Members of Ohio State’s film community discuss what makes or breaks a Valentine’s Day flick

Ohio State film experts discuss what qualities make a successful Valentine’s Day flick, such as “Titanic.” Credit: Courtesy of TNS [Original caption: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in 1997’s “Titanic.”]

Leading up to Valentine’s Day, some film lovers may struggle with choosing an appropriate film for the holiday. Romance-centered narratives typically offer viewers a vivid sense of escapism, Linda Mizejewski, an Ohio State professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said. On the other hand, Bhairavi Gupte, a fourth-year in film studies, said movies that fall outside the romance genre should not be discounted as potential options. 

Mizejewski said romantic comedies — affectionately known as rom-coms — are a go-to selection for many couples. 

“People want feel-good movies, and rom-coms are usually feel-good movies,” Mizejewski said. “The reason they are feel-good movies is that they make us believe that sex and romance answer all problems.” 

Though some rom-coms contain a significant amount of whining and bickering, Mizejewski said they usually conclude with picture-perfect endings. 

“It tries to tell us that people who are very different can get together and that differences don’t matter, you know, that love will solve all problems,” Mizejewski said. “That’s a really problematic notion.” 

This attitude can be harmful because it gives younger audiences an unrealistic impression of romantic relationships, Mizejewski said. In actuality, she said no amount of grand gestures at airports or train stations can instantly absolve a relationship’s glaring faults. 

Still, Mizejewski said rom-coms can contain socially positive themes.  

“One of the things that women like about rom-coms [is] that rom-coms always emphasize an equal relationship,” Mizejewski said. “Rom-coms work if both the man and the woman are equally passionate and equally smart.” 

Rom-coms also allow their characters to behave somewhat obnoxiously without being punished by society, Mizejewski said. Moreover, Mizejewski said rom-coms have the capacity to apply universal theme ideas — love, forgiveness, deception and more — to various cultural contexts. 

“We see that rom-coms are 90% white, so far fewer people of color have done successful rom-coms,” Mizejewski said. “Now, when the successful rom-coms work, oh my gosh, they get really big audiences.” 

Mizejewski said films like “The Big Sick” (2017) and “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) — rom-coms that follow Pakistani and Chinese protagonists, respectively — were arguably some of the biggest blockbusters of the year when they came out. 

“Every time we see movies that are about people who aren’t like ourselves, it opens up the world a little bit,” Mizejewski said.  

Those searching for a throwback Valentine’s Day film can consider classics like “Casablanca” (1942) and “Titanic” (1997), Mizejewski said. One key element to seek out in a romance story is longing; in the case of “Titanic,” she said sheer angst is a crucial component of the movie’s lingering popularity. 

“What’s incredibly romantic is that they will never be able to be together,” Mizejewski said. “Their moments together were fleeting, and [Rose] will have that memory, but otherwise Jack is gone.” 

Though the romance genre is considered frivolous and indulgent by many, Mizejewski said cinematic depictions of love are usually tied up with tragedy. 

“Romantic fantasy is this kind of love or wistfulness about a relationship that’s never going to happen if the person’s unavailable or is gone, or it’s out of your life,” Mizejewski said. “But there is this fantasy of all the time that it was around and how wonderful that was.” 

Even though romance is at the core of Valentine’s Day, there are films that showcase love in its differing forms and expressions, Gupte said.  

“Growing up, one of my favorites was ‘The Sound of Music,’” Gupte, also a 2023-24 film student ambassador representing Ohio State’s Film Studies Program, said. “It has a lot of good messages of love.” 

Gupte said several animated classics — such as Disney’s “The Lion King” (1994) and Pixar’s “Toy Story” (1995) franchise — display meaningful love stories with regard to family and friends. 

Notably, Gupte said watching a horror film with one’s partner can be equal parts romantic and thrilling.

“It can feel like a protective thing, like there’s something scary going on, but I have this person that I love beside me, so everything’s going to be OK,” Gupte said. 

At the end of the day, Gupte said watching a film with a loved one on Valentine’s Day is a relatively simple way to elevate the holiday.  

“If you usually just go out and like to go get dinner, this can be something that’s a nice change of pace,” Gupte said. “It’s a cheaper way to spend your day with the person you love, and if the ultimate goal of Valentine’s Day is to be with the person you love, then there’s no better way to do it.”