Romance Movies are great. They cater to a wide range of people and make you ‘feel the feels’. But when it comes to real life and dating, romance movies and real life just aren’t two peas in a pod. Romance movies are supposed to be romantic, cheesy and cringeworthy. So, do you really want cheesy and cringeworthy vibes in a relationship? You might do, but these carefully selected movie lines prove otherwise, that if anyone said this to you in a real life, you wouldn’t be having it. At least, I wouldn’t be having it.
“My love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.” (The Fault in Our Stars)
The Fault in Our Stars. What an emotional mess of a movie – and I mean that in a good way. So many emotions and so many feels. John Green’s beautifully written quote above evidently worked in both the book and the movie. However, if someone said this to me as a goodbye, I would have thought they came straight from the 1800s. Yes it’s emotional, yes it’s vibey, but, it’s ultimately impractical.
“I love you. You’re my only reason to stay alive” (New Moon)
Ah yes, the Twilight Saga. So many potential and problematic quotes to choose from, but I ended up using this delightful quote. Edward could literally just left it at “I love you”, that would have been fine. He didn’t have to say the other part about how Bella is his “only reason” to live. I mean that’s a bit worrying, regardless of whether that’s in book form, movie or real-life. It also demonstrates that Edward seems to be in this relationship with Bella, because Bella is his only form of happiness. This is a major red flag. You shouldn’t enter a relationship or continue to be in a relationship, because it is your only source of happiness. That really demonstrates that you’re not content or happy in yourself. So no, this movie line really doesn’t work in real life.
“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.” (The Notebook)
Now, I have to say, this out of all the quotes I have selected, is the only one I think is vaguely realistic. This is for the simple fact that it doesn’t glamorise the reality of being in a relationship nor the bad or difficult times of a relationship. It illustrates that relationships are successful because of the hard work, time and effort that both individuals put in. It further demonstrates Noah’s love for Allie, and his willingness to commit. If someone actually said this to me in real life, it would seem a bit dramatic, but maybe that’s because there’s a stigma associated with really saying how you’re feeling.
“I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” (Notting Hill)
What a classic line from a classic movie. That said, just no. No way could this be said in real life without it being cheesy or a joke. I think the problem with this line is that it over-dramatises the reality of love and relationship.
“To me, you are perfect.” (Love Actually)
I mean stop. Seriously. I don’t think I need or can say anymore.
“Our love is like the wind. I can’t see it, but I can feel it.” (A Walk to Remember)
Such a romantic line that had me absolutely sobbing when I read the book and watched the movie. It’s very dreamy, romantic line that once again glamorises and glorifies relationships, thereby making it seem unrealistic.
“What I’m trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are.” (Bridget Jones’s Diary)
This line from Bridget Jones’s Diary is brutally honest and also slightly cringeworthy. It attempts to emanate a realistic tone when someone admits their feelings for another person, but it does so in a very awkward way. I think if someone said this in real life, you’d picture it coming from a slightly awkward, shy individual who had just built up the courage to tell the person they like how they feel. Without the emotional background music and certain compatibility between the protagonists, there’s no certainty that this movie line would work in real life.
“I want the fairy tale” (Pretty Woman)
Pretty Woman has to be one of my favourite movies that I come back to time and time again. It’s so iconic and so is this line. This line has a certain honesty about it, it acknowledges that relationships and love are heavily romanticised. But it also acknowledges that it’s okay to want the romanticised, that even though it might be unattainable it’s okay to dream and reach for that.
Essentially, if you’re telling someone how you feel or attempting to express your love, say it from the heart. Don’t use a movie line just because it sounded perfect in the movie, because chances are, it will sound cheesy. Be honest and speak from the heart!