Top Ten Date Movies
Marshall Lattimore
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: Arts & Culture
10. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
An epic of the romantic comedy genre, this loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew helped launch the careers of lead actors Julia Stiles (Kat) and the late Heath Ledger (Patrick).
Set in an American high school, the plot revolves around a scheme to get Kat's sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) a date. The catch, just as in its Shakespearean predecessor, is that their father has said that in order for Bianca to date, Kat "The Shrew" has to begin dating as well.
Though at first Patrick accepts payment to go out with Kat, the up-and-down romantic banters they exchange lead to feelings they both never expected. Complete with a marching band-accompanied rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Kat's sharing a tear-filled catharsis of her true feelings, this comical take on the original is perfect for new couples.
. Serendipity (2001)
For intellectual couples, this romantic comedy is as educating as it is entertaining. In general, the term "serendipity" refers to an effect in which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.
In the case of this quirky farce, main characters Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) meet in a New York department store shopping for gloves for their respective lovers but fall in love instantly. An initial verbal tussle quickly fades, and the two share a night filled with romance and a test of fate.
Though years later both are engaged to their lovers, the two falter with thought of missing out on true love. On a coincidental whim, Jonathan, in tow with his best man, make attempts to track down Sara, while Sara enlists her BFF and fly cross-country from California to find Jonathan.
A flurry of near-misses and classic Shakespearean symbolism pepper this witty new-age fairy tale with the right touch of humor in a way that sparks the kind of the kind of conversation that lingers long after thecredits roll.
8. Romeo Must Die (2000)
An action-packed take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this Warner Bros. Picture film served as a launching pad for its star-studded cast. While it launched the film careers of fallen R&B songstress Aaliyah (Trish O'Day) and hardcore rapper DMX (Silk), it also jumpstarted the English-speaking career of martial artist Jet Li (Han Sing).
After Han's brother is murdered in America by members of a black gang bossed by Trish's father, Han breaks out of prison in Hong Kong and makes his way to the U.S. to avenge his brother's death. Trish, who wants no part of her father's operation, slips away from one of her father's henchmen right into the cab that Han is in the process of stealing. The two become fast friends.
After Trish's brother is also slain, they also become co-detectives in figuring out the details of a complex conspiracy that could potentially hurt even more of the people they love. Those looking for an ethnic remix on a classic drama will be pleased and pleasantly surprised by the movie's end.
7. Romeo+Juliet (1996)
Another high-stakes, gun-fighting adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this film features award-winning performances by Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo) and Claire Danes (Juliet).
Crafted to appeal to younger audiences, the movie maintains much of the original dialogue even though it is set in a fictional modern-day suburb of Los Angeles, Verona Beach. Additionally, the feuding families of the original play are replaced by warring industrial moguls.
In the tradition of the original play, this tragic love story ends with the suicides of its main characters. This film, however, offers a twist, creating an ending that will certainly shock first-time viewers.
6. Something New (2006)
Starring date movie staple Sanaa Latham (Kenya McQueen) and Australian actor Simon Baker (Brian Kelly), this romantic comedy explores what happens when love spans beyond color lines.
Kenya, a black accountant, accepts a blind date set up by a co-worker but turns it down when she realizes her date was to be with Brian, a white landscapist. When the two meet again at the co-workers bridal shower, Kenya hires him to landscape her backyard. Over time, they develop a friendship that begins to grow into more, though Kenya can't
get over the opinions of her girls, her brother and parents.
Ultimately after things aren't working with the guy her brother attempts to replace Brian with, Kenya finally learns to shake her
insecurities and go after Brian. Straight forward and simple, this film also teaches a lesson, let no one stand in the way of your heart.
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)
For the couple that appreciates a few dance moves, this romance perfectly sets the mood. Starring Patrick Swayze (Johnny Castle) and Jennifer Grey (Frances "Baby" Norman), the plot is rather mild and simple allowing the dance scenes to shine, as they should.
Baby makes a transition from teenager to woman through learning to dance the Mambo from her crush, Johnny, at the resort her family is vacationing for the summer. Though there are a few twists and turns throughout the plot, the dance scenes in this movie are powerful and well-choreographed.
4. Poetic Justice (1993)
This romance/drama that launched the big screen careers of Janet Jackson (Justice) and the late Tupac Shakur (Lucky) is the perfect film for couples who love the idea of getting away for a journey or
road trip.
Set in South Central, Los Angeles, the movie introduces viewers to Justice, a young black woman depressed after the shooting death of her boyfriend, played by hip-hop pioneer Q-Tip. It is in meeting a postal worker, Lucky, that she finally begins to shed some of the hurt. The two embark on a road trip with Justice's best friend Lesha and her boyfriend Chicago.
As she finds new meaning in life through opening her heart to Lucky, Justice also scribes poetry, which she recites in precarious points throughout the movie.
3. Love & Basketball (2000)
Another film starring Sanaa Latham (Monica) and Omar Epps (Quincy), Love & Basketball provides a unique blend of romance and sports.
To go along with the sports theme of the movie, it is broken down into quarters to depict the different phases of Monica and Qunicy's life and relationship.
Beginning with Monica's family's move next door to Quincy's, the then young main characters commence their friendship with a fight. As a tom-boy, Monica's winning spirit carries over into her dream of playing professional basketball, a dream Quincy also shares.
Though the two suffer a bitter breakout in college, their love doesn't die. Quincy enjoys a career with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Monica ends up playing professional ball in Spain. In the end, Monica challenges Quincy, now-engaged, to a final basketball game to have his heart. Does love prevail?
2. Brown Sugar (2002)
Starring Sanaa Latham (Sidney) and Taye Diggs (Dre), this movie, in a nod to the youngest of the popular music genres, tells a love story and loosely, the story of hip-hop.
Beginning with a visual anecdote of the day Sidney falls in love with hip-hop as well as the moment she befriends Dre, viewers will be
transported back into time, when hip-hop was young.
Now all grown up, the two are still die-hard fans of hip-hop and the movie makes it evident how hip-hop has grown with them.
Sidney has been appointed editor in chief of the hip-hop magazine XXL and Dre is a top record-industry executive. The two also have respective love interests, which lead to Dre getting married and Sidney accepting a marriage proposal.
Just as complexly woven the story of Sidney and Dre is in parallel to the story of hip-hop itself, viewers get to see if love and the musical genre go hand-in-hand.
1. Love Jones (1997)
The pinnacle of date movies, Love Jones explores the notion of love at first sight. Starring Nia Long (Nina Mosley) and Larenz Tate (Darius Lovehall), it garnered praise for its director Theodore Witcher as an instant classic.
Darius, a poet, and Nina, a photographer, meet at Sanctuary, a Chicago nightclub featuring jazz and spoken word. Darius shares small talk with Nina before his set begins, and then surprises her by renaming
one of his poems, A Blues for Nina as he recites it. A whirlwind romance develops, which includes sex on their first date.
This film defined what lovers today celebrate as "grown and sexy." Blending bohemian atmosphere, smooth grooves and thoughtful words, this movie is one that never loses its luster.
An epic of the romantic comedy genre, this loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew helped launch the careers of lead actors Julia Stiles (Kat) and the late Heath Ledger (Patrick).
Set in an American high school, the plot revolves around a scheme to get Kat's sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) a date. The catch, just as in its Shakespearean predecessor, is that their father has said that in order for Bianca to date, Kat "The Shrew" has to begin dating as well.
Though at first Patrick accepts payment to go out with Kat, the up-and-down romantic banters they exchange lead to feelings they both never expected. Complete with a marching band-accompanied rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Kat's sharing a tear-filled catharsis of her true feelings, this comical take on the original is perfect for new couples.
. Serendipity (2001)
For intellectual couples, this romantic comedy is as educating as it is entertaining. In general, the term "serendipity" refers to an effect in which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.
In the case of this quirky farce, main characters Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) meet in a New York department store shopping for gloves for their respective lovers but fall in love instantly. An initial verbal tussle quickly fades, and the two share a night filled with romance and a test of fate.
Though years later both are engaged to their lovers, the two falter with thought of missing out on true love. On a coincidental whim, Jonathan, in tow with his best man, make attempts to track down Sara, while Sara enlists her BFF and fly cross-country from California to find Jonathan.
A flurry of near-misses and classic Shakespearean symbolism pepper this witty new-age fairy tale with the right touch of humor in a way that sparks the kind of the kind of conversation that lingers long after thecredits roll.
8. Romeo Must Die (2000)
An action-packed take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this Warner Bros. Picture film served as a launching pad for its star-studded cast. While it launched the film careers of fallen R&B songstress Aaliyah (Trish O'Day) and hardcore rapper DMX (Silk), it also jumpstarted the English-speaking career of martial artist Jet Li (Han Sing).
After Han's brother is murdered in America by members of a black gang bossed by Trish's father, Han breaks out of prison in Hong Kong and makes his way to the U.S. to avenge his brother's death. Trish, who wants no part of her father's operation, slips away from one of her father's henchmen right into the cab that Han is in the process of stealing. The two become fast friends.
After Trish's brother is also slain, they also become co-detectives in figuring out the details of a complex conspiracy that could potentially hurt even more of the people they love. Those looking for an ethnic remix on a classic drama will be pleased and pleasantly surprised by the movie's end.
7. Romeo+Juliet (1996)
Another high-stakes, gun-fighting adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this film features award-winning performances by Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo) and Claire Danes (Juliet).
Crafted to appeal to younger audiences, the movie maintains much of the original dialogue even though it is set in a fictional modern-day suburb of Los Angeles, Verona Beach. Additionally, the feuding families of the original play are replaced by warring industrial moguls.
In the tradition of the original play, this tragic love story ends with the suicides of its main characters. This film, however, offers a twist, creating an ending that will certainly shock first-time viewers.
6. Something New (2006)
Starring date movie staple Sanaa Latham (Kenya McQueen) and Australian actor Simon Baker (Brian Kelly), this romantic comedy explores what happens when love spans beyond color lines.
Kenya, a black accountant, accepts a blind date set up by a co-worker but turns it down when she realizes her date was to be with Brian, a white landscapist. When the two meet again at the co-workers bridal shower, Kenya hires him to landscape her backyard. Over time, they develop a friendship that begins to grow into more, though Kenya can't
get over the opinions of her girls, her brother and parents.
Ultimately after things aren't working with the guy her brother attempts to replace Brian with, Kenya finally learns to shake her
insecurities and go after Brian. Straight forward and simple, this film also teaches a lesson, let no one stand in the way of your heart.
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)
For the couple that appreciates a few dance moves, this romance perfectly sets the mood. Starring Patrick Swayze (Johnny Castle) and Jennifer Grey (Frances "Baby" Norman), the plot is rather mild and simple allowing the dance scenes to shine, as they should.
Baby makes a transition from teenager to woman through learning to dance the Mambo from her crush, Johnny, at the resort her family is vacationing for the summer. Though there are a few twists and turns throughout the plot, the dance scenes in this movie are powerful and well-choreographed.
4. Poetic Justice (1993)
This romance/drama that launched the big screen careers of Janet Jackson (Justice) and the late Tupac Shakur (Lucky) is the perfect film for couples who love the idea of getting away for a journey or
road trip.
Set in South Central, Los Angeles, the movie introduces viewers to Justice, a young black woman depressed after the shooting death of her boyfriend, played by hip-hop pioneer Q-Tip. It is in meeting a postal worker, Lucky, that she finally begins to shed some of the hurt. The two embark on a road trip with Justice's best friend Lesha and her boyfriend Chicago.
As she finds new meaning in life through opening her heart to Lucky, Justice also scribes poetry, which she recites in precarious points throughout the movie.
3. Love & Basketball (2000)
Another film starring Sanaa Latham (Monica) and Omar Epps (Quincy), Love & Basketball provides a unique blend of romance and sports.
To go along with the sports theme of the movie, it is broken down into quarters to depict the different phases of Monica and Qunicy's life and relationship.
Beginning with Monica's family's move next door to Quincy's, the then young main characters commence their friendship with a fight. As a tom-boy, Monica's winning spirit carries over into her dream of playing professional basketball, a dream Quincy also shares.
Though the two suffer a bitter breakout in college, their love doesn't die. Quincy enjoys a career with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Monica ends up playing professional ball in Spain. In the end, Monica challenges Quincy, now-engaged, to a final basketball game to have his heart. Does love prevail?
2. Brown Sugar (2002)
Starring Sanaa Latham (Sidney) and Taye Diggs (Dre), this movie, in a nod to the youngest of the popular music genres, tells a love story and loosely, the story of hip-hop.
Beginning with a visual anecdote of the day Sidney falls in love with hip-hop as well as the moment she befriends Dre, viewers will be
transported back into time, when hip-hop was young.
Now all grown up, the two are still die-hard fans of hip-hop and the movie makes it evident how hip-hop has grown with them.
Sidney has been appointed editor in chief of the hip-hop magazine XXL and Dre is a top record-industry executive. The two also have respective love interests, which lead to Dre getting married and Sidney accepting a marriage proposal.
Just as complexly woven the story of Sidney and Dre is in parallel to the story of hip-hop itself, viewers get to see if love and the musical genre go hand-in-hand.
1. Love Jones (1997)
The pinnacle of date movies, Love Jones explores the notion of love at first sight. Starring Nia Long (Nina Mosley) and Larenz Tate (Darius Lovehall), it garnered praise for its director Theodore Witcher as an instant classic.
Darius, a poet, and Nina, a photographer, meet at Sanctuary, a Chicago nightclub featuring jazz and spoken word. Darius shares small talk with Nina before his set begins, and then surprises her by renaming
one of his poems, A Blues for Nina as he recites it. A whirlwind romance develops, which includes sex on their first date.
This film defined what lovers today celebrate as "grown and sexy." Blending bohemian atmosphere, smooth grooves and thoughtful words, this movie is one that never loses its luster.
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