Ever had that moment where you just want to sit on the couch, eat a tub of ice cream, and bawl your eyes out? Well, that is what this list is for. Each of these movies provides you with tears, love, loss, catharsis, and life lessons. So sit down, watch, have a good cry, and then get back to work :P
1. P.S. I Love You (2007)
An often overlooked movie, P.S. I Love You tells the story of a wife, Holly (Hillary Swank) and the year following the death of her husband, Gerry (Gerard Butler). After discovering he has a brain tumor, Gerry writes a series of 12 letters to be delivered to Holly every month for a year after he passes. These letters help Molly to both mourn and move on, while rediscovering their love story and solidifying Gerry’s eternal love for her.
2. A Walk to Remember (2002)
A Walk to Remember is my favorite movie of all time. While each Nicholas Sparks book/movie follows the same formula, he never ceases to reel me in with well-rounded characters and a heart-warming love story. The movie follows the reverend’s daughter, Jamie (Mandy Moore) and the resident troublemaker, Landon (Shane West). After being part of a prank that severely injures another student, Landon is sentenced to community service, which he serves by being a part of the school play. Jamie is also a part of the school play, and Landon enlists her to help him learn his lines. Jamie’s grace and morality is the shining aspect of this film, as she continues to stand true to her faith despite all obstacles thrown at her. Consequently, you see a change in Landon as he strives to be a man that Jamie will be proud of. If by some chance, you haven’t heard what happens in this movie, I’ll save you the spoilers, but despite seeing it over 10 times, it never ceases to illicit waterworks.
3. Notebook (2004)
The Notebook follows the love story of an heiress named Allie (Rachel McAdams) and a young man who works in the lumber yard named Noah (Ryan Gosling). Their love story is told by an elderly man named Duke (James Garner) as he reads from a notebook to a fellow patient in the nursing home. The story focuses on Noah and Allie’s summer romance. However, after Allie’s parents forbid her to see Noah, they are separated and the story continues to follow them during their time apart. Set in the 1940s, you will love the glance back in time. Noah’s unconditional love for Allie is the key draw in this movie. Ryan Gosling plays an emotionally complex character and just like the patient James Garner is reading to, you are eager to hear each new development in their story. Plus, let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted to recreate that rain scene?
4. The Best of Me (2014)
The Best of Me follows high school sweethearts Dawson (James Marsden) and Amanda (Michelle Monoghan). After finding themselves back in their hometown after twenty years, Dawson and Amanda reunite and reminisce about their relationship. The movie follows two paths, the present-day interactions between Dawson and Amanda and the original love story between teenage Dawson and Amanda. What if you were given a second chance with “the one that got away”? This story is beautiful in that it shows the ways in which love changes over time.
5. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
A science-fiction and romance movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife follows artist Clare (Rachel McAdams) and librarian Henry (Eric Bana). Henry has a rare genetic disorder, Chrono-Impairment, that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. When Henry and Clare first meet, Henry has never met her before but she has known him her whole life. A little hard to follow at times, the movie is definitely unique and serves as a metaphor for distance and miscommunication in relationships. Your heart-strings will be tugged every time while you watch Clare struggle with Henry’s disappearance and simultaneously watch Henry attempt to find his way back to her and figure out where in their story he has traveled to.
6. Safe Haven (2013)
This was the first Nicholas Sparks movie to really shock me. The story has a thriller element in that the movie begins with a crime and you must wait for each of the pieces to unfold. The story follows waitress Katie (Julianne Hough) and single dad Alex (Josh Duhamel). Katie befriends her neighbor Jo (Cobie Smulders) and frequently seeks her advice. Also, she navigates the new town she has moved to and the new relationship she has embarked on. As pieces of the crime begin to surface, the stakes continue to get higher and you are on the edge of your seat until the very last minute. The movie ends with a catharsis and a twist that you will not see coming. The perfect balance of suspense and romance, it is a truly worthwhile movie.
7. Moulin Rouge (2001)
I have seen this movie way more times than I am proud to admit. I have to say, I am extremely satisfied with myself for only listing one musical, as I am also a musical fanatic. My best friend and I know “Elephant Love Medley” word for word and serenade each other with it on a regular basis. The movie follows actress and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) and struggling poet/writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) in 1900s France and the real-life Moulin Rouge. Filled with laughs, music, and beautiful scenery, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen. Aside from “Elephant Love Medley,” you will never forget the haunting cello from “Roxanne” or the whimsical take on “Like a Virgin.”
8. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
While I initially felt weird about this movie given that Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort portray brother and sister in Divergent, this movie really surprised me. They went all-in with these characters and these are now the only characters I can imagine them being. The movie follows 16-year old Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and 17-year old Augustus (Ansel Elgort). Hazel has thyroid cancer and must travel with an oxygen tank, while Augustus had osteosarcoma that resulted in the amputation of his right leg. They meet at a cancer support group while Augustus is there to support his friend Isaac (Nat Wolff), who is about to lose his remaining eye because of his own cancer. Through shared interests, their relationship begins. The story is heart-breaking in that it shows physical, cognitive, and emotional loss from a variety of perspectives but shows the perseverance of young love despite all of their obstacles. The word “okay” will never have quite the same meaning after this movie.
9. The Theory of Everything (2014)
The movie based on the real-life story of Jane and Stephen Hawking, the story begins with Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) studying at Cambridge where he meets literature student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). After discovering he has motor neurone disease, we watch Hawking’s physical decline. Despite knowing his condition, Jane tells her father she plans to stay by his side. Because motor neurone disease does not affect the brain, Hawking dedicates a lot of his time to figuring out how he will be able to communicate once he loses his speech and movement. The movie highlights both Jane and Stephen’s struggle with his disease. One thing I love about this movie is that it is definitely not a cookie-cutter romance. It is the tragic, real-life story of how relationships are tested. How pride is a barrier to communication, how often anger at life circumstances can often be misdirected, and how much love can withstand.