s Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad — Nikki Blonsky — is obsessed with the teen dance show, “The Corny Collins Show.” Upon hearing there’s an open spot on the show, she auditions for a spot on and secures it. She becomes an overnight celebrity, and a trendsetter for the show. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.
I don’t know if I’ve made my opinions on musicals clear before, but they usually are not my thing. However, Hairspray might be the greatest movie musical I’ve ever seen. John Travolta and Christopher Walken play Tracy’s parents, and they did make me believe in true love if that at all inspires you to watch Hairspray this Valentine’s.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Such an iconic movie, with so many niche references, such a dope cast, plot and soundtrack. The “promposal” scene is the reason my standards are so high. I love this movie so much.
13 Going On 30 (1999)
This movie is literally my entire childhood. It’s based around a geeky 13-year-old in the 80s who manifests jumping into her cooler 30-year-old self’s timeline. She lives in New York City in the early 2000s, where she is, “thrifty, flirty and thriving,” and an editor for her favorite fashion magazine, Poise, while dating her school’s most popular and cutest jock-turned-pro-athlete. She finds herself unhappy with the adult she’s become, so she uses her 13-year-old self’s creativity, compassion and 80s influence to help become a better her while crossing paths with people from her childhood in the city.
50 First Dates (2004)
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore… already iconic right? This movie follows Henry, a local veterinarian infamous for being a playboy with tourist women. One day, he meets and is wooed by Lucy, a local, and both of them are unaware Lucy has short-term memory loss. Lucy’s family replays the day she lost her memory everyday to not scare her. Henry must meet and woo her again and again to prove to her loved ones that he’s serious about pursuing her.
Starstruck (2010)
This movie is responsible for my “she’s different” main character complex. A teen girl from Michigan goes to LA to visit her grandparents and accidentally meets LA’s biggest male pop star at the time, Christopher Wilde — a Justin Bieber dupe — who everyone, including her older sister, is obsessed with. However, she doesn’t see the hype. The film follows them as he shows her around LA. Will her perception of the pop star change?
Monte Carlo (2011)
Grace, a recent high school graduate and waitress from Texas, saves up to fulfill her lifelong dream of visiting Paris, along with her older, diva best friend Emma, and her uptight unbearable step-sister, Meg. They accidentally get left at the Eiffel Tower by their rushed,
budget-friendly tour group and fall down on their luck, until Grace is mistaken for British Socialite Cordelia Winthrop Scott.
Before you know it, they’re wheels up on a private jet to Monte Carlo, Monaco — a luxurious, all-expenses paid trip to attend a charity gala in the socialite’s honor — which she decided to ditch, to rebel and hang with friends instead. This movie is truly so amazing because we get a first-hand look into the world of the one percent through the eyes of three young and unique Texan women.