In honor of Valentine's Day, I present a few travel-related movies with a romantic twist (or romantic movies with a travel twist, depending on your perspective). Keep in mind that these are from a guy's point of view.
"When Harry Met Sally"
I don’t know if I’ve seen this movie all the way through, but I’ve seen the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene many times. I’ve also been to Katz’s Deli where that scene takes place. And yes, they have a sign that makes note of the scene.
"Under the Tuscan Sun"
We watched this movie just before traveling to Tuscany. Did it prepare me for what I would see? Yes and no. I mean, it is a great representation of the warmth of the people of the area and the beauty of the region. But it’s impossible to be prepared for what you see in Tuscany.
"Dirty Dancing"
I haven’t been anywhere in New York other than New York City. So I have no clue if this really is a good representation of upstate New York. I can’t imagine families still vacation like this, though.
"Notting Hill"
I’ve visited London’s Notting Hill neighborhood during the Portobello Market. The movie did not prepare me for the insanity of the crowds there. We actually didn’t stay long because it was so crowded.
"Breakfast at Tiffany’s"
I’ve been to Tiffany’s; I’ve been to New York. This movie is just one of many set in New York that gives a pretty good feel of being there.
"Serendipity"
This movie is a great advertisement for traveling to New York City. On our most recent visit to the city, we visited Serendipity III, the restaurant that lends its name to the movie. A bit overpriced, but I could see where it could be a good mood setter while sharing a huge frozen hot chocolate.
"Groundhog Day"
We all know about Punxatawny Phil, but this movie really brought the groundhog to the forefront in my opinion. A friend of mine who used to live in Philadelphia spent a weekend in the town (not on Groundhog’s Day) and said it’s a lovely town. I’ll take his word for it.
"Roman Holiday"
Watched this movie before going to Rome. I can’t say the black and white flick gave me a true representation of what the city would look like, but Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck hit all the major sites. Definitely recommend this before visiting Rome.
"Twilight"
I recently read a blog that said Forks, Wash., and the Olympic Peninsula have seen an uptick in tourism because of the Twilight movies. As far as I know there is nothing spectacular about Forks, but I do understand the books are very accurate when it comes to descriptions of the story’s location. I don’t know if the movies are accurate (I don't even know where they were filmed), but I do know the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful spot and "Twilight" shows some of that.
Others of note (or so I've been told):
"The Holiday"
"French Kiss"
"Sleepless in Seattle"
"A Room With A View"
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I definitely agree with "French Kiss." That is one of our favorite romantic comedies and we watched it at least once not long before we went to France. It's definitely romantic and it shows a lot of the French scenery and culture.
ReplyDeleteOne movie I'd like to add to the list is "Braveheart." Not only does it tell the story of arguably the most important figure in Scottish history and legend, William Wallace, but it shows some breathtaking views of Scotland (and Ireland as they did some filming in Ireland). William Wallace is about as important to the Scots as George Washington is to Americans.
Now, you could argue that "Braveheart" is not a romantic movie, but one about war and conquest and defeat. However, I think "Braveheart's" portrayal of the love story between William Wallace and Marion Braidfute is one of the most romantic I've ever seen in film. It's passionate and genuine but ends tragically, which only fuels his fire to fight the British.
Oh! Twilight was mostly filmed in Portland, OR but there are a couple shots of the actual town of Forks, WA in the movie. New Moon was filmed in Vancouver, B.C.