What’s the most romantic movie ever made? Some people think it’s 1997’s “Titanic” or Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams falling in love for the first time in “The Notebook.” But for others, it is and always will be “Casablanca.” It’s a subjective question that depends on a number of factors. But one thing is certain: they don’t make as many classically romantic films as they used to. In fact, the American Film Institute says you have go all the way back to the mid-1990’s to find a true modern classic in the genre.
That said, if you’re feeling like seeing a movie around Valentine’s Day, particularly one that pulls at the heartstrings, you’re in luck. That’s because “An Affair To Remember,” one of the all-time great love stories, is coming back to theaters to help celebrate the film’s 60th anniversary.
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Fathom Events is bringing the film back in its fully restored, original format to nearly 700 screens for two days, on February 12th and again on February 15th.
If you’ve never seen the film, it stars Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant and tells the story of how their characters, Terry and Nickie, are destined to fall in love despite circumstances fighting against them. Time said of the film:
“It’s the definitive shipboard-romance movie, with Kerr’s sensible radiance, Grant at his most dashing and vulnerable.”
The 1957 film actually served as the inspiration for the 1990’s Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan film “Sleepless in Seattle” that became a huge hit in its own right.
Fathom has given similar treatment to a number of classic films in a series that has been surprisingly successful at bringing people back into theaters to see films they can almost certainly access at home, or even on their phones. In an era when studios are pumping out big-budget comic book hero blockbusters to keep Hollywood afloat, it’s an interesting counterintuitive strategy that shows there’s still an audience for character driven, adult-friendly films.
Ben Mankiewicz, who will provide a taped introduction and follow-up to the film’s screening says the success of the Fathom series resembles the surprising growth of vinyl records over the past decade, appealing to both older audiences who are still fond for the delivery methods they grew up with, but also younger and more diverse audiences who find the communal experience of taking in a classic film on the big screen to be a welcome novelty.
And if you’re coming up with a more extensive Valentine’s Day viewing list, Time Magazine named its all-time best romantic movies, and included a few more modern offerings such as “Moulin Rouge!” and “Brokeback Mountain.”
Either way, if you’re thinking of seeing a movie around Valentine’s Day, maybe wait until next week to see “John Wick 2.” We promise Keanu Reeves won’t mind.
