5.) The Notebook
And of course, there’s The Notebook. Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton come from very different worlds, but their chemistry is undeniable. When Allie leaves to go to school in New York, Noah writes to her every day for a year. Allie’s mother hides the letters from her because of her disapproval of the relationship, and Allie gets engaged to another man. Eventually, Allie and Noah reconnect, and Allie realizes she made the wrong decision and breaks off her engagement. The couple grows old together, and even when Allie grows sick with dementia, Noah does not give up on her, committing all of his energy to ensuring her comfort and happiness.
One of my favorite scenes in this movie is when Noah and Allie first have sex. There is no use of force or coercion, and they take it slow, consistently checking in with each other. Noah even asks her, “You alright? Did I hurt you?” and tells her, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” This is one of the few representations of consensual sex you’ll see in the movies, and despite its awkwardness, it couldn’t be more sweet and romantic.
Do you have a movie to add to the list? Add it to the comments below!
