25 of the most swoon-worthy romance movies of all time
By Amy Kaplan
Love Story
Speaking of another love story without a happy ending… we’ve come to Love Story, which in my eyes, is one of the first original true love stories as we know them today. The movie is old, so it might take some searching to find it streaming somewhere, but I promise it will be worth the work if you’re into these types of movies (which you obviously are or else you wouldn’t be reading this.)
Have you ever heard the quote, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” well it comes from this movie!
It is the story of wealthy Harvard University law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), a middle-class girl who is studying music at Radcliffe College. They come from two different worlds (and neither parents approve of the other) but they decide to rebel and marry anyway. They struggle without the help of family, but they are happy and in love and nothing else really seems to matter. Unfortunately, their happy ending doesn’t last long as Jenny is diagnosed with a terminal illness and Ryan is left to care for her on his own. Will it take a tragedy for the families to come together again? Get out your kleenex, you’re gonna need it.
When this movie came out these actors were like the Kate and Leo of their time, and even now that generation gets teary-eyed thinking about this movie. So, it will stick with you.
Fun Fact: Tommy Lee Jones made his film debut in a minor role in this movie, I challenge you to find him, it’ll be hard.
Release date: December 16, 1970