Monday, April 12, 2010

Monday Movie Meme - Coupling


A couple of weeks ago we covered those amazing sidekicks. This week's Monday Movie Meme with the Bumbles is all about those sizzling couples on the silver screen. It takes a special chemistry to really make a movie sizzle...some have it, and some don't. Just because I MUST, I will need to repeat one or two from the Bumbles, but here are my picks for the week:


1. Harry and Sally (When Harry Met Sally) - I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this movie. On paper, these two would be an unlikely couple. I mean, Billy Crystal? Sizzle? But sizzle they do, and it doesn't lessen even on the thirtieth viewing.

2. Jack and Rose (The Titanic) - I can't even say that I LIKED either of these actors when this movie debuted, but these two really clicked together. When they reunited in Revolutionary Road, I saw interviews that claimed that these two had such a connection, they considered themselves best friends and talked daily on the phone ever since, over all these years. (I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that she is getting a divorce???)

3. Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara (Gone With the Wind) - agreed, the relationship was dysfunctional, but dysfunction never looked so good. I tingle every time I watch a drunken Rhet whisk Scarlett up those stairs.

4. Rick and Ilsa (Casablanca) - I will never get over the fact that these two didn't end up together. It's just wrong.

5. Maria and Captain von Trapp (The Sound of Music) - I dare you not to get goosebumps when they first dance, alone outside, as the party goes on inside. Melts my cynical little heart!

6. Baby and Johnny (Dirty Dancing) - the coolest thing about this movie, and probably why it resonated with so many of us teeny boppers, was that Baby represented every one of us that felt they didn't fit in and felt like we had two left feet. And she still gets the hot guy!

7. Richard and Elise (Somewhere in Time) - even back in his hey day with Superman, I never thought Christopher Reeve was a hottie, but with Jane Seymore, he perfects the art of eye contact and the look of love. Mama Mia.


Frankly, I could go on for at least another dozen couples, but alas, the kids must go to school! So let me hear your thoughts. Agree? Disagree and have some better names? What say you?




20 comments:

Kaye said...

Dirty Dancing/Teeny boppers??? You're forgetting about us old ladies that fell in love with Johnny. YUM!

Trisha said...

Great list..and I would think a difficult one to make. At first, my mind goes immediately to best on screen romances, but finding those movies where the actors really sparked is much more interesting and difficult. It may seem strange but Brokeback Mountain comes to mind; I thought Gyllenhaal and Ledger did a fantastic job.

Literary Feline said...

Great list, Sandy! The one that pops instantly into my mind is Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I hate what the real life pairing did to Brad and Jen's marriage, but Brad and Angelina do have quite a chemistry on the screen.

I also want to say Sleepless in Seattle, but I think it was really me who fell in love with the movie rather than the characters having such great chemistry. Still, I do think there was something there between Meg and Tom on the screen--enough that they got to meet up again in another movie not long after.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I love your list. The only thing I didn't like about Dirty Dancing (which I've probably seen 4,000 times) was naming the character "Baby." Okay, I get the meaning, but it was a little much for me!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

What a great list! I'd add Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. So good together. Also Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge. The leading couple's chemistry makes all the difference to the impact of the movie.
p.s. Great job on the read-a-thon!

Alyce said...

I love all of your picks! Especially the inclusion of Richard and Elise! I own Somewhere in Time - it's one of those movies that when it's on tv I watch it even though I could just pop it in and watch it any time. It's funny because in some ways I get angry at the movie thinking "that's right, go give him the watch so that you can ruin both of your lives - you'll both be miserable even though you'll have a few days of magic." But then I can't turn away from it. And the music is wonderful!

I second what Avid Reader said - Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman have great chemistry. Especially in that part where he sings Come What May to her.

Beth F said...

Dirty Dancing, Out of Africa, and Murphy's Romance. There are so many great couple movies -- old and new.

bermudaonion said...

Great list! I love When Harry Met Sally and Gone With the Wind. Carl and I watched Dirty Dancing in our motel room after we dropped Vance off at college for the very first time. We felt like we'd been to a funeral, so that movie makes me sad now.

Heidenkind said...

I never really got what Rick and Ilse saw in each other in that movie. Hmm.

One of my all-time favorite movie couples is Martin Blank and Debbie from Grosse Pointe Blank! I love that scene where she's like, "You're a freaking psycho!" But then I also have an itsy-bitsy John Cusak obsession.

Ana S. said...

I liked Jack and Rose in Titanic too. I know it's become fashionable to hate that movie, but I honestly don't think it's bad. Their relationship felt VERY real, unlike what tends to happen in those types of stories.

Carrie K. said...

All I have to do is think about Somewhere in Time and I get teary-eyed!

Susan said...

"Nothing comes from nothing,
Nothing ever could but,
Somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good."

Do you feel the cold chills? I do. My favorite part of the movie.

Zibilee said...

All great choices! I definitely agree with Baby and Johnny. Dirty Dancing is still one of my favorite movies and I can recite all the lines. I think I must have seen it a hundred times!

ds said...

I'm with Susan. Chills, chills. And you mentioned Casablanca--yippee! Once again, a great list, with a couple of cool surprises (though nothing will get me to become a DiCaprio fan). Thanks!

The Bumbles said...

Jack & Rose is a great choice. I am not a sap. I roll my eyes at sap. But Titanic makes me an emotional mess every time. How could fated love ending in disaster not create that reaction?

Michele said...

Zack and Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman for some reason popped into my head, which is strange because it's not my favorite movie, but they did sizzle.

Loved the list!

Kelly said...

What a great list. I thought is was alot of fun to read it.

Alice said...

I loved THE TITANIC and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY! I like your list, Sandy!

Unknown said...

I like Fred McMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in Notorious are also great.

Penelope said...

Agreed--great list. How about Catherine and Thomas in The Thomas Crowne Affair?