We all know the “cuteness” of a movie couple depends of a variety of elements.
Everything from the age of the viewer to the cleverness of the writing, the skill of the actors and most importantly the natural chemistry between the couple helps to “sell” the relationship to the audience.
There have been many films that get by with one or two of these elements but perhaps those that stay with us and are cherished are those that combine all the elements plus a spark of something that cannot be defined.
There is great anticipation for “Love Happens” starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, which opens in theaters very soon. The clips and trailers for this film are promising and many feel that this will be THE romantic movie with THE cutest couple for this year.
While we wait to see if this is the case, let us take a look at some of the other cute couples. As has been my practice in the past, I have asked friends, family and co-workers for input for this selection of cute movie couples, and as we have a few months until 2010, I’m adding the caveat “so far” to our list.
For my money, the cutest couple of 2009 is definitely Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." They are youngsters, but actors Daniel Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright have hit the mark with accuracy, displaying the searing awkwardness and the endearing affection of young love.
No matter the age of the viewer, the interaction between Harry and Ginny feels right, speaks to our hearts and is undeniably “cute” and so much more. Technically they are not a complete couple yet, but we all know or feel that their pairing is destined.
They are followed closely by Hermione and Ron (Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) who are still in the “I do, no I don’t like you” phase of their relationship, illustrating that while for some people love just happens, for others it can be a long and tortuous path.
Here are other films that have “cute couples” according to my sources and are listed in no particular order. Of course everyone has their own interpretation of cute, or the level of cute in a film, so we may not have your favorite couple of 2009 listed. We are always open for suggestions so let us know if we’ve missed the cutest couple ever, or a duo that needs to be on the list.
“The Proposal” has Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the cute couple. This film is a take on the marriage of convenience or necessity. Publishing executive Margaret Tate (Bullock) announces an engagement to her assistant Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) rather than be deported to Canada.
Paxton has no say in the matter, but goes along with the plan to save his boss once he is given the assurance of a promotion. Through a series of misadventures the two fall in love, but will that make for a happy ending?
Those who chose this film say that there is a believable chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds. That added to witty dialog and humorous as well as tender moments make this film and couple “cute.”
Another selection on our list is “Last Chance Harvey” with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. This is a cute couple film for adults. Not in the sense that one commonly uses the term adult, but in the sense that these are mature individuals, facing romantic problems that are not necessarily the same as those encountered by younger people.
Harvey Fine (Hoffman) is an aging advertizing jingle writing jazz pianist, who is not appreciated by his coworkers or his family. Upon his arrival in England for his daughter’s wedding and he meets Kate Walker (Thompson) who works for the airlines, collecting data for demographic studies. The initial encounter is unpromising, as she is asking him questions for her research, and he is being rude and obnoxious because he is tired.
Both are lonely and in a series of scenes leading from disinterest and disgust to a tender humorous understanding, they become a couple. The people who selected this couple say that they appreciated the clever portrayal of characters who seem very real in both actions and the developing relationship.
Some of us disagree over the next film “New in Town” with Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. The story is clever, the acting is good, but there are those who think the chemistry is lacking, while others think it is hilariously present in the performances. Lucy Hill (Zeilweggeer) is the golden child of her company with plans to move up to a Vice Presidency.
Seeking a chance to get ahead, she volunteers to go to a frozen, small town in Minnesota to deal with restructuring a division that is not doing well. She meets Ted Marshall (Connick) who is not only the union representative, but also an eligible single father. With the locale playing as big a role as the stars, there is much to stand in the way of a relationship between the two very different people.
However, tender moments do happen and thaw out the chilly formal encounters, turning Lucy and Ted into a very cute couple.
The final movie on our list was somewhat of a surprise, but several people were captivated by the mastodon family in “Ice Age 3.” Ray Romano voiced the father Manny and Queen Latifah the mother Ellie, awaiting the birth of their first mini-mastodon. This was handled in a tender and touching manner that highlighted the togetherness of the couple, and what can be cuter than that?
As we go into the final months of 2010, our cutest couples list will probably expand. As mentioned before “Love Happens” is a good possibility for a winning couple, and who knows what other delightful pairings movie fans will discover.
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