Falling in love drives the most basic storyline in modern love stories, both in literature and cinema. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy loses girl. Boy wins girl back. They live happily ever after. This forms the foundation for most romantic comedies and dramas seen by modern audiences and shapes how the average person sees love in film.
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Five modern love stories in particular have exerted great influence on how movie audiences view love on screen and perhaps in their own lives as well:
“Love Story” (1970)
One of the classic modern romantic dramas examines a man and woman who overcome barriers of social class and wealth to find love with one another. The tragedy comes when their love is not powerful enough to beat an untimely illness and death. “Love Story” introduces the idea that love cannot prevent tragedy – a stark departure from the traditional happily-ever-after ending.
“When Harry Met Sally” (1989)
Can best friends of the opposite sex remain just friends? That's the question presented by this popular romantic comedy. The answer that unfolds over the course of the movie is that men and women who are friends will eventually fall in love. “When Harry Met Sally” establishes a formula followed by many romantic comedies released later.
“Pretty Woman” (1990)
As with “Love Story,” the “rags-to-riches” theme has driven plotlines since the earliest fairy tales. This theme goes in a modern direction with “Pretty Woman,” a film in which a rich businessman hires an escort to attend business and social functions over the course of a week in Los Angeles. In the end, both change as they fall in love but their social status complicates things. The movie plays out many fairy tale themes, especially those drawn from “Cinderella,” in a modern 20th century setting.
“Titanic” (1997)
A man and a woman from vastly different social classes fall in love aboard the Titanic during its only voyage. Their love is interrupted when the vessel hits an iceberg and only the woman survives in the frigid ocean water. This true love lingers with the main character throughout her life and the couple is drawn back together when she passes away.
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“The Notebook” (2004)
Can love fade away as a distant memory? This story follows an elderly man relating a story from a notebook to his wife in a nursing home of how they met in their youth and fell in love. “The Notebook” offers the idea that true love will stand the test of time and even dementia cannot stand in the way of love.
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