Romantic movies get such a bad rap. Some women say they portray unrealistic expectations for relationships, while others think rom-coms are just cheesy.
Danielle Paradis, writer for The Good Men Project, says, “Real love differs from its cinematic adaptation; for love stories almost always give love a bad name. They rely on clichés and oft-repeated thematic tropes. And yet, they are so addictive aren’t they?”
No matter how cheesy or inaccurate love movies are, some women can’t help but want to a love as passionate as those in the movies. Maybe you already have that relationship. Here are eight ways you can find out.
This is the start to any great romance movie. Two strangers meet and in a matter of months join each other at the top of the Empire State Building. If this sounds anything like your current relationship, you have the same start as Sam and Annie from “Sleepless In Seattle.” These two lovers live miles away only to meet under crazy circumstances and end up falling in love.
READ MORE: 6 Signs Your New Boyfriend Is Ready to Meet Your Parents
If you bring someone special home and your parents look at you like you hit your head this morning, you have a relationship akin to Noah and Allie of “The Notebook.” These star-struck lovers were of different social classes, causing a divide between the two characters. Whether he’s a bad boy, poor or both, if your parents don’t want you guys together, you’re living in the imagination of Nicholas Sparks.
There could be many reasons why society wouldn’t want you or your significant other to be together. You could be of differing nationalities, similar genders or in the case of “A Walk to Remember,” differing moral beliefs and reputations.
If you and your significant other seem like you come from two different parts of the globe – if not separate worlds – you might be a lot like Edward and Vivian from “Pretty Woman.” These two couldn’t be further from each other socially, financially or even personally. Even so, these two meet clandestinely and make their differences work.
READ MORE: A Woman’s Guide on How to Separate Love From Lust
If your significant other is a hopeless romantic, pulls out all the stops and makes you wonder how you ever got so lucky, you may be in a “Hitch” kind of relationship. In the movie, Alex is a dating coach who advises men on how to approach and romance women. However, he ends up falling for a tabloid reporter, Sara, who doesn’t fall for his tricks. He does his best to impress her despite her ability to see through his facade. Sound familiar?
Every relationship has flaws, but that doesn’t mean you only see the good in your partner. Tom from “500 Days of Summer” did exactly that. Who could forget the way he talked about Summer’s smile, her hair and the heart-shaped birthmark on her neck? If you find yourself babbling to your friends about how great your honey is, you may have a Summer and Tom kind of relationship.
In the movie “50 First Dates,” veterinarian Henry falls in love with a woman named Lucy, who has permanent brain damage and does not remembers her life before the day of the car accident that took her memory. Even though Lucy does not recognize him, Henry still tries to win her heart. When he’s on top of the world he sings, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys. On one of their dates, he serenades her on a ukulele. If a song is always on your lips when you’re thinking of your special someone, you might have a “50 First Dates” kind of love.
There are certain barriers that can stop a relationship in its tracks. The timing is wrong, you aren’t mature enough, your family doesn’t agree with the union or maybe you aren’t ready for a relationship in the first place. You may be riddled with insecurities. Despite the doubts, your partner is always there for you. That’s the kind of love shared in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”
Although romantic movies can be misleading, there are times when art imitates life and not the other way around. If your relationship resembles a romance movie, what’s so wrong about that?
READ MORE: 11 Reasons to Marry in Your Twenties
