The Vow
This movie is based on a true story, which adds to the element of romance in my opinion. This is the only movie on my list that is based on a true couple and that’s got to count for something. This is also the most modern of all the movies on my list, having been released in 2012, which stands as a testament to its unique story.
Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) are happily married newlyweds until their life comes to a screeching halt when a car accident leaves her in a coma. When Paige awakes, she has severe memory loss and doesn’t know Leo. In fact, Paige believes she’s still living at home and had no memory of ever becoming the woman that Leo married. Paige believes she is still in love with her former fiance (Scott Speedman) and cannot see anything in Leo, or their life, that brings her happiness. Despite this, Leo is determined to renew their bond and rebuild their marriage by reminding her of what life they used to have in hopes that Paige will remember and come back to him. The loss you feel from Leo, first when the accident strikes, then when it’s revealed that she has no memory of him and then again when he lets her go in hopes that she’ll come back to him naturally, is so raw and real. I couldn’t imagine the pain he must be feeling, nor the fear that Paige must also have.
Fun Fact: Tatum told Ellen DeGeneres that he wore an oversized prosthetic for the scene where he walks naked in front of McAdams in order to get a realistic reaction out of her. This was apparently the take that was used in the final cut. (Must watch the movie again for this moment.)
Release date: February 6, 2012