Sunday, July 22, 2018

Ah...Romance (My Favorite Couples) ~ by Leah St. James


Today is a special day in my family. One year ago, my younger son married his high school sweetheart. Those who followed my angst with the dress and the mother-son dance were probably relieved when the big day was over and I could relax (translation: stop obsessing). I just remember feeling exhausted...with sore feet.



Now a year later, I’m thrilled to report they are happy and doing well. As I was looking through all the wedding photos, reminiscing with occasional but happy sniffles, I was struck how lucky my son was to find someone so special at such a young age. I don’t have a doubt that they are both in it for the long haul, and I find myself wishing for a crystal ball to look into their future--ten, twenty years ahead--to see what joyous memories they make.

That got me thinking about my favorite fictional couples, and how much I enjoy following their love stories. So I made a list -- my favorite romance couples from literature and film/TV. Here it is, in no specific order...

1. Cinderella  & Prince Charming


I mean, isn’t Cinderella the most classic romance of all time, recreated over and over.  My favorite modern-day version is “Pretty Woman” (Julie Roberts and Richard Gere). But my favorite version from my childhood is Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical starring Leslie Ann Warren and Stuart Damon as the hero and heroine.


 


2. Jim and Della Dillingham, “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry
Another classic story of selfless love.

3.
Claire Beauchamp and Jamie Fraser, “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon

They fell in love under impossible circumstances, and their love endures the ages. (On a side note, how much trouble can one couple take?!)

4. Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Rourke, “In Death” series by J.D. Robb


They are, in a sense, an odd couple – him a suave and worldly recovered thief/con man, her a seemingly hard-nosed city homicide cop who stops at nothing to get justice for the dead—but their love is true and strong, and so romantic.

5. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, “Gone with the Wind,” Margaret Mitchell
 

No explanation needed.

6. “Beauty and the Beast,” classic fairy tale first written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (according to Wikipedia anyway!)
 

I  have two favorite renditions of this story:  
  • The TV show with Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. 
  • Then of course, the Disney animated version. I love the music in this version, and I especially love that Belle is so into books! 

Do you like singing along, like I do ? Here’s a sing-along link for you.

8. Rachel Green and Ross Geller from "Friends"


I watched this show until the final episode, rooting and rooting for this on-again/off-again couple. The writers kept us waiting until that last episode, but I wasn’t disappointed.


9. Frances “Baby” Houseman and Johnny Castle from “Dirty Dancing”
 

This isn’t a story of enduring love, but one of young love and learning to be selfless. It’s also one of my favorite dance movies so I had to include it. 



On another side note, I love Baby's mom in this scene when she says (about Baby's dancing), "She gets it from me." :-)

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer  (Sarah Michelle Geller) and Angelus the Vampire (David Boreanez) from the TV show.

Talk about an odd couple, but it worked.

So those are some of my favorite fictional couples. Who are yours?


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A hopeless romantic who, as a child, chose Cinderella for her Halloween costume about five years in a row, Leah writes stories of mystery and romance, good and evil and the power of love. Learn more at her website, or stop by her Facebook page where she occasionally shares tidbits about life and writing.

15 comments:

Alicia Dean said...

I'm with you on 1, 5, 8, and 9. Friends was probably my favorite all-time sitcom. They did a great job with the on again/off again romance. I LOVED that version of Cinderella! And, I love the Prince Charming ended up with regular employment, as a doctor on General Hospital. :) So glad your son and wife are still happy! Fun post.

Vonnie Davis said...

I'm reading one of my favorite couples now--Mary Elizabeth Potter and Wolf Mackenzie from Linda Howard's "Mackenzie's Mountain." I've read it once a year for ages. I study it now--with all it's head hopping--to try to figure out WHY I love it so. Written in '86, authors were allowed to tell us what everyone was thinking. Yet I don't care. I enjoyed your pictures and post. Thanks for the smiles.

Jannine Gallant said...

Some people thought Rachel and Joey should have ended up together. I was a Ross and Rachel fan all the way, even though he was pretty whiny. Let's see, back in my college days, I was a huge All My Children fan, and Greg and Jenny were the ultimate soap couple--until they killed her off, of course. Fun post!

Leah St. James said...

You know, Ally, I knew Prince Charming looked familiar, but I couldn't place him! LOL! General Hospital was one of my guilty pleasures in high school and college! I loved the Spencer family. Actually, I wanted to be in the Spencer family. :-) They dressed up for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and used pretty plates and everything looked so nice. Oh well...

Leah St. James said...

Vonnie, Linda Howard is one of my all-time favorite authors. I don't remember that book though. Must check it out! Thanks!

Leah St. James said...

I was also a huge All My Children fan, Jannine, but I don't remember them. I think Son No. 1 was born about that time and my TV-watching days were over for a decade or so. :-) I know a lot of fans wanted Rachel and Joey to end up together, but theirs seemed more of a sweet love than passionate. I'm glad the writers chose Ross.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Definitely Dirty Dancing is my all time favorite couples movie. Thanks for the reminder repeat. As far as Disney Classics, my favorite there is Tangled. These days, I’m following in your mother of the groom footsteps for an October wedding. Lucky me, I found my dress the first time out with my soon to be daughter in law. How wonderful your son found his one and only. Thanks for sharing a fun post.

Leah St. James said...

I saw Tangled with my daughter-in-law, Margo! We also went to see the most recent Cinderella at the movies! My son isn't the only lucky one. :-) Can't wait to hear about your upcoming MoG adventures!

Rolynn Anderson said...

What a great list, Leah. So glad you included Outlander, Dirty Dancing, Gone with the Wind, Pretty Woman, etc. I'm so fond of Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans, and for a modern fun love story, The Holiday w/ Judd Law is a fav. Those movies we like to watch over and over...how lucky we are to have such fine entertainment! Shakespeare in Love? Another 'watch it once a year' movie.

Leah St. James said...

Thanks, Rolynn. Last of the Mohicans is good too, although it always makes me sad. Great pick with The Holiday. I love that one, too. I haven't seen Shakespeare in Love, but it's going on my list!

remullins said...

Perhaps it is trite, but my favorite book/television series will always be Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy, the classic enemies to lovers story. Darcy, wet as he comes out of the lake at Pemberley or him in the bathtub. BBC did it right. Just the name, Colin Firth, gets my heart beating a little stronger.

Diane Burton said...

I love the movies/shows you included. Rolynn shared 2 more that I absolutely must watch each time it's on. There's a scene in Last of the Mohicans when he tells her to "stay alive, I will come back for you" that I used as inspiration for a scene in my first book, Switched. Such a poignant moment. The Holiday is a great movie, too. So heartwarming.

Diane Burton said...

Forgot to say: Congrats to your son & his bride of a year. I'm so pleased that my son found his bride. She's brought so much joy into my life, too. It's wonderful when that works out.

Leah St. James said...

"Pride and Prejudice" comes up on a lot of favorite lists, Robin. I never saw the TV show, but the couple in the book just didn't grab me like others did. Maybe I was too young when I read it? Who knows! But yeah, Colin Firth... :-)

Leah St. James said...

That is a good scene in "Last of the Mohicans," Diane. That's actually one of y husband's favorite movies, so I've seen bits and pieces of it many, many times. :-) Thanks for the good wishes for my son and his wife. It is wonderful.