The Dreaded Day

I don't know about all of you, but I personally hate Valentine's Day. It's not that I'm a bitter single woman who got dumped for a sheep on some Valentine's Day in the past or anything. I'm in a happy relationship with no Valentine's Day-related heartbreak to speak of. But I can't help it. I still hate it. I don't know why. Therefore, instead of the list of happy-couple-movies you were probably expecting, here's a list of good movies to watch on Valentine's Day that have nothing to do with romantic love and everything to do with the other kinds of love in your life. So whether you're bitter and single, coupled and ambivalent, or forgot about Valentine's Day entirely, here's a list of movies to watch this holiday for those of us who aren't the sappy type.

Up
OK, this one starts with a love story, but that's not really what the movie is about. It's about finding relationships beyond romantic love and learning to live with loss. This is probably one of the funniest and most beautiful movies I've ever seen, and it's a great choice to watch with the kids. (Or by yourself-there's no shame in loving kids movies!)

Under the Tuscan Sun
This movie is by far the biggest reason I have a girl-crush on Diane Lane. A recently divorced writer, Fran (Lane) decides on an impulse to move to Tuscany. At first she is miserably lonely, but as she searches for love, she slowly begins to realize all the different kinds of love she already has in her life. The movie is a bit slow, but that hasn't stopped me from watching it about 3 dozen times!

Homeward Bound
What better way to comfort yourself on Valentine's Day than to watch puppies? Two dogs and a cat accidentally get lost, and travel together across mid-America to find their way home. The three would-be rivals grow closer as they learn to help each other and find their owners. Totally cheesy, and totally awesome.

Hachi
Another dog movie for those who prefer to snuggle with an animal rather than a person. Based on a true story, Hachi is about a dog who follows his owner to the train everyday, and comes to meet him every afternoon like clockwork. Suddenly, his master (Richard Gere) dies in an accident. But Hachi won't accept his loss, and goes to the train station to wait every day until the day he dies. This movie is so incredibly sappy, but it's really sweet. Just make sure you've got the tissues handy....

Grumpy Old Men
I know, I recommend this movie all the time. Deal with it.

Hook
The classic sequel to the Peter Pan story, this film stars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, and Bob Hoskins. Peter Banning (Williams) is a corporate exec who loves his job more than he loves his family. Or so he thinks, until his kids are kidnapped mysteriously in the night by Captain Hook (Hoffman). It's then that he finds out the mystery of his past-he is Peter Pan! He goes on a quest to save his kids from Neverland, tangling with Lost Boys, Tinkerbell (Roberts) and Smee (Hoskins) along the way. And of course, he learns a tender lesson about family in the end. Blah, blah blah. Whatever. It might be the greatest movie of my childhood.

And finally, one token sappy romantic comedy for those of you out there who aren't curmudgeons:

Bridget Jones' Diary
I know everyone on planet Earth has seen this one, but I picked this one because it's so real. I mean, OK, the chances of any of us having an affair with Hugh Grant and then meeting and falling in love with Colin Firth are slim-to-none. But Bridget (played by Renee Zellwegger) is a real woman. She's got curves, attitude, and is a complete klutz, as most of us are. Great feel-good movie for the awkward woman in all of us.

-Posted by Colleen