Romantic movies are timeless! Welcome to MsMojo, and today, we’re looking at the swoon-worthy ‘90s love stories you need to have on repeat.
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00:00You happen to me all over again."
00:03"'Yes, I know. But me too.'"
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at the swoon-worthy 90s love stories you need to
00:12have on repeat. We are strictly talking about films where love drives the story,
00:18so movies with some romance on the side don't count.
00:21"'You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you.'"
00:30Number 20. You've Got Mail.
00:32Meeting a partner on the internet isn't really a big deal now, but back in the 90s,
00:37You've Got Mail turned the concept into a delightful romantic comedy.
00:41"'I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York.
00:45Just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you.'"
00:51Rivals Joe and Kathleen can barely tolerate each other in person,
00:55unaware they're falling for one another after being connected in a chat room.
00:59Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's third on-screen pairing is as irresistible as ever. Whether you side with
01:06Joe or Kathleen, you'll still be holding out hope for them to be together. Fond memories of AOL
01:12greetings aside, this film has charm to spare, and plenty of chemistry between the two leads.
01:19"'Mr. 152 Insights Into My Soul.'"
01:21"'Oh, well, yeah, oh, no competing with that.'"
01:26Number 19. The Bodyguard.
01:28Forget the plot, sometimes all you need is heart, and a killer soundtrack.
01:38The Bodyguard is far from a critical darling,
01:41but the chemistry between Kevin Cosner and Whitney Houston is undeniable.
01:45The contrast between their personalities only adds to the romantic tension.
01:50The lead duo's star power launched the Bodyguard to its cultural stronghold,
01:54helped along by the powerful soundtrack. Whitney Houston's
01:58"'I Will Always Love You' is so good, it's hard to believe it's a cover."
02:02And two other songs got nods from the Academy Awards.
02:05With romance, action, and melodrama, the Bodyguard is for sure a 90s classic.
02:11"'Don't worry, don't worry, I'll protect you.'"
02:17Number 18. City of Angels.
02:20Love can be complicated, especially if one part of the couple is an angel who has fallen for a
02:25human. Seth's feelings for Maggie defy explanation, going against his very nature.
02:30This sets him up on a journey to learn what it is to be human.
02:34-"Let's go somewhere." -"Where?"
02:37-"I don't care." -"What do you want to do?"
02:41-"Anything."
02:42With its thought-provoking premise,
02:44City of Angels shows us why every emotion we experience is a gift.
02:48Seth and Maggie's connection brims with warmth as the angel finds his heaven on Earth.
02:54Considering Meg Ryan's celebrated rom-com filmography,
02:57you might think the film is lighthearted,
02:59but take our advice and keep a box of tissues by your side for this one.
03:03-"Maybe emotion becomes so intense your body just can't contain it.
03:08Your mind and your feelings become too powerful. Your body weeps."
03:13Number 17. Ever After.
03:15After winning hearts with The Wedding Singer,
03:18Drew Barrymore followed up with this take on a Cinderella story.
03:21Moving away from the more fantastical elements of the fairy tale,
03:25Ever After focuses on the dynamic between lead pair Danielle and Prince Henry.
03:30-"You are reading my thoughts, milord."
03:33-"And they're as fuzzy as my own contests."
03:35-"Then France concedes."
03:37-"Never!"
03:38The plot reimagines the heroine beyond looking for a prince charming.
03:42Danielle's arc of self-empowerment is complemented by Henry's presence,
03:46balancing the film's themes of love and independence.
03:50With impressive cinematography, set design, and dialogue that can make your heart flutter,
03:55Ever After ticks all the right boxes.
03:57Although not without substantial themes,
04:00the film also contains enough sweet material to leave us waiting for our own glass slipper moment.
04:05-"It would feel like a king if you, Danielle de Barbavat, would be my wife."
04:20Number 16. Nodding Hill.
04:23Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant at the height of their powers.
04:26What more could you want?
04:27-"I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."
04:38The budding romance between a travel bookshop owner and a big-name actress
04:42plays out with heartwarming charm.
04:44Instead of larger-than-life landscapes or elaborate backdrops,
04:48the film makes a small corner in Nodding Hill feel like the most romantic place to be.
04:52Sure, you've got the classic meet-cute and whimsical rom-com humor,
04:56but Nodding Hill also tackles some of the complexities of making such a relationship work.
05:01And with a memorable supporting cast and no shortage of memorable moments,
05:05the film is sure to stick with you through the decades.
05:08-"That's very good news.
05:13The readers of Horse and Hound will be absolutely delighted."
05:15Number 15. My Best Friend's Wedding.
05:18We aren't always on Jules' side, but we can't help but have a soft spot for this 90s rom-com.
05:24Julia Roberts' character realizes she's in love with her friend, but there's a problem.
05:29He's getting married, and Jules becomes the maid of honor.
05:32-"This just makes everything so perfect.
05:35From the day I met Michael, all I've heard is Julianne this and Julianne that.
05:40I've never had a sister."
05:42Her increasingly desperate attempts to break apart Michael and Kimmy largely falter.
05:47As the film continues,
05:49Jules finally comes to accept the fact that her friend's heart belongs to someone else.
05:53Although the general outline sounds cynical,
05:56it ends up reinforcing why certain couples are meant to be.
05:59Add a star-studded cast and a standout supporting performance from Rupert Everett,
06:04and you've got a certified 90s hit.
06:06-"I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but Jules said no.
06:09Pumpkin, no.
06:11This is Kimmy's day.
06:13Let's not take the attention away from Kimmy."
06:15Number 14.
06:17The Wedding Banquet.
06:18In order to hide a relationship with his gay American partner,
06:21a Taiwanese immigrant marries his Chinese tenant.
06:24There's no shortage of jokes,
06:26but The Wedding Banquet also deals with its premise with grace and respect.
06:30-"Then, you know.
06:34You've known.
06:35I watch, I hear, I learn."
06:39The movie's core purpose is to see its characters as real people.
06:43Through it all, we learn that you can't deny your feelings,
06:46you have to embrace them.
06:48Director Ang Lee would later be praised for exploring
06:51LGBTQ plus stories in 2005's Brokeback Mountain.
06:55However, Lee made strides a decade earlier with this
06:59charming tale of unconventional romance.
07:07Number 13.
07:09Dilwale Dulania Le Janggi.
07:11This Bollywood musical romance both broke new ground for the Indian film business
07:16and struck a chord in the audience's heart.
07:19Many young viewers continue to identify with the story of Raj and Simran.
07:23The pair represents the struggle between keeping traditional practices alive
07:27and following your heart.
07:29Their whirlwind romance takes them all the way from the European continent to the heart of India.
07:45With an abundance of gorgeous sights, remarkable dance sequences,
07:49and the sizzling chemistry between stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol,
07:54DDLJ easily takes the breath away.
07:57Its soundtrack contributes to its winning quality,
08:00showing us what it's like to fall in love in real time.
08:10Number 12.
08:11As Good As It Gets.
08:12Once you've checked out As Good As It Gets,
08:14it's easy to see how Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt came away with Academy Awards.
08:19Melvin is a misanthropic, openly prejudiced, and overall rude man.
08:24Carol shows up to change him forever.
08:26As Melvin puts it, she makes him want to be a better man.
08:29That's maybe the best compliment of my life.
08:38Well, maybe I overshot a little because I was aiming
08:40at just enough to keep you from walking out.
08:44Underneath all its quirky material,
08:46the film portrays how falling for the right person can bring the best out of anyone.
08:50Thanks to its mix of wholesome sentiment and sharp writing,
08:53you'll find your heart swelling twice its size by the end of its runtime.
09:09Number 11.
09:10The American President.
09:12Everyone craves companionship, even the President of the United States.
09:16Still, finding love is a lot more complicated with the entire country's eyes on you.
09:21Who's this girl and why is the President dancing with her?
09:26Well, first of all, the 200 pairs of eyes are not focused on me.
09:30They're focused on you.
09:33And the answers are Sydney Ellen Wade, and because she said yes.
09:38Split between its political backdrop and a classic case of boy meets girl,
09:42the American President prioritizes its romantic premise.
09:45The lead pair tries to keep their relationship afloat as everyone bets against them.
09:50And when I'm in a room with you, oval or any other shape,
09:55I'm always going to be a lobbyist and you're always going to be the President.
09:59With an engaging power struggle in the mix,
10:01the film's romantic overtones are balanced with its dramatic beats.
10:05The surprisingly sharp political content is also a plus.
10:08The film went on to inspire elements of the popular show The West Wing.
10:12You talk to Charlie, I'll talk to Lily.
10:14We'll coordinate our schedules and we'll find a free hour.
10:17I don't think it's going to take more than a couple of minutes,
10:19but I like your confidence.
10:20Let's get back to work.
10:21Can we just close the curtain?
10:22Number 10.
10:23While you were sleeping.
10:24Waking up from a coma to discover you have a surprise fiance is confusing to say the least.
10:29In this classic romantic escapade, that is exactly Peter's predicament.
10:34He doesn't remember this Lucy being his fiance,
10:37probably because she's been keeping up the charade to his family.
10:40Favorite baseball team?
10:42Chicago.
10:43Cubs or White Sox?
10:45What the heck is going on?
10:47Why are you asking her all these questions?
10:50Don't ask me, ask her boyfriend.
10:52Peter's family assumes he doesn't remember Lucy because he has amnesia,
10:57and the situation just gets more complicated from there,
11:00as Lucy has already fallen for Peter's brother while he was comatose.
11:04Between the absolute train wreck of a wedding,
11:06and the bewildering love triangle between the three,
11:09this is a film that'll keep you guessing and yelling at the screen right up until the end.
11:14Just what we want from our rom-coms.
11:17I just wanted you to know that you've become, uh,
11:23a really good friend.
11:24Number 9.
11:25The Bridges of Madison County.
11:27Forbidden love is something that can shake you to your core and change your life forever,
11:31and few stories show that as tenderly and starkly as this novel-turned-movie
11:36starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
11:39You look stunning.
11:41Don't mind me saying so.
11:44I come running around the block howling in agonies to you.
11:51When brother and sister Michael and Carolyn travel to Iowa
11:55to take care of their late mother's estate,
11:57they find out about a whirlwind affair she had decades ago.
12:00They not only discover new things about their parents' relationship,
12:03but themselves as well.
12:05It's a deeply emotional tale that proves that sometimes,
12:08love just isn't enough,
12:09and that you might have to set yourself and your feelings aside for something bigger.
12:14And I can't make an entire life disappear to start a new one.
12:19All I can do is try to hold on to both of us somewhere inside of me.
12:24Number 8.
12:25The English Patient.
12:26Love is not always the picturesque scenario we want it to be,
12:30and this heartbreaking film about love and war shows that all too well.
12:34Will we be all right?
12:36Yes.
12:38Yes.
12:41Absolutely.
12:44Yes is a comfort.
12:45Absolutely is.
12:46In the dying days of World War II in Italy,
12:48an amnesiac patient gradually discloses his tragic story
12:52and memories to a French-Canadian nurse and a Canadian intelligence agent.
12:57A somber and tragic tale with many twists and turns,
13:01this movie quite brutally reveals that love can't solve everything.
13:05While this film may be an absolute tearjerker,
13:07it reminds us to treasure what we have,
13:10because you never know when it will be gone.
13:12When were you most happy?
13:15Now.
13:19And when were you least happy?
13:23Now.
13:24Number 7.
13:25Sleepless in Seattle.
13:27It's not often that your eight-year-old son tries to set you up,
13:30but that's what happens in this intercity love story.
13:33Where is Seattle?
13:35Right.
13:35Where's Baltimore?
13:38That's right there!
13:39Look, one, two, three, four, there's like 26 states.
13:43Between here and there, now that's a sign.
13:44When widower Sam's son Jonah convinces him to talk about his deceased wife on the radio,
13:50it melts the hearts of women all over the country, and they start writing to him.
13:54However, Jonah thinks that the baseball-loving Annie is the woman of his father's dreams
13:59and tries to bring them together, though wires get frustratingly crossed.
14:03While Hanks and Ryan gave us three classic rom-coms in the 90s,
14:07Sleepless in Seattle stands out because of its truly epic finale rooftop scene.
14:12All the feels for this one.
14:23Number 6.
14:24Four weddings and a funeral.
14:26Back when Hugh Grant was everyone's dream, he could steal hearts like nobody's business.
14:31Uh, I think I love you.
14:33And, uh, uh, I, I, uh, just wondered whether by any chance you wouldn't like to, um,
14:40uh, uh, no, no, no, of course not.
14:46In this romance with a splash of comedy, the awkward and bashful British lad Charles
14:51contemplates love and life over several social engagements where he seems to run into the same
14:57woman.
14:58Carrie and Charles share great chemistry, but things are complicated.
15:02We see their relationship grow and develop over the course of the titular weddings and
15:06funeral, though the last two nuptials are theirs.
15:09To different people.
15:11Hey, who said love was easy?
15:21Number 5.
15:22Jerry Maguire.
15:23This film completes us.
15:27Shut up.
15:28Just shut up.
15:31You had me at hello.
15:33Tom Cruise acts the part of the lovable, if not slightly misguided sports agent Jerry
15:38Maguire in this classic cheese-filled romantic drama.
15:41Making a few fumbles along the way, Jerry tries to convince the woman he loves that
15:45he can provide for her and her son, while also trying to juggle the complicated world
15:50of athlete contract negotiations.
15:52I stick.
15:56Well, I don't need you to stick.
16:00What do you want?
16:00I don't know.
16:01My soul or something?
16:02Well, why not?
16:04I deserve that.
16:05Though the two worlds often clash, he finds a way to make it all work in the end.
16:09With great chemistry and banter between Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, and some truly
16:15memorable quotes, this movie had us at hello.
16:18Number 4.
16:19Before Sunrise.
16:21I want to keep talking to you.
16:22You know, I have no idea what your situation is, but, uh, but I feel like we have some
16:27kind of, uh, connection, right?
16:30Yeah, me too.
16:31Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke's chemistry in this steamy tale of love at first sight
16:36is absolutely supercharged.
16:38Sparks fly as strangers Jesse and Celine meet on a train in Europe and spend a day getting
16:43to know each other.
16:44The only problem?
16:45They're both set to leave Vienna for two different destinations and will probably never
16:50see each other again.
16:51I think he's crazy about you.
16:53Really?
16:54I mean, I've known you a long time, and I got a good feeling.
16:57You gonna see him again?
17:01We haven't talked about that yet.
17:02Seeing these two grow more and more attached over the span of the whirlwind day they spend
17:07together is seriously magical.
17:09And this tale of impulsive, crazy love still gives us chills.
17:14If you like it, be sure to look out for the other two films in the trilogy.
17:17It's not real anyway, right?
17:19We're just characters in that old lady's dream.
17:23She's on a deathbed fantasizing about her youth.
17:25So of course we have to meet again.
17:27Number three, Pretty Woman.
17:29I know about wanting more.
17:31I invented the concept.
17:35The question is how much more?
17:39I want the fairy tale.
17:41A film in which Julia Roberts plays a sex worker with a heart of gold, Pretty Woman
17:45is a classic fish-out-of-water story with a schmaltzy but smile-inducing happy ending.
17:50When corporate hotshot Edward Lewis, played by Richard Gere,
17:54ends up hiring Vivian Ward, played by Roberts, to play the role of his escort for a week,
17:58he gets more than he bargained for.
18:00He falls in love.
18:02So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?
18:08She rescues him right back.
18:09While Julia Roberts owned the 90s with other romances like Notting Hill,
18:14in the end, the film that helped revitalize the rom-com genre stands out as her best.
18:19Plus, who could forget that steamy bathtub scene?
18:21Number two, Ghost.
18:23This mournful romance is truly out of this world,
18:26captivating us with its heartbreaking concept and iconic moments.
18:30I love you, Molly.
18:34I've always loved you.
18:36Ditto.
18:38In a love story that transcends life itself, a banker uncovers a financial secret and is
18:43then killed in a mugging, leaving his beloved Molly behind and in danger.
18:47Coming back as a ghost, Sam communicates with her through a psychic and keeps her from harm.
18:53With the clairvoyance help, Sam is able to get her out of the mud and back on the right track.
18:58Coming back as a ghost, Sam communicates with her through a psychic and keeps her from harm.
19:04With the clairvoyance help, they're able to share some tender moments.
19:08While it can seem corny at times, Ghost,
19:11and its iconic pottery scene between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, is a movie that lives on.
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19:47Number one, Titanic.
19:49The love story that's almost as big as the titular ship, this film never ceases to melt our hearts.
19:55If you haven't seen Titanic, prepare to be teary-eyed after that heart-wrenching goodbye
19:59between Jack and Rose. And if you're familiar with the film, you know the waterworks are coming.
20:11Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's chemistry is striking,
20:15and is complemented perfectly by the absolutely gorgeous set design and cinematography.
20:20No matter how many times we watch it, we'll still scream at Jack to keep holding on,
20:25just like we keep holding on to this timeless love story after all these years.
20:37Are there any other 90s romance movies you can't get enough of? Let us know in the comments.
20:43Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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