'The Best of Me' tells the story of Amanda and Dawson, high school sweethearts who are reunited after 20 years apart. Photo courtesy of Relativity Media / Mammoth NYC.
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!
Whether we admit it or not, we all enjoy a good love story — the ones that make our hearts beat, our pulses race, and the tears flow. We love getting caught up in the magical moments and gushing over romantic scenes. You probably have your own top Sweetest Movie Moments, but join us as we count down some of ours:
5. A Walk to Remember: If you’re a hopeless romantic, this movie and its leading characters, Landon Carter (Shane West) and Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), will leave you sobbing at the end.  After a dangerous dare goes badly wrong, rebellious Landon is made to do community service, where he seeks help from bookish and religious Jamie — the girl he eventually learns to love. When he discovers the secret she’s been carrying for two years, he plans a date at night to star gaze. He asks her to search for a specific star, and when she questions him about it, he says he had it named after her. The scene is sealed with a kiss.
