Hollywood's Great Love Stories

Jack and Rose; a classic Hollywood romance.

In my opinion the greatest fantasy Hollywood provides is "love". Sure there are action movies and fantasy films, but how many of us can actually relate emotionally to a Hobbit carrying an all powerful ring or Rambo killing a bunch of rednecks. Love is the one movie theme everyone can connect with. Yes, even guys who favor Scwharzenneger over Gere still can feel the emotional tugs a good love story can deliver.

When watching Saving Private Ryan one can certainly empathize with the characters but we can only imagine what that fear and adrenaline feels like. Unless you have been in a war situation you can only imagine. However, I believe everyone in this world can relate to the feelings of love, even if it is unrequited or has ended. At one time or another every adult has felt the feelings of love.

Hollywood is well aware of this fact and makes full use of it. In Pretty Woman we are meant to believe that a rich, snobbish bore falls in love with an unsophisticated hooker. Sure we have Pygmalion going on. He educates her in a week about how to act in public and she educates him on how to treat people. But lets be honest. Other than the fact that they are both good looking, they have nothing to base a real relationship on. Thus the Hollywood fantasy. The man gets a sexually charged beautiful woman whose only desires are to nurture him. The woman gets a handsome, rich man who allows her carte blanche when it comes to spending. In reality the week would have ended and at most she would have a regular customer every time he was in town.

In Titanic we also have a love story between classes. Rose is the rich bored girl and Jack is a carefree artist. This fantasy relationship would never have lasted had the ship made it to port. Oh sure, she said she was tired of her life, but what did she really know of any other life. This is a girl who has been waited on hand and foot all her life. Just picture their life two days into New York.

Rose: "We're free Jack."

Jack: "Right. So while I am drawing these kids picture hoping their parents will give me a dime, why don't you go beg money from those rich people over there."

Rose: "Jack what about all those romantic notions we had onboard?"

Jack: "Reality check Rose, those things cost money and I am pretty much just a wandering bum."

To me the 4 greatest love story movies are all much better at portraying real relationships without making the characters unrealistic. 1. Gone With The Wind: in which two opposites are attracted to each other and dance the love dance for as long as they can until realizing they are just not meant to be.
2. Casablanca: where two people, through an incredible coincidence find that they still have feelings for each other but honor and devotion keep them apart.
3. The Way We Were: in which a couple admire and love each other but are never comfortable with each other.
4. When Harry Met Sally: A couple finally finds happiness after a long courtship that grows through friendship.

If you didn't notice, most of these movies have the lovers parted by the end of the movie. Well have you checked the divorce rate? It happens as often as it doesn't. But, is not that the very reason for the Hollywood love story? To give the audience a happy ending? We watch love stories to fall into a fantasy that is far removed from reality. Where a middle-aged waitress from Queens can fall in love with a millionaire playboy, (Arthur.) Where a drunken, down on his luck reporter can be in love with a clueless heiress, (It Happened One Night) Where a pilot can help kidnap a ditzy daughter of a Texas Tycoon and end up getting married, (The Bride Came C.O.D.) Where former lovers can meet again and insatiably flirt with each other till they succumb to their passion. (Gilda).

Whether you're currently in or out of love a movie can always take you to a familiar feeling with characters that are falling in or out of love. Neil Simon once said that the secret to a great story is to provide the audience with characters to root for. Give them a goal that the audience wants to see them achieve. What better goal to have characters working for than love?

So, thank you Hollywood for all the great love stories. Realistic or not I am always a sucker for a good love story.