I decided I wanted to write this article and then I sat down to write it and immediately regretted my decision. As a romantic-comedy connoisseur, I have a vast mental database of on-screen kisses; after all, they are literally the whole point of the movie (and my favorite part of the movie as well). That said, as a result of this affinity for on-screen kisses, it literally took me a full hour to choose just a few; I love them all in their own special way. Finally, I decided to select my kisses based on the following criteria: aesthetic appeal, passion, context, setting and uniqueness. Funny enough I realized that my favorite kisses and/or movies actually didn’t make the cut so maybe I’ll have to make a sequel to this article. Read on to see which kisses topped my kiss-o-meter!
Never Been Kissed
This isn’t the most amazing kiss visually or anything like that. It’s pretty standard as far as on-screen kisses go but I had to put it on my list because the fact that it is Josie’s very first kiss gives the scene that extra “aww” moment that all great on-screen kisses are made of. She isn’t like a high school freshman who is anxiously anticipating her first kiss; she is a grown woman who has never been kissed—how quaint is that? Also, the way it kind of becomes a public event is super cute as well, like everyone is just rooting for her to lose her kissing virginity (hey, maybe the other one too. Who knows what happened after they left that baseball field). The moment is as sweet as everyone could have hoped. 7/10 on the kiss-o-meter.
Sixteen Candles
First of all, can we just talk about the aesthetic quality of this scene? The beautiful orange glow of the candles, Sam wearing that ridiculous-but-I’m-sure-was-very-trendy-at-the-time-dress sitting cross-legged on a glass table across from Jake staring into each other’s eyes… it all just set my heart afire. Even the sheer distance they had to travel for their lips to meet was absolutely perfect; it should have been very awkward but was actually the most magical thing I have ever seen. I’m pretty sure this kiss scene is as iconic as the movie itself. Plus, all of this at the magical age of sixteen? Perfection. 9/10 on the kiss-o-meter
Spiderman
Again, this kiss was so visually striking I think it’s the moment everyone left the film remembering, which is pretty significant in a superhero movie where romance isn’t the focus of the film. I am incredibly partial to kiss scenes in the rain because I think they add an extra layer of poignancy and passion to the scene; so the pouring rain plus the strangeness of the dynamic between Mary-Jane and Peter Parker (she’s kissing a guy in a spider costume that she can only unmask halfway for goodness’ sake) creates a really nice effect. Also, I’ve never seen another kiss like this one (probably because well, it’s a Spiderman movie and you’d have to be playing Spiderman to hang upside-down and kiss your co-star, but still, points for uniqueness!) 8.5/10 on the kiss-o-meter
A Cinderella Story
Again, the rain. Rain makes everything that much more romantic, passionate, visceral… everything (I’m still waiting for my film-worthy kiss in the rain, but I digress). I think the build up to this kiss was fabulous; the chanting of “Austin, Austin”, him ditching the football game and desperately trying to get in the stands to catch Sam before she leaves, then that first drop of rain (in the middle of a drought, by the way) landing on Austin’s cheek was everything I needed in my young, adolescent life. Then the passion in the subsequent kiss was really intense, yet sweet for a PG-rated movie. Besides all of that, Chad Michael-Murray and Hilary Duff are such a beautiful couple to watch and the chemistry really was there so the kiss was just the icing on the cake of a pre-teen classic. 9/10 on the kiss-o-meter
Love and Basketball
This might seem like a weird choice but hear me out. There are a lot of passionate scenes in this movie but the one that got my vote for this list is the one at the very end of the movie which is pretty average as far as kisses go. However, the stakes leading up to this kiss feel so high and crucial that the kiss is probably the most satisfying one on the list. With a movie spanning 13 years and a lot of highs and lows, we were rooting for Monica and Quincy and at times it feels like it just might not work out. However, that moment where Monica is walking dejectedly off the court and we think it just might be the end of the road for “Mon-incy” he says, “double or nothing” and our hearts sing. The look on her face as she walks over to her childhood sweetheart who she’s loved all her life to give him, not their first kiss but the most important one, was the perfect way to end the movie. Plus, the added physicality of playing a sport against one another just ups the ante in the passion department. 9/10 on the kiss-o-meter
The Notebook
I know I’m about to sound like a broken record but how can I not talk about the rain in this scene? It practically makes the kiss. The only thing better than rain I think, in terms of creating passion, is a screaming match and this scene has both. I don’t even like this movie that much to be honest but I love this moment. It’s not my favorite on-screen kiss ever but I feel like I would be remiss in leaving it out. It’s passionate, it’s romantic, it’s a classic, it’s been made into GIFs for crying out loud. 8/10 on the kiss-o-meter for me.