This post is sponsored by The Best of Me.
It’s not hard to remember being a teenager, curling up on the couch with your mom, your best girlfriends, or your first boyfriend, hitting the lights, and watching a movie about first love. In those days, the stories of the star-crossed, wild-at-heart, or shy lovers were peepholes into what you hoped would be your own love story one day. They inspired you to see the potential for love in each day and to be wholly devoted when you found it yourself. Even though you’re a bit (or a lot) older now, you may find yourself in a situation and still think, “Oh my gosh, this is just like that scene from The Notebook!“
It’s no surprise that film adaptations of novels by Nicholas Sparks have received widespread acclaim for portraying loves of the century. This Friday, yet another of these Sparks stories is premiering on the big screen: The Best of Me. Cupid was inspired by the new movie to bring you a list of our favorite films about first love (in no particular order). Spoiler alerts ahead!
1. The Notebook: We had to start our list with The Notebook. In the film, Allie and Noah meet as teenagers. Noah lives in a small town in South Carolina where Allie’s family vacations in the summer. They are torn apart when Allie’s parents, who despise Noah for his lower-class status, force their daughter to go home early. The ups-and-downs they endure through the years — both together and apart — make for an epic love story. The most beautiful part is that the tale is being told by an elderly Noah to his wife Allie, who has dementia. Cue the tears!
Related Link: 5 of the Sweetest Movie Moments
2. The Girl Next Door: This one you probably didn’t watch in your pre-teens, but it’s still a pretty epic love story. Matthew, a high school student looking to attend Georgetown University, falls in love with Danielle, the girl who moves in next door. Matthew finds out from his friends that Danielle is an ex-adult film actress and accidentally insults her for it. He wins her back but not before an intense encounter with her ex-boyfriend.
3. Never Been Kissed: Josie Geller, a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, poses as a high school student in order to write a piece meant to inform parents on their kids’ behavior. Josie, who was a nerd in high school, is forced by her boss to become one of the popular kids in order to beat out other newspapers with the more interesting stories. While working on the assignment, she falls in love with her English teacher Sam. She nearly loses him when he discovers her true identity but hopes that her newspaper article will win him back. You’ll have to watch and see what happens!
4. A Walk to Remember: This Nicholas Sparks tale is the tear-jerker of all tear-jerkers. Landon and Jamie first meet when Landon is being punished for playing a horrible prank on a classmate. Despite teasing from Landon’s friends, they become close when Jamie begins helping Landon with his lines for a school play. They begin a beautiful relationship, and Landon helps Jamie achieve her list of things to do in her lifetime, a lifetime that will be cut tragically short by terminal leukemia. He stays by her side as she battles her illness, and true to his dedication to help her achieve the items on her list, he marries her in the same chapel her parents were wed. Ultimately, his first love changes Landon for the better.
Related Link: 5 Best Steamy Movie Kisses
5. The Best of Me: This film, being released this Friday, October 17th, has been widely anticipated by Nicholas Sparks fanatics and romance movie junkies alike. The story follows Dawson and Amanda, who were high school sweethearts. Twenty years after their split, they reunite in their hometown to attend the funeral of a close friend. Amanda is now married and a mother, but the passionate love she once felt for Dawson ignites again. We can already see ourselves curled up on the couch with our besties, rooting for these characters to find their happy ending (although we know better than to think that with Sparks at the wheel!).
6. Sweet Home Alabama: Melanie and Jake fell in love as kids and eventually married. When Melanie left him to pursue a career as a fashion designer in New York City, Jake refused to sign their divorce papers. Melanie, who has hidden her Southern roots with a fake last name, travels home to Alabama upon becoming engaged to the mayor’s son Andrew and hopes to end her first marriage. While in Alabama, she remembers what she loves about her friends and family. Soon enough, Andrew shows up and discovers the truth about his fiancé. What happens next is anyone’s guess!
7. Like Crazy: Jake and Anna meet in college in Los Angeles, where Anna is an exchange student from London. They immediately fall in love, but as soon as graduation hits, her student visa expires. Anna’s legal troubles continue, and the couple has to fight even more for the love they share.
8. My Girl: This tragedy is particularly heart-wrenching. Vada struggles with understanding life — because of her father’s profession as a funeral director, because she lives in a funeral home, and because she blames herself for her mother’s death, which occurred shortly after she gave birth to Vada. Her best friend Thomas accompanies her everywhere, even on her frequent visits to the doctor’s office (living in a funeral home has made her a hypochondriac). A tragic loss causes Vada to struggle even more but not before she discovers what true love is.
9. Grease: We all know the lyrics to this upbeat soundtrack, don’t we? Sandy and Danny fell in love over the summer, but sadly, Sandy has to return to her home in Australia. Suddenly, though, her parents decide to stay, and Sandy heads to Rydell High School, where Danny attends. Danny, who is a greaser, tries to keep up his macho act in front of his friends, upsetting good girl Sandy. Of course, thanks to music, the two eventually end up back in each other’s arms.
Related Link: From Bestseller to Film comes ‘The Fault in Our Stars’
10. The Fault in Our Stars: Hazel and Augustus meet in a cancer patient support group in Indianapolis. Augustus’s illness caused him to lose his leg, while Hazel’s cancer is slowly destroying her lungs. The two become close and agree to read each other’s favorite novels. They track down the author of Hazel’s nominated book down in an effort to find out answers regarding the sudden, mysterious conclusion of the book. Based on a true story, their journey is sure to tug at your heartstrings!
These wonderful movies can really help you understand what all different types of love can look like but even with hundreds of movies out there, it is sometimes extremely hard for a man to know when a woman is attracted to you sexually if there are no clues or signs. Hopefully, these movies will give you some tips and clues.
GIVEAWAY ALERT: One lucky reader will receive a The Best of Me prize pack, including a branded hoodie, branded lip balm, branded tote bag, branded Kleenex box, branded coffee mug, The Best of Me book by Nicholas Sparks, a soundtrack from the film, a mini poster, and a $25 Fandango gift card. To enter our giveaway, email cupid@cupidspulse.com with your full name, address, email, and daytime phone number BEFORE 5 p.m. EST on October 30th. In the subject line, please write “The Best of Me Giveaway.” You can also enter via Facebook. You can enter the contest only once. Good luck!
Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who participated!
