By Kelsea Denney | Contributor
What does your relationship with Valentine's Day say about which Rom-Com you should watch this season?
"I love love!": If you find yourself purposefully wearing pink on February 14 and wishing that giving valentine cards at age 18 was still acceptable, you should definitely be spending your Valentine's Day with the gang of "10 Things I Hate About You."* Starring two baby-faced favorites, Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "10 Things"is a '90s cult classic that will bring you to tears-ones of laughter and of heartache. Viewers follow Cameron (Levitt), who tries to get the contemptuous feminist (Julia Stiles) at his new school a date so her younger sister will be allowed to go out with him. As you can only imagine, chaos ensues. From the bantering repertoire of arguably the most likeable heroine in cinema and Ledger's defining "bad boy" role comes a chemical romance of wit and attraction. Mixed with the occasional cringe-worthy dad jokes and a sing-along '90s playlist to boot, "10 Things I Hate About You"is the perfect, carefree way to spend Valentine's.
Other recommendations: "Life as We Know It," "What If," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"*
"It's just another day": With a little more heart and a little less skipping through the roses, "Elizabethtown"*,starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst, follows a man's journey through losing love and finding it again. Bloom's character, Drew, is relatable and embarrassingly charming and perfectly balances Claire (Dunst), a live-in-the-moment extrovert who seems to color the world. The star-studded cast, a renegade-folk soundtrack and a quotable narrative makes "Elizabethtown"the perfect Valentine's Day pick. The film's multiple plots provide a break from Drew and Claire's quirky romance to portray love in it's many forms. This subtle love tale will leave you considering the weight of words, the relativism of success and the power in a windows-down road trip with a great playlist.
Other Recommendations: "She's the Man," "Definitely, Maybe," "17 Again"
"It's consumerism at its finest": These picks are for the realists, the rationalists, those who decide with their heads instead of Nicholas Sparks-inspired hearts, and at the top of the pick list- "500 Days of Summer." "500 Days"follows the unchronological and artful tale of Tom, an aspiring architect stuck in the greeting card business, as he becomes infatuated with Summer, your not-so-typical girl next door. With the infallible duo of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, you know you can count on surprise musical numbers and lovely, adorkable chemistry-and "500 Days of Summer"does not disappoint. With a heavy artsy and hipster influence and a truly great soundtrack, you'll find your realist heart at ease with the true-to-life romance and easy believability of two intertwined lives and where they lead.
Other Recommendations: "Comet,"* "Liberal Arts,"* "Stuck in Love," "Begin Again"*
*Available to stream on Netflix
