17 Romantic Movie Moments That Can Still Sweep You Off Your Feet

Movies might be blamed for giving people an unrealistic expectation of romance, and to that we say: probably, but we don't care. There have been such wonderfully romantic moments in our favorite movies, and those moments may be over-the-top, but we love them anyway. To get a heart-pounding boost, check out this list of our favorites and get ready to swoon over some of the sweetest things leading men (and women!) of the big screen have done for love.

01
Love Actually
Universal Pictures

Love Actually

Juliet has always assumed that her husband's best friend Mark hates her because he's been so awkward around her. But when he shows up at her front door posing as a caroler and bearing cue cards, she realizes just how mistaken she was. Why it's particularly sweet: Mark has no ill will toward his friend; it's more that he just wants closure. Juliet responds to the sentiment with a quick kiss.

02
10 Things I Hate About You
Disney

10 Things I Hate About You

Heath Ledger's Patrick Verona breaks out of his assumed bad-boy persona to serenade Julia Stiles's character Kat with the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." I still can't hear that song without imagining a marching band playing the instrumental part or Heath dancing across the school's bleachers.

03
Love and Basketball
Everett Collection

Love and Basketball

Quincy is set to marry the wrong woman instead of his college sweetheart and perfect foil, Monica. The night before the wedding, the two play a high-stakes game — if he loses, he won't get married the next day. He wins in a heartbreaking turn, but as Monica is walking away, he utters, "Double or nothing?"

04
Never Been Kissed
20th Century Studios

Never Been Kissed

Grand gestures are not only committed by men. In Never Been Kissed, Josie Geller invites the object of her affection, Sam Coulson, to give her a kiss during a school baseball game — her first. It's as sweet as the resulting smooch, set to "Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys.

05
Once
Everett Collection

Once

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová star as a musician and a flower girl whose friendship begins to hint at something more, as they bond over their love for music. He falls for her, but she resists because she's married. In the end, he leaves to board a plane for London, leaving her with a parting gift: a piano.

06
Pretty Woman
Disney

Pretty Woman

Edward Lewis decides he can't let Vivian go after their "business arrangement" ends and attempts to be the knight in shining armor she's fantasized about. Tackling his fear of heights by climbing her fire escape, he presents her with roses and asks what happens next. She tells him that she "rescues him right back."

07
Reality Bites
Universal Pictures

Reality Bites

Valedictorian and all-around rule-follower Lelaina and her slacker best friend Troy have been trying to stifle their feelings for each other forever — despite living in the same apartment. Their relationship implodes when Lelaina starts dating a motivated career guy, so after his father passes away, Troy begins to get his act together to win her over. It succeeds, of course, ending the story with a kiss.

08
Shrek
Dreamworks

Shrek

Princess Fiona has wrestled with a monstrous secret, waiting patiently for marriage to break the curse. But once Shrek teaches her the importance of self-acceptance, she gives up her royal life, defies her family, and stays an ogre forever just to be with him.

09
Shakespeare in Love
Everett Collection

Shakespeare in Love

Even though William can't be with Viola, with whom he is deeply in love, he dedicates his next play to her. His words are better than mine: "For she will be my heroine for all time, and her name will be . . . Viola."

10
A Walk to Remember
Warner Bros.

A Walk to Remember

Landon knows Jamie is dying of leukemia, so he takes it upon himself to complete everything on her bucket list, including tattoos, crossing state lines, and getting married.

11
Sleepless in Seattle
Everett Collection

Sleepless in Seattle

Annie has a seemingly perfect man all ready for marriage, but she takes a risk and heads to the top of the Empire State Building instead for a chance to meet her soulmate, Sam. Even though Jonah plays a big role as matchmaker, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say many women would have gone the safe route with cute-but-boring Walter.

12
Juno
Searchlight Pictures

Juno

Even though they were never really together, Juno realizes she's in love with the father of her baby, Paulie Bleeker, while she's pregnant. Her gesture is personal, sweet, and colorful: she fills the Bleeker mailbox with orange Tic Tacs, his fave.

13
Titanic
20th Century Studios

Titanic

In this epic romance, Jack and Rose both make huge sacrifices for each other. Rose ditches her life boat to get Jack, and then Jack makes the ultimate sacrifice: he gives his life so Rose can survive.

14
The Wedding Singer
New Line Cinema

The Wedding Singer

Robbie can't let Julia marry her cheating fiancé, Glen. He not only crashes their flight, but he's written her a song: "I Want to Grow Old With You." I love Drew Barrymore's face and tears as she realizes it's Robbie singing it to her.

15
Say Anything
20th Century Studios

Say Anything

The definitive movie grand gesture just may be Lloyd Dobler hoisting a ghetto blaster over his head to play "In Your Eyes" for Diane Court. They're broken up, they're both in pain, and Peter Gabriel's song, the one they had first made love to, is looping for her benefit. It would be creepy if it wasn't so wonderful.

16
The Notebook
New Line Cinema

The Notebook

For years, Allie thinks her first love, Noah, had abandoned her since her mother secretly confiscates all of the love letters he'd written to her. She finally confronts him during their rainy reunion years later ("Why didn't you write me? Why? It wasn't over for me"), which ends in the kiss to end all kisses. Our love for this scene wasn't over when we first saw it back in 2004, and it STILL isn't over now.

17
Jerry Maguire
Tristar

Jerry Maguire

Perhaps one of the most quoted movie moments in history, Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger's exchange of "You complete me" and "You had me at hello" in Jerry Maguire is the kind of dialogue that would only ever work in a movie, and not real life. Still, we can't get enough.