26 Romantic Movies to Get You Through Valentine's Day

Romantic movies -- they can make you laugh out loud, cry your eyes out or  squee with delight when boy finally gets girl (or vice versa). One way or another, they give you all the warm and fuzzies. Just in time for Valentine's Day, here are 26 essential movies (in no particular order) to watch with your cuddle buddy. 

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." It's sappy dialogue like this that turned Nicholas Sparks' popular novel into an even more popular movie. Casting eye candy like the insanely likable Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams didn't hurt, either. Make sure to have lots of tissues handy, gang.  

It's the movie that launched a 1,000 raised boom boxes, all playing Peter Gabriel. Writer-director Cameron Crowe tells the heartfelt story of Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and the object of his affection, Diane Court (the perfect Ione Skye). Not just one of the best high school movies ever, but also one of the best romances ever. 

Say what you want about this corny guilty pleasure, but who ever turns it off on a rainy afternoon? Nobody puts Baby in the corner, especially when what she's after is Patrick Swayze's summer camp dance instructor who leaves the ladies breathless.

This melancholy, award-laden tale of star-crossed lovers trying to make it in L.A. is more than easy on the eyes, thanks to its talented leads (Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone) and fantastical song-and-dance numbers. You'll be rooting for them to be together, for better or worse.

"I wish I knew how to quit you!" Ang Lee’s powerful love story of two Montana cowboys (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) garnered critical acclaim and a slew of Academy Award nominations for its fierce depiction of forbidden love. While it lost Best Picture to 'Crash,' it remains a pop-culture staple.   

Long-distance love has never been so romantic in this hit Nora Ephron film, which annointed Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan the king and queen of romantic comedies. 

'500' follows the nonlinear story of Summer (Zooey Deschanel), who doesn’t believe in true love, and a romantic (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who can't help but fall for women with seasonal names. This scary, honest and funny look at love and heartbreak is near perfect. 

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks pair up once again or this early Internet-era remake of ‘The Shop Around the Corner.' Here, they play two rivals who’ve unknowingly been corresponding via e-mail. This and 'Sleepless and Seattle' make for a charming, and heartwarming, double feature. 

Rob Reiner’s classic rom-com featured Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as best friends spending some very funny years on the verge of being something more. And in one unforgettable scene, all audiences decided we’ll have “what she’s having.”

Renee Zellweger charmed audiences and fans of the British chick-lit novel as plump underdog Bridget Jones, an awkward, goofy publicist who sleeps with the wrong guy (Hugh Grant) and thinks the right guy, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), is an arrogant jerk. 

Hugh Grant's breakout role -- and one of many lucrative ventures with writer-director Richard Curtis -- finds the foppish Brit falling for Andie MacDowell in between attending the titular events. This crowd-pleasing, witty comedy tugs on the heartstrings, too -- a must-watch. 

It’s Julia Roberts vs. Cameron Diaz in the fight to win Dermot Mulroney’s heart.  You’d think no one could compete with the Roberts and her dazzling smile, but when Diaz sings karaoke -- badly -- we can’t help but root for her.

See it for washed-out pitcher Kevin Costner’s speech to Susan Sarandon about what he believes in – including “kisses that last three days.” If there's a better movie about romance and baseball, we don't wanna know about it. 

John Hughes’ classic coming-of-age story introduced the world to Molly Ringwald. Audiences fell in love with her, as did her crush, Jake Ryan, by the end of the movie. Guess some birthday wishes do come true.

Adam Sandler rocks the best mullet ever in this ode to the '80s, playing a talented wedding singer falling for waitress Drew Barrymore. Arguably Sandler's best film. (Sorry, 'Waterboy' fans.)

Cher won an Oscar for her performance in this quirky comedy about fate and romance and all the messiness in between. Nic Cage plays her one-handed suitor and -- nope, to say any more would spoil the fun.

A modern Christmas perennial favorite, 'Four Weddings''s Richard Curtis enlists one of the best British acting ensembles ever -- Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant -- for this London-set romance fest. 

'Terms of Endearment''s James L. Brooks delivers another Oscar-winning romantic drama, this time focusing on love's more snarky side. The laughs, and tugged heart strings, come from Jack Nicholson's cranky OCD-stricken author falling for the one woman (Helen Hunt) who can't stand him. 

One of 1990's biggest hits turned Julia Roberts into a star, thanks to her Oscar-nominated turn as Vivian Ward -- a call girl with a heart of gold. Her week long affair with Richard Gere's wealthy businessman holds up surprisingly well.  

Giving audiences insight into Shakespeare’s penning of 'Romeo and Juliet,' John Madden’s 1998 film won Best Picture and proved that love is the ultimate inspiration. The only thing better than Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes' chemistry is the script's witty banter. 

Pretty much every Nicholas Sparks adaptation could make this list, but we're choosing this one because Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, duh. Of course you want to see him win her love all over again after she's lost her memory.

You may recognize 'Rogue One' star Felicity Jones as a British coed who violates her U.S. visa when she falls for an American in her class (Anton Yelchin). Can love survive separation? Drake Doremus's 2011 directing debut was a hit with critics and indie film fans alike.   

"Ditto." Patrick Swayze's Sam tries to keep his love for Demi Moore alive while struggling to solve his murder in 1990's second-biggest movie. Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her role as the spirit whisperer helping Sam. You'll be crying every time they play "Unchained Melody."  

Arguably the "paterfamilias" of the modern day rom-com, Woody Allen's Oscar-winning comedy still holds up as one of the best films ever made about love and the funny consequences therein. 

This instantly likable comedy is the type of movie you want to rewatch immediately as soon as it ends. Melanie Griffth's breakout role as a struggling office assistant, who must go through evil boss Sigourney Weaver to get to the top, is one of the decade's best films. It also showcases Harrison Ford's underrated comedic chops.