Movie-industry veterans -- from Drew Barrymore to Roger Ebert -- share their favorite romantic comedy -- just in time for Valentine’s Day viewing.
Stars' Favorite Romantic Films
Drew Barrymore(01 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: There's the adorable "Never Been Kissed" (1999), the goofy "The Wedding Singer" (1998), the amnesia-themed "50 First Dates" (2004)...Favorite Romantic Movie: "She's Having a Baby" (1988)Why It's Wonderful: "This film shows a different, more adult side of John Hughes as a director, but it never loses his sense of play. There are so many memorable moments, like when Kevin Bacon's character rests his coffee cup on his wife's very pregnant stomach, or when she tells him she stopped taking birth control and it cuts to a shot of him strapped to the front of a speeding train. The film is grounded and real but also a total absurd fantasy."Best Line: "Here's to successful fertilization, sweetie!" (credit:Getty Images)
Molly Ringwald(02 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: She exits the church in her bridesmaid dress to find crush Jake Ryan waiting -- for her. (We refer, of course, to 1984's "Sixteen Candles.")Favorite Romantic Movie: "Reds" (1981)Why It's Wonderful: "I was probably the only 14-year-old on the planet who saw this three times in the theater. It may be an interesting historical drama, but at its heart, it's really an epic romance about two idealistic artists. Toward the end, Diane Keaton's character finally finds the love of her life in a train station in Russia, and the long shot of her walking toward him, flooded with relief, is one of the most romantic moments ever filmed."Best Line: "Grand things are ahead, worth living and worth dying for." (credit:Getty Images)
Regina King(03 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: Costar of the tropical bodice-ripper "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (1998); also played world's most encouraging wife in "Jerry Maguire" (1996).Favorite Romantic Movie: "Coming to America" (1988)Why It's Wonderful: "Eddie Murphy was hilarious as usual, but also charming -- a modern-day Prince Charming, actually. The film isn't a typical love story, but it feels particularly special because it was one of the first times girls of color saw someone who looked like them get swept off her feet in a movie."Best Line: "But where in New York can one find a woman with grace, elegance, taste, and culture? A woman suitable for a king?" "Queens!" (credit:Getty Images)
Vivica A. Fox(04 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: She waged a war of the sexes in "Two Can Play That Game" (2001), and charmed as Larry David's feisty girlfriend on the TV series "Curb Your Enthusiasm."Favorite Romantic Movie: "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002)Why It's Wonderful: "It's a fun glimpse of everything I enjoy about Greek culture: delicious food and close-knit families. Plus, I appreciate that the female lead, Nia Vardalos, isn't your typical Hollywood vixen -- she seems more like a woman you could actually meet."Best Line: "Why do you love me?" "Because I came alive when I met you." (credit:Getty Images)
Amy Heckerling(05 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: Director of that timeless ode to Valley Girl culture -- and finding love in unexpected places -- known as "Clueless" (1995).Favorite Romantic Movie: "Moonstruck" (1987)Why It's Wonderful: "Nicolas Cage delivers one of the most romantic speeches I've ever heard. He tells the character Loretta, played by Cher, that we're not here on Earth to have nice little lives -- we're here to make messes and get our hearts broken. It's sloppy and poetic at the same time. The people in this film speak in a strange vernacular, and the contrast between the reality of regular New Yorkers and their dramatic, beautiful dialogue is delightful."Best Line: "The past and the future is a joke to me now. I see that they're nothing. I see they ain't here. The only thing that's here is you -- and me." (credit:Getty Images)
Erika Christensen(06 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: Costarred in 2005's "The Upside of Anger" and currently costars on NBC's "Parenthood," in which her fictional marriage is movingly sweet and endearingly flawed.Favorite Romantic Movie: "The Intouchables" (2011)Why It's Wonderful: "This is a French film that came out recently -- a love story between two men who learn so much from each other. After an accident leaves him a quadriplegic, a wealthy man hires a younger guy from the projects to take care of him, and they reawaken each other, sharing their unique takes on the world. It's inspiring without being saccharine. And it's really funny. I left the theater so happy."Best Line: "Why do you think people are interested in art?... Because it's the only thing one leaves behind." (credit:Getty Images)
Roger Ebert(07 of07)
Romantic-Movie Cred: America's most beloved film critic; happily married for 20 years.Favorite Romantic Movie: "A Walk in the Clouds" (1995)Why It's Wonderful: "The film, set in the vineyards of Northern California after World War II, tells the story of a young man [Keanu Reeves] and woman [Aitana Sánchez-Gijón] who meet at a time of crisis in their lives, agree to pretend to be married, and fall in love just when the pretense is about to fail. To a jaundiced eye, the film might look like melodrama, but perhaps one needs to have a little longing in one's soul to respond -- it sang to me."Best Line: "Newlyweds. What else do they do but make love and war?" (credit:Getty Images)
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