Happy Valentines/Galentines Day to you all! Needless to say, emotions are running almost as high as sales of chocolate and roses today… For those of us who are more likely to be found enjoying this ‘holiday’ from the comfort of our sofa, curled up with a straw stuffed in a full bottle of prosecco with a hand in a box of Lindt truffles, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to reminisce on some of the most iconic Rom-Com musical movie moments in cinematic history.
For anyone on the lookout for a bit of nostalgia or some recommendations for your V/G-Day watching list, stay tuned!
1. Up first is of course Heath Ledger performing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ in 10 Things I Hate About You
As far as grand romantic gestures go this one is surely up there. I mean, Heath Ledger hijacking your school band to serenade you before embodying the bad boy trope and being escorted off the bleachers by security…can’t get much better to be honest!
2. The prize for most imaginative ‘I’ve just had sex’ (is this a thing?) scene in movie history of course goes to the inimitable Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer.
There is simply nothing better than the way Tom’s inner feeling is externalised in this clip as he dances through the city to Hall and Oates, being congratulated by passers by and bursting into song and dance. It is one of those scenes that I will always go back to when I want to put a smile on my face. Sunshine in a scene without a doubt.
3. Gina Rodriguez, DeWanda Wise, Lizzo, drinking hard liquor with straws, dancing in pants…need I say more? Nope. Didn’t think so. This one goes out to your friends aka your most significant love story courtesy of the brilliant 2019 Netflix Rom-Com Someone Great.
4. When it comes to Rom-Coms you can’t quite get more iconic than Bridget Jones singing ‘All By Myself’ in her pyjamas on the sofa. It’s just as relatable now as it was when it was first released and an absolutely classic movie moment.
5. The most iconic love story in fiction history obviously needed a mention, here in the form of Baz Luhrmann’s artful 1996 re-telling of Romeo + Juliet. Accompanied by the glorious sound of Des’ree singing ‘I’m Kissing You’ this scene sees the star-crossed lovers meet for the first time and with no dialogue, music takes centre stage to convey their fascination with one another.
6. It would be absolute sacrilege to compile a list of iconic musical rom-com moments without including the classic Dirty Dancing final dance.
I would argue absolutely everything about this scene is perfect. The costumes, the dance, the kiss on the nose, the jump off the stage and of course that lift. I can’t say much more on it or I will cry so do yourself a favour and just watch the clip again yourself!
7. A slightly downbeat choice for Valentines Day but bear with me! If you have ever felt heartbreak this scene will quite literally grab you by the heart and squeeze the tears out through your eyes.
There are so many beautiful musical moments in 2017 wanderlust film Call Me By Your Name but the final scene of the movie really exploits the medium of sound and the gorgeous music of Sufjan Stevens. Featuring a close up of Timothee Chalamet’s incredible face, it is an unfailingly poignant scene that is masterfully acted.
8. I’m going to stick my neck on the line and claim that every kid who went through an ‘indie’ phase (and for some of us never grew out of…) Perks of Being a Wallflower was completely our introduction to the legendary ‘Come on Eileen’ by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. This is a scene that completely embodies the Galentines spirit of the holiday that is all about friendship, kindness and the complexity of love.
9. I wouldn’t be doing my job if there wasn’t a nod to The Titanic and the stunning sound of Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’. This is a musical movie moment that has of course gone down in history and has made it impossible to board a boat without wanting to recreate the similarly iconic pose!
10. Coming in at number 10 is one of my absolute favourite movies of all time, Friends With Benefits. There are loads of great musical moments throughout as can be expected with Justin Timberlake starring, but this is by far one of the best and most hilarious. Who doesn’t love a bit of Kris Kross?!
A very Happy Val/Galentines Day to you all- there are so many other movie moments to choose from so do leave us a comment and get in touch if you have any suggestions of ones we left out!
Words by Hermione Kellow
Photo © Apocalypse Music
