The 19 Greatest Movie Couples Of All Time Ranked
They met while filming ‘To Have and Have Not’ and married in 1945, remaining together until Bogart’s death in 1957. The duo made four films, including ‘The Big Sleep’ and ‘Key Largo’, and became synonymous with hardboiled romance on screen. Bacall was 19 when they met, while Bogart was 44, making their relationship one of Hollywood’s most-watched May–December marriages. Offscreen, they were active in political causes, including the Committee for the First Amendment.
“Baby” (Jennifer Grey) has the time of her life while on vacation in the summer of 1963 after she falls for dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in this classic romantic drama with an inescapable soundtrack. Became the first movie in the VHS era to sell more than 1 million copies—999,000 of them to teen girls swooning for Swayze and wishing they were Baby. The Birdcage is one of those films that slowly built tolerance towards the gay movement in 1996. Directed by Mike Nichols and based on the play by Jean Poiret, the incredible casting features a lot of extraordinary talents, such as Gene Hackman, Hank Azaria, and Calista Flockhart.
Joe (Tom Hanks) is the wealthy owner of a Barnes and Noble-type bookstore, swallowing up small booksellers one by one. Kathleen (Meg Ryan) is hanging on to her departed mother’s children’s bookshop for dear life. Unbeknownst to the two of them, they’re anonymous friends in an online chat room, able to share their woes in a safe space. Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny’s (Patrick Swayze) relationship tells the story of two people who grow together and change each other for the better. The two meet when Baby’s family takes a summer vacation to a Catskills resort where Johnny works as a dance instructor. Tracy and Dexter are a great example of how two people can be so right for each other that it may seem easier to ignore the truth than give in to fate.
Hanks plays Joe Fox, a book superstore executive, Ryan is Kathleen Kelly, the owner of a small mom-and-pop book shop. The animosity (and use of email) makes this love story between the story special. A highlight of the Matthew McConaughey rom-com era, here he plays Steve, a guy who is on the verge of getting married until he falls for Mary (Jennifer Lopez), who turns out to be his wedding planner. From literary enemies to cinematic lovers, the iconic couple from the Jane Austen classic has been portrayed in many adaptations. Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James)’s road to romance was one filled with love, passion and trust. So, when Fonny gets arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, they recommit to keeping their romance alive during hard times.
Just because your soul is trapped in a murderous doll doesn’t mean that you can’t find love. Chucky (Brad Dourif) realizes that Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) is his soulmate after she slashes a couple in a motel in , the fourth film in the Child’s Play franchise. The protracted doll-sex scene (the age-restricted clip is above) was such a scream that their twisted romance was further explored in Seed of Chucky and the TV series Chucky. This Walt Disney Pictures animated musical fantasy is based on the 18th-century fairy tale about a prince who’s transformed into a monster because of his narcissism. To break the curse, he must make a young woman, Belle, fall in love with him.
Tracy And Dexter — The Philadelphia Story
But what makes romance flicks standout the most is the famous movie couples that have emerged from them. It wouldn’t be a famous movie couples’ list without Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan). From the iconic restaurant scene to the even more classic sweaters, this movie proves that friendships can sometimes turn into the best kind of love.
The scene where she overcomes her flighty instincts and kisses Paul Varjak in the rain is just too good. Sam and Molly are a couple torn apart by tragedy, but their love transcends death as they communicate through a medium. “Noah and Allie” are the focal couple in the 2004 heartfelt show film, The Note pad. The film recounts the account of their enthusiastic and persevering affection, which traverses north for quite a few years.
Their relationship is one of a complex, lifelong friendship with queer subtext and deep meaning that resonates for viewers of all races and sexual orientations. Chiron and Kevin’s story is one of hope, resilience, and the healing that can come from enduring love. Despite the many hardships life sends their way, Chiron and Kevin find their way back to each other. After Buttercup is kidnapped by a group of bandits who hope to ransom her from the prince, they’re chased by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who Buttercup soon realizes is Westley. As they reunite, the two have to overcome not just Prince Humperdinck but an entire world of creatures and dangers as they fight their way to freedom and happiness.
Movie couples can be portrayed in various genres, including romantic comedies, dramas, action movies, and more. These pairs often capture the attention and imagination of audiences, becoming iconic and even influencing real-life perceptions of love and relationships. Feelings were so intense that Stewart and Pattinson became a couple in real life for a time. Bella and Edward’s relationship progressed over the five movies in The Twilight Saga, with Bella eventually becoming a vampire and giving birth to their child. Nothing beats the anticipation of their first kiss in the clip above, though. Memorable on-screen couples many times are people you would never think have any business meeting.
Even as the two form a tentative romance, Monica’s drive and motivation to succeed at the game threatens to tear them apart, while Quincy’s family life moves to shakier ground. When Carol leaves her gloves at the store, Therese seizes the opportunity to return them to her. As they grow closer, Carol’s husband becomes increasingly jealous and threatens to keep her daughter away from her, forcing the two apart as Carol returns to her family. Ultimately, though, they fight to be with each other, despite the strict mores of the 1950s.
A chance encounter at a Chicago club leads to a casual fling between these two creatives. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that they might have something more. We’ve looked at a lot of great duos, but this is the one that all directors, producers, and casting directors strive for when they are looking for an on-screen couple. The acting power of both Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart on their own and especially together in this movie is what has made it become an essential piece of cinema. Considered the best out of all the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire musicals, a big reason is because the pair show off some of the best dance numbers of their collaboration. The backbone of Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) journey to becoming a boxing great is the love he has for Adrian (Talia Shire), which is beautifully launched in the first movie of this epic franchise.
However, as an elder Noah (James Garner) reads the story of their lives to her, she briefly remembers the love they share, a miracle considering her condition. Their relationship is a testament to the transformative love that can happen through a shared passion. However, while Baby and Johnny have a powerful story, their affection for one another is almost secondary to the love they share for dance, which hurts their overall ranking. The ruse prompts further ruminations and insecurity from Albert, who feels that their relationship and his standing in the family may be at stake even as he does everything he can to go along with the deception. Ultimately, the truth comes to light, and Armand and their son remind Albert that he is invaluable to the family.
The film rotates around the muddled connection between Harry Consumes (played by Billy Gem) and Sally Albright (played by Meg Ryan). The fact that Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) even found each other in the dystopian world of is a miracle, let alone that they fell hopelessly in love. Their relationship intensified in The Matrix Reloaded and seemed to end tragically in The Matrix Revolutions. In 2021’s underrated The Matrix Resurrections, the couple reunited, giving them another chance to change their messed-up world. Who can forget the “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage” moment between Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in ?
- Their intertwining stories are playgrounds for charming exchanges and clever homages to Shakespearean works.
- In , Katharine Houghton plays Joanna “Joey” Drayton, a young woman who speaks eloquently and respectfully to her mother (Katharine Hepburn) about the man, Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier), whom she loves.
- The scene where she overcomes her flighty instincts and kisses Paul Varjak in the rain is just too good.
Patrick and Kat share the real, opposites attract-style love that can happen in the most unexpected circumstances. The two have an intense, enviable chemistry that’s helped make “10 Things I Hate About You” a teen favorite for decades. A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” Patrick (Heath Ledger) and Kat (Julia Stiles) are brought together when a new student pays Patrick to romance Kat so that he can woo Kat’s younger sister. Kat is a smart and once-popular girl who had a fall from grace, and is now closed off to the school’s cliques, instead focusing on her college ambitions. Patrick is a bad boy who most of the popular kids fear, but who is just mysterious enough to intrigue Kat. The two go toe-to-toe as Patrick courts her, but as they get to know each other, Patrick genuinely falls for her.
They’ve taught viewers many lessons, often through comedy and feel-good scenes. If you haven’t tried on at least one occasion to recreate the famous lift scene from Dirty Dancing, you are definitely lying. They were on and off more times than we can count—and some might say she should’ve picked Aidan—but Carrie and Mr. Big had an inevitable attraction that we can all relate to. An ancient story, where Beauty experiences passionate feelings for the scorned monster holding her captive. An exemplary fantasy story with great experiences and humor, as Westley battles to save his genuine romance, Buttercup. Johnny and Child are a couple engaged with a late spring sentiment between an insubordinate dance educator and a protected young lady, who challenges normal practices and finds themselves.
This film perfectly portrays the nuances in this relationship, as seen by comic readers during multiple ages. Lois is deeply in love with Superman, and she’s smart enough to figure out who he is, which would play a significant role in the second film. Superman also has strong feelings for Lois, which he showcases by turning back time and saving her from certain death after a nuclear warhead destroys the East Coast. Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) first meet as kids, brought together by their mutual love of basketball. That same attraction is what repeatedly pulls them together and pushes them apart over the years. While Quincy is the child of a former professional basketball player with a clear career ahead of him, as both a woman and someone who doesn’t have an in, Monica’s path to professional basketball is much harder.
Based on Kumail Nanjiani’s real-life relationship with Emily V. Gordon, in the movie version, Kumail plays a version of himself with the Emily role going to Zoe Kazan. The two are perfect as a couple trying to build a relationship until Emily becomes ill and suddenly Kumail has to navigate both their families. When southern gal turned New York socialite, Melanie (Reese Witherspoon), has to return to Alabama to finalize her divorce to Jake (Josh Lucas), it turns out to be harder than planned. In Nicholas Sparks’ most famous movie adaptation, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling’s Allie and Noah had everyone yearning for the visceral love the couple had. What’s more, it’s become a movie everyone has seen due to the efforts Noah goes to reclaim their romance from her rich and unaccepting family.
The pairing of a fictional couple has been the drive for too many films across multiple eras, and it always proves to be a successful formula. Some of these on-screen duos have imprinted themselves in the collective memories of audiences by combining great acting, great chemistry, and a unique story. These iconic couplings embody everlasting love and relationship goals for many people.
Rick and Ilsa’s story of forbidden romance and love lost is one of the most famous in the history of cinema. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are a classic superhero and journalist pairing, where Lois Lane falls in love with the man behind the cape, Clark Kent. Vito Corleone and Carmela Corleone are fictitious people from the 1972 movie “The Back up parent,” coordinated by Francis Portage Coppola.
Ross And Rachel, “friends”
This beautiful story follows two neighbors who grow up with big dreams to be basketball players but in the process fall in love. It has only grown in popularity thanks to the performances by the movie’s stars, Omar Epps (Quincy McCall) and Sanaa Lathan (Monica Wright). It has led to award-winning performances, and for some, memorable roles that have been remembered for lifetimes. But only a handful of the many movie couples truly stand out as the swooniest, most romantic, and most heartfelt.
Not all of them have happy endings, but there’s no doubt that the love that each one of them shares is real. We’ve gathered the 19 greatest movie couples of all time from the Golden Age of cinema, iconic Oscar winners, and more, each one ranked here from least to most romantic. Julia Roberts plays a free-spirited Hollywood escort who spends a week with corporate raider Edward (Richard Gere), gets to shop on Rodeo Drive and, of course, falls in love.
Based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria are star-crossed lovers whose families are in rival New York street gangs. While the couple’s demise was one of tragedy, no one can forget the way Tony expressed his love for Maria with her own song. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo)’s relationship began when they were in middle school, with her writing (and not sending) a love letter to him.
The hit 2018 movie is fueled by family values and lavish lifestyles, but at its core is the perfect chemistry between Henry Golding (Nick) and Constance Wu (Rachel). Constance Wu plays a Chinese-American professor who has it all with her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding). But when she learns his family is one of the richest in Singapore, she must find a way to maintain her relationship while attempting to please those he loves the most. When the two finally cross paths again, Allie is engaged and Noah is heartbroken. While they attempt to be friends, the pull of their attraction is too strong. As they age, an older Allie (Gena Rowlands) suffers severe dementia, and begins forgetting Noah entirely.
The film depends on Mario Puzo’s novel of a similar name and recounts the narrative of a strong Italian-American wrongdoing family, the Corleones, headed by Vito Corleone. Is there a more definitive Gen X couple than Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) in the Before trilogy, which began with 1995’s ? The characters meet on a Eurail train and disembark in Vienna to spend the night together. The movie’s a classic on its own, but the romance between Buttercup (Robin Wright) and the outlaw Westley (Carey Elwes) is also an all-time great.
When this sitcom premiered in the ’50s, Americans fell in love with Lucy and Ricky Ricardo played by the real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz—and fresh Bestdates review their relationship changed television forever. A whopping 44 million people watched “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” an episode featuring the birth of their son, Little Ricky. With 71% of American households tuned in, it remains one of the most-viewed broadcasts in history. Ree has watched this one “at least ten times,” so it’s definitely a love story for the ages! The movie adaption of Jane Austen’s novel has all of her wit and plot twists but with a few modern tweaks to make you fall head over heels for these two lovers. Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund are the iconic couples from the classic film “Casablanca.” Played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman respectively, their intertwined love story has captivated audiences for decades.
The two share a spontaneous first kiss in the clip above that gave every rom-com fan a tingle. Watch the clip above to see the moment when Annie and Sam first meet in the flesh at the top of the Empire State Building. Is a literal fish-out-of-water story about a New York businessman named Allen (Tom Hanks) who meets and falls in love with a mermaid named Madison (Daryl Hannah). After it becomes clear that Madison will never be left alone by curious researchers on dry land, Allen takes a leap of faith into the ocean and swims away with Madison in the classic video clip above. Married from 1990 to 2001, they co-starred in ‘Days of Thunder’, ‘Far and Away’, and ‘Eyes Wide Shut’. During their marriage, Kidman expanded into challenging dramatic roles that led to an Academy Award soon after.
And that’s certainly the case with this fantastic love story in which Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) falls for Maude Chardin (Ruth Gordon), a woman decades older than him. There are certain relationships in television and film that have stood the test of time, becoming lasting love stories we all watch with full-on emoji-level heart eyes. Prepare to swoon and melt and feel all the feels—we’re taking a look back at the greatest couples to ever grace your screen. David Arquette and Courteney Cox had such real chemistry as Deputy Dewey Riley and ruthless reporter Gale Weathers in Scream that they became a couple off set and got married. Their characters also wed in the Scream franchise (sometime between Scream 3 and 4) and appeared together as recently as 2022’s Scream, years after Arquette and Cox divorced in real life.
Julia Stiles plays a young woman who goes to live with her father after her mother’s death. When she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), a teen with different experiences from her, they learn how to navigate an interracial relationship while sharing a love of dance. As they grow closer, Rose plans to leave her fiancé when they dock and leave the ship with Jack. Almost every great fairy tale features a prince and princess who fall in love.
