Here’s a pretty heavy question: why do you love to watch movies? Some people love a carefully-constructed plot and others love charismatic characters. There are other reasons to dig a film, including its awesome soundtrack and killer setpieces. As for us, there’s one thing that always gets us coming back to the movies, and that’s romance.
Admit it…there’s something charming about watching charismatic characters drawn closer to each other until their passion just can’t be contained. At that point, they start locking lips, heating up the screen in a way you can feel right through to the blush on your face.
Our love of romantic films got us curious: just what are the best kisses in movie history? Now, we’ve got the definitive list of anyone hoping to experience a bit of cinematic “kisstory.” Without further ado, let’s all pop a breath mint and dive right into the best kisses in movie history!
Gone With the Wind
In Gone With the Wind, part of what makes the kiss between Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh so sultry is the smoking-hot chemistry between the lead actors. But it’s also rewarding because the moment is so perfectly set up. Earlier in the film, Gable’s character opines that “You should be kissed, and often. And by someone who knows how.” When he does just that while proposing to her, you can’t help but cheer!
Charles and Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral
“Is it still raining? I hadn’t noticed.” Well, why would Andie MacDowell care about the weather when she’s about to lock lips with Hugh Grant? He, by the way, is a firm believer in the classic move of cradling a woman’s face in both hands while kissing. Speaking of iconic rain-soaked kisses, there’s the unforgettable scene in The Notebook (2004), where Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams share a passionate, rain-drenched embrace. And let’s not forget Spider-Man (2002), in which Tobey Maguire, hanging upside down with his mask half-off, shares an electrifying kiss with Kirsten Dunst after saving her from a group of thugs.
Sam and Molly in Ghost
While the steamy pottery scene often stands out, the more significant moment comes when Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) share their final kiss. In this emotional farewell, Sam, now a ghost, knows deep down that Molly will be alright. It’s the ultimate, heart-wrenching kiss between the living and the spirit world, just before he must move on to the next life.
Titanic
Every generation has its own epic love story. For ‘80s kids, that story was presented in Titanic, the sprawling James Cameron epic about doomed lovers aboard an equally doomed vessel. The film takes its time building up the heat and delicious chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack and Kate Winslet’s Rose. By the time they finally kiss, you may need to sit down…or, at the very least, let out the breath you didn’t realize you were holding.
The Empire Strikes Back
Let’s be honest: Star Wars isn’t the franchise you usually think of when you think about romantic moments. However, The Empire Strikes Back reveals the sexual tension between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) in every scene they share. Earlier, she promises she’d “rather kiss a Wookie,” but during alone time on the Millennium Falcon, these two realize how much they want each other. And quite frankly, the moment they get into passion and kiss is even more compelling than Yoda’s wisdom and Luke Skywalker’s climactic duel with Darth Vader.
Pretty Woman
“I don’t kiss on the mouth,” Vivian (Julia Roberts) tells Edward (Richard Gere) early in this 1990 film. So, when she finally does, it’s a significant moment — signaling to the audience that she’s begun to see Edward as more than just a client. Yet, even that kiss pales in comparison to the one at the movie’s conclusion, when Edward “rescues” Vivian from her fire escape, and she vows to “rescue him right back.”
My Girl
Ever had a movie kiss that brought you to tears? In My Girl, the initial kiss between Thomas (Macaulay Culkin) and Vada (Anna Chlumsky) is sweet enough, with the two of them leaning in while still embodying all of the clumsy grandeur of young love. But the fact that Thomas’ character tragically dies later in the film transforms this tender moment into a bittersweet reminder that we need to enjoy every moment shared with a loved one. After all, we never know exactly how long they’ll be around!
Lady and the Tramp
Okay, hear us out: just because a movie is a cartoon doesn’t mean that it can’t have an insanely memorable kiss. Case in point is Lady and the Tramp, a Disney animated film that most people watch at a young age. In one iconic scene, the dog Tramp (Larry Roberts) and Lady (Barbara Luddy) are sharing a meal when a single noodle brings them together in a spaghetti smooch. It’s simultaneously sweet and sexy, as evidenced by the number of real-life couples who reenact this moment every single day.
The Notebook
It’s not hard to see why The Notebook is so popular among romantics…in short, this film takes its wonderfully sweet time building up the relationship between romantic leads Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. Like a real-life couple, it takes time for these two characters to realize how they feel about each other. When the two finally come together in the middle of the pouring rain, you might just discover that your eyes are whipping up some “rain” of their very own!
Spider-Man
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man film showed us just how much freaky fun a superhero drama could really be. For example, this movie captures the awkward dilemma that beautiful ingenue Mary Jane Watson (Kristen Dunst)has the hots for Spider-Man but barely notices Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), the man behind the mask. All of this culminates in an upside-down kissing scene that turned on an entire generation. Remember, y’all: long before the book boyfriend lean, Spider-Man was showing us a brand-new way to stimulate the ladies!
Twilight
Even the most loyal Team Jacob supporters can’t deny the magnetic pull of Bella and Edward’s first kiss. The undeniable chemistry between the two leads eventually sparked a real-life romance that lasted for years.