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Timeless romantic classics perfect for Valentine’s Day

Romantics around the world consider it the greatest day of the year. 
For single girls, it’s a fake holiday made up by the greeting card companies. 
No matter the category you fall into, Valentine’s Day is here.  
Whether you’re spending the night snuggling with your sweetheart or alone staring hopelessly at the screen, wishing one day you might be that girl, here are some romantic movies to fill your night.
“The Notebook” 
(2004)
Summer fling. First love. Southern drawls. Forbidden romance. Each of these together are the makings of an epic story, but their combined power delivers a strong punch. 
Seeing the relationship of Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) grow from innocent teen lovers, to reunited adults to adoring elderly allows the viewer to feel Noah’s pain as he struggles to get Allie to remember their love. 
His persistence is the kind that all hope for after more than 50 years together, and their select moments in bliss are beautiful. 
“Casablanca” 
(1943)
You may not be familiar with the movie, but chances are you know some of its lines. One of the most iconic quotes in film history, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” calls “Casablanca” home. 
Even objectors to black and white films will be able to appreciate the timeless love between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). 
The two lovers, once torn apart by war, are reunited, yet still can’t be together. 
When Rick selflessly sacrifices himself to keep Ilsa safe, his heroism is one of the greatest loving gestures of all time, and their teary goodbye is heart-wrenching, yet passionate.
“A Walk to Remember” 
(2002)
Nicholas Sparks knows his love. He wrote the novels for both “A Walk to Remember” and “The Notebook,” which are so painstakingly real and endearingly dreamy that it’s hard to make it through the pages without crying. 
An easier alternative is to watch the movie. 
 
“A Walk to Remember” tells the charming story of Landon (Shane West), a stereotypical bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Jamie (Mandy Moore), a naively sweet and pure church girl with a heart of gold. 
Their love is impetuous and unlikely, yet strong and affectionate. 
Landon’s transition from flirtatious bad boy to tender good guy all in the name of love, and the lengths he goes to in order to fulfill Jamie’s dreams can melt even the coldest of hearts. 
Though their romance is cut short by illness, their love is undying.
“West Side Story” 
(1961)
Like “Romeo and Juliet” set to music, “West Side Story” tells the tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer). 
While dancing rival gangs may seem cheesy and over-the-top, the bond between Maria and Tony is so heart-wrenchingly forbidden that all is forgiven. 
With the whole city against them, their secret meetings are brief yet passionate, and though their tryst is short-lived, it transforms the lives of those around them and the hearts of the viewers.
“Love Actually”
(2003)
The intertwined storylines are a refreshing take on the traditional romantic comedy, and each gives an innovative perspective on love. 
A young boy’s desire to impress a popular girl, an author’s struggle to communicate with his foreign maid and a twenty-something’s quest for American girls are just a sampling of the love stories in the film. 
The charming aspect of this movie is that not everyone gets a perfect ending, but every story has a real quality to it. 
The elaborate gestures of love are truly from the heart, from learning a new instrument, to taking language classes and traveling to a foreign country. 
The true love feels genuine, evoking a smile from anyone who gets enchanted by its story.
While watching these films won’t guarantee you true love, the time spent watching them will certainly leave you with a sentimental feeling. 
So keep snuggling and dreaming, and maybe one day, your love will be immortalized and leave young lovers fantasizing for years to come.
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