Five for Friday: The Valentine's Day Version

I've never been the biggest Valentine's Day fan. I'm not sure why except that it always feels slightly forced to me and the grocery store goes nuts with the chocolate covered strawberries and the lobster tails and I think, you know, I'd rather my true love make me the perfect grilled cheese sandwich and the perfect cup of coffee or whatever.

But still. Romance. I'm a fan of romance. I'm a fan of love. I'm a fan of the happy ending. (Okay, I'm a fan of the ambiguous ending, too. And the sad ending, if that's what the story needs. And I hate a happy ending that hasn't been worked for. I really do.)

But happy endings. Who doesn't love a happily ever after?

In honor that, five of my favorite romantic happy endings, in no particular order:

1. The ending of Serendipity with John Cusak and Kate Beckinsdale on the ice with the snow fluttering down and that single missing glove falling. It's impossible and wonderful and I always worry that both of them will be cold, but I can watch it over and over.

2. The ending of Sleepless in Seattle. On top of the Empire State Building. With Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and that cute little boy. Runner up is the ending to You've Got Mail. With Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and that cute dog. Neither is my favorite movie. But the endings make me weepy in the best of ways.

3. And okay, the ending of When Harry Met Sally… with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal and New Year's Eve and all that running to get to the right person and those cute old people right after that. (Yes, I know that Meg Ryan seems to be in all my happy ending movies.) Runner up is the ending to Kate and Leopold, with--wait for it-- Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman and all that time travel craziness and a cute dog.

4. The ending of Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and all that Hollywood stuff and a limo and fire escape and you know, I don't even like the whole Cinderella trope and certainly I don't think that prostitutes are typically going to marry millionaires with fear of heights, but here I am listing this is one of my favorite HEAs! Runner up, the ending to An Officer and A Gentleman with Richard Gere and Debra Winger and all that carry her through the factory stuff. Plus the drill sergeant. And the whole "Mayonnaise' riff.

5. The endings to Love Actually and The Holiday, both of which take place at least partly in England. Both are hokey but I love both of them awfully much.

What are your favorite happy ending movies?
Happy Valentine's Day!
And Happy Friday the 13th!