10 Romantic Movies of the 1980s

During the 1980’s there released many romantic movies that can still tug at your heartstrings. The Top ten romantic movies of that decade would be:
 

1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
   
   Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are at their wittiest best in this rom-com about two cynical, New Yorker friends who have stood by each other through many years of love and loss. But down the years as their relationship grows stronger they are faced with the question, can a man and a woman remain ‘just friends’ and not lovers.
    
2. The Princess Bride (1987)
   
   A kind grandfather reads a magical story to his ill grandson. The story is of princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) who is held against her will in order to be married to the odious Prince Humperdinck. It is up to her childhood sweetheart Westley (Now returning as dreaded pirate Roberts) to rescue her. On his mission, he is joined by an accomplished swordsman and a large, super strong giant.
    
3. Tootsie (1982)
   
   Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is an out of work actor who is so desperate for work, he dresses up as a woman and lands the lead in a T.V. soap opera which turns out to be a huge hit. He dons the role of Dorothy with aplomb without anyone suspect ting he is a male. But things get complicated when he falls in love with a co-actress and her father falls in love with ‘her/him.’
   
   
    
4. Big (1988)
   
   A young boy Josh Baskin makes a wish at a Fairground machine that he would like to become ‘big’ (an adult). Magic happens and he wakes up next day to find he has become ‘Big’- with the body of a 30-year old (Tom Hanks). He looks like an adult but his twelve year old self is trapped inside the body. He decided to go to New York to find the machine and fix his condition. In New York he gets a job in a toy store and has his first fling with a woman. He has to learn all the adult habits and mannerisms which he wanted to be a part of. Directed by the talented Penny Marshall.
    
5. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
   
   Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) grew up to be a loner thanks to a mother who committed suicide and  a father  who is a naval officer stationed in Philippines. After graduating he shocks his father announcing his intention to be a naval aviator. He still remains the loner despite meeting an attractive woman, Paula (Debra Winger) who is a Puget Deb ( a local factory worker who wants to trap a naval officer into matrimony ) and also forms  a close bond with Sid Worly, a classmate. The training is really tough and to make matters worse there is their training officer, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley who teaches Zack a lesson about relying on friends and colleagues.
    
6. Moonstruck (1987)
   
   Loretta Castorini (Cher) is a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30’s who lost her husband to an accident, decide to marry again. She accepts a proposal from a middle aged kind fellow named Johnny Cammareri though she admits to her mother Rose that she is not in love with Johnny. All is set for the wedding until Loretta encounters Johnny’s estranged brother Ronny (Nicholas Cage) who works in a neighborhood bakery and fall head over heels in love with each other.
    
7. Out of Africa (1985)
   
   This is the story of Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), a Danish woman who marries a friend for the title of Baroness and move to Africa to start a coffee plantation. She struggles to maintain her plantation through various ups and downs and her marriage of convenience fades away to be replaced by an enduring romance with noted hunter and adventurer Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). Later, she insist on getting  more from him than the simple relationship they have and pushes for a wedding, but Denys  still loves his freedom. By the end when she returns to Denmark in 1931, she has gained a much better knowledge and respect for the African culture than when she first arrived in Kenya. This movie based on a true story achieved cult status.
    
8. The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
   
   Brothers Frank and Jack Baker are piano players who have been playing as a duo at lounges for several years. When business grows slow, they decide they need a female vocalist for their act. They are fortunate to hire one Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their act becomes really successful. But things get complicated when Susie becomes more than professionally interested in Jack-the younger and more talented of the two, and the trio breaks up. The sound track of this movie won many awards.
    
9. Dirty Dancing (1987)
   
   In the summer of 1963, Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (Jennifer Grey) a sweet teenager and a wealthy Daddy’s girl goes on a summer camp with her family in an upscale New York resort. There she meets and becomes infatuated with the camp instructor Johnny. When Johnny’s dance partner is hospitalized, Baby takes her place in the dancing act. When Johnny teaches her how to dance, the two fall in love. Her snobbish dad gets mad when he learns of Baby’s antics but can she win the acceptance of her family with her big dance act to the tune of “ I had the time of my life”, an unforgettable track from the movie.
    
10. Cocktail (1988)
    
    On leaving the army, Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) tries to get a marketing job in New York but fails as he does not have a college degree. So he decides to study and take up a part-time job as a bar tender. At the bar he learns all the secrets of bartending from his boss Douglas Coughlin. Now Brian has a new aim- to start a bar of his own. To make money for this dream, he travels to Jamaica to work as a bar tender in a resort. There he meets and starts a passionate romance with Jordan Moony, a rich and beautiful young woman.