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Our first foray into the land of love however, leans much more to the comedy side of the genre, (not surprising given who directed it) it is John Hughes' (The Breakfast Club; Plane, Trains and Automobiles) Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Starring a young Matthew Broderick (The Lion King 1994, The Producers) in the title role, it is basically Hughes' love letter to Chicago (even though he is not from there), featuring many a famous landmark from what is popularly known as ‘The Windy City.'

The premise takes place approximately one month before Bueller's high school graduation in a Chicago suburb. Ferris fakes illness to stay home, though his Jeannie (Jennifer Grey; Dirty Dancing) knows he is lying. After learning of his absence, Dean of Students Ed Rooney is determined to expose the truancy. Ferris meanwhile, persuades his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck; Bad Boys, Speed) to join him while simultaneously helping Bueller's girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) get out of class she can meet them too. He even goes as far as to borrow a Ferrari belonging to Cameron's father with asking, though promising to return it in one piece.

The three amigos enjoy some of Chicago's most famous sites and festivities, all while trying avoid getting caught out by the hapless Mr. Rooney and get Ferris home before his unsuspecting parents. A verified comedy classic, the film received critical acclaim, especially Brodericks performance and the humour throughout. This 80's hit conveys the perfectly upbeat message about finding the in life and living it to the full, exactly what many need to hear at this time of year. Ferris Bueller's Day Off was added to the US National Film Registry for preservation in 2014 and is available to watch now only on e-stream. Watch a delightfully humorous clip of the gang almost getting caught truanting at a carnival by clicking the link below:

For our second outing we transition over 20 years into the future with a more modern rom-com, Anand Tuckers' Leap Year (2010). This one certainly flew under the radar a bit but is still worth a gander. It features Amy Adams (Man of Steel, Enchanted) and Matthew Goode (Watchmen) in the main roles with great supporting turns from the likes of the legendary John Lithgow (The Pelican Brief, Dreamgirls) and the hilarious Adam Scott (Step Brothers). When successful real estate businesswoman Anna (Adams) becomes tired of waiting for her boyfriend Jeremy (Scott) to propose to her (after four years of being together), she decides to find him and do the proposal herself, this may or may not be the best decision she ever made.

She sets off on a journey from Boston to Dublin, where Jeremy is away at a conference, with the idea of proposing on February 29th exactly, as the Irish have a tradition that states any man who is proposed on Leap Day must accept. While on the flight to Ireland, a storm diverts the plane To Cardiff, Wales. Anna proceeds to hire a boat to sail her to Cork, however the storm diverts her once again, this time to a seaside village called Dngle (though that is at least in Ireland). Persistent as ever Anna hires an innkeeper named Declan (Goode) to drive her all the way to Dublin. Declan agrees because he is in desperate need of money to keep his business open, despite the fact he cannot stand Anna on first sight. Along the way to their destination they face several obstacles, including Anna's increasing fear she is doing the wrong thing by pursuing Jeremy, plus her and Declan's unexpected and fluttering feelings for each other.

The reviews for this one was decidedly mixed (but hey it's not all about those), yet it's still worth a watch to form your own opinions, if even just for the beautiful Irish scenery alone. Even the renowned Roger Ebert gave it 3 out of 4 stars calling it a “sweet rom-com.” Most of the praise goes to lead Amy Adams, as Ebert's successor Richard Roeper observes, “The charms of Amy Adams rescue Leap Year.” You can experience Adams charms only on DVD available for loan in the Library. See a snippet of the early part of their tumultuous drive to Dublin by clicking the link below:

For our penultimate comedy we travel back to the 90s to another classic, Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). Although directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) it is the terrific writing of Richard Curtis (Love Actually) that makes this movie. It's the first of many Curtis films to star Hugh Grant (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones Diary) as a lead character, with amazing supporting turns from actors such as: Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day), Kristen Scott Thomas (The English Patient), John Hannah (The Mummy) and Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Beans Holiday, Johnny English). Grant plays Charles, a man who attends several social occasions with his circle of close friends, each of them encountering romance along the way.

It all starts with Charles and his friends attending the wedding of Angus and Laura in Somerset (with Charles being the best man on this occasion). At the reception Charles meets American Carrie (MacDowell) who had been working in England but is due to return home soon. Charles and Carrie spend the night together before she leaves with both disappointed they could not have more time together. A month later however, they meet again at another wedding, what are the odds! Between a couple formed at the previous nuptials they attended. Charles is left highly disappointed though when he realises Carrie is attending with her fiance Hamish. He faces further humiliation from several exes including Henrietta (Scott Thomas) who claims her is a serial monogamist in front of everyone. Yet despite all this, Charles and Carrie still end up spending another night together.

What follows (as the title suggests) are two more weddings and a funeral, not necessarily in that order, that all come along with one question, will love find a way? Filmed in a mere six weeks and with a budget of just under £3 million, this movie became an instant hit, becoming a major box-office success when it grossed an incredible £245.7 million worldwide! The reviews weren't half bad either, with Todd McCarthy calling it a 'truly beguiling romantic comedy.' It was nominated for numerous awards including the coveted Best Picture Oscar, Grant winning both a Golden Globe and Bafta for Best Actor (this film effectively kickstarted his career). You can watch the 23rd best British film of the 20th Century (according to the BFI) only on DVD available for loan now. View a truly humorous clip of Rowan Atkinson's Reverend trying to conduct one of the four weddings by clicking the link below:

Finally, we return to the 2010s for another more modern dive into romance films, with The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012). It is Stephen Chbosky's (Wonder, Dear Evan Hansen) adaptation of his own novel released in 1999, and the film itself is set back in 1991. It features an ensemble cast including: Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson, Fury), Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Beauty and the Beast), Ezra Miller (Fantastic Beasts, Justice League) and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Anchorman). Lerman plays lead protagonist Charlie, a clinically depressed teen who writes to an unnamed friend chronicling his journey through his freshman year of high school. Although this film is more of drama than a comedy, there are most certainly strong undertones of romance within and LGBTQ+ themes (fitting in nicely with LGBTQ+ History Month).

In 1991, Charlie has just been discharged from a mental health care institution (having sought treatment for his depression which he has had since childhood). He reaches the dauting milestone of starting high school and despite setting out to be more positive, he is shy and struggles to make friends. He does however, immediately strike up a connection with his English teacher Mr. Anderson (Rudd). Eventually Charlie meets two seniors, Sam (Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Miller) at an American football game (where Patrick is playing as part of the school team), and they invite him to a party afterwards. Realizing Charlie has no other friends they invite him into their friendship group, and things start to look up for him.

As Charlie begins to grow into high school life and close to Sam in particular, things get complicated between the three for a time. Especially as Charlie discovers Patrick is in a relationship with a closeted fellow football player and is forced to keep it a secret. The remainder of the movie follows the trials and tribulations Charlie and his new friends face throughout the year, as he tries to find true acceptance of himself and a sense of happiness within his life. He also discovers the actual cause of his depression may not be what he thinks.

Critics were quite fond of this one, with praise for the screenplay and direction predominantly, as well as the performances and the films execution of its topics. It was seen as a very heartfelt adaptation of the book (which you would somewhat expect, given it was written by the same man who directed the film), improved by the performances of Lerman, Watson and Miller. It's a powerful coming of age story with LGBTQ+ and romantic themes at its heart. Since release it has become a cult classic among kids of the early 90s to early 90s (Generations Y and Z to some). The Perks of Being A Wallflower is available to loan now only on DVD. Should you like to learn more of the story after watching, we also have the book available in the Library as well. You can view a clip of Charlie and co, at a party by clicking the link below:

So, come on down to the Library and get your fix of romance and love and who knows, maybe some inspiration about to pursue your own love interests. Some fun, some love we have it all right here, just waiting for you to loan and watch.

Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below…