Impossible loves, hot affairs, stories of overcoming and a happy endings seem to be exclusive to movies. But how can fairy tales become reality? Or better yet… the opposite of it! On that thought, HC gathered 5 beautiful love stories pictured in movies and based on real-life events to binge-watch on the week of Brazilian Valentine’s Day.
1.THE VOW (2012)
Inspired by true events, the couple Kim and Krickitt Carpenter were gifted the feature in 2012, which tells the story of an accident that made Krickitt lose part of her memory and forget the love story she lived.
Rachel McAdams (Paige) e Channing Tatum (Leo) brought the characters to life in an intense and mysterious plot that makes us question if the story is truly real. Leo’s mission is to win back his fiancée’s trust, love, and their entire life together, which disappeared in a fraction of a second in the car accident. In the film, he struggles to make Paige fall in love with him again and remember who she was.
2. THE NOTEBOOK (2004)
The story of the classic Nicholas Sparks‘ novel that makes us sigh with love is real and inspired by the grandparents of the author’s ex-wife. The film tells the story of Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) through the eyes of Duke, a healthy elderly man who makes frequent visits to Allie, his wife who is staying in a nursing home due to Alzheimer. Every day, he visits and reads a chapter from a diary to her.
It is about a young and in love couple that, but due to their different realities, couldn’t be together. Noah is called to serve in World War II, and, during that time, Allie becomes involved with another man. It seemed like the end, but he returns from the war, and the character has to choose between her current fiancé and her first love.
Sparks once visited the couple who inspired the film and recalls on his official website: “despite the beautiful story, what I remember most about that day was the lovely way they treated each other. The way his eyes sparkled when he saw her, how he held her hand, how he made tea for her, and how he cared for her with so much tenderness. I remember seeing them and thinking about being married for 60 years. They treated each other the way my wife and I were treating each other right after our wedding”.
3. 50 FIRST DATE (2004)
The story of a British woman, Michelle Philpots, became known and was turned into a film due to its peculiarity. Michelle was involved in a car accident in 1990. Although she didn’t suffer major injuries initially, after a few years, she started losing her memory of small everyday details. Eventually, at the age of 30, she experienced a complete memory collapse. Since then, everytime she wakes up, Michelle believes she is living in the year 1994.
Among the few memories she retains, she remembers her relationship with her husband, Ian, who does everything he can to win her over day after day and remind her of their love story. Drew Barrymore (Lucy) and Adam Sandler (Henry) portray this beautiful tale of persistence in a light and comedic manner. The romantic comedy won the “People’s Choice Award” for Best On-Screen Chemistry, in 2005, and is a must-see of the genre.
4.THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014)
The Theory of Everything is a movie based on the story of one of the most famous scientists of the century, Stephen Hawking, and his wife Jane Wilde. They met at the University of Cambridge, fell in love, and lived an intense love story.
At the age of 21, Stephen was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative disease that affects the nervous system and muscle movement. Jane, then, decided to overcome the obstacles and live life by Stephen’s side, despite the circumstances. According to medicine, he had only two more years, but lived until March 2018, dying at 76. After the first two years of the diagnosis, they got married, had three children, and fought fiercely against the disease. Over the years, Stephen gained great prominence for his contributions to the field of astrophysics.
The couple is portrayed by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Both actors received critical acclaim for their performances, and Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role. Stephen Hawking watched the tribute before he died and commented on an interview: “sometimes, I thought he was me… Felicity made a very charming Jane. The film was surprisingly honest and largely true about our marriage and reflects our struggle to raise our three children despite my disability.”
5. EAT, PRAY, LOVE (2010)
Eat, Pray, Love is a movie based on the autobiography of Elizabeth Gilbert. The story revolves around the memories of the character, portrayed by actress Julia Roberts, who is going through a divorce. Determined to find a new purpose in life, she decides to embark on a journey of self-discovery around the world.
During her trip, the author visits three different countries. In Italy, she explores the cuisine and local culture. In India, she seeks spirituality, and in Bali, Indonesia, she falls in love with a Brazilian man named José Nunes (played by Javier Bardem). They experience an intense love during their time on the island. Her relationship with the Brazilian helps her reconnect with her capacity to love and be loved.
Well, with that all being said, finding true love goes far beyond fiction. It exists, should be celebrated daily, and is based on real facts.
This article was edited by Giulia Howard.