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During the phase of romatic pursuit, lovers concentrate only of the positive side of the other person. After marriage, most concentrate only on the other side.  

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Veer Zaara

Veer Zaara Love knows no barriers or boundaries is an oft repeated theory, but are they really applicable in practical real life? It is definitely true and when one overcomes the mental barriers of religion and background, they see only the real person inside without any social appearances or superficial differences. The heart does not know such man-made differences and when two such people who come together, they feel true and deep love uninfluenced by prejudices. In some cases, the love is so deep and pure that they are ready to make sacrifices and compromises for the sheer well being and happiness of the person they love. Such selfless giving and placing the other before self always succeeds in the end though society may pose obstacles and circumstances may seem difficult.

 

Articles on Veer Zaara

Veer and Zaara exemplify Mental Love - Level 7 in the Scale of Romance
Discuss Veer Zaara and the qualities of the Romance in it in the Indian Movies Forum
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Plot Summary

Zaara is a carefree, sprightly girl from Pakistan who has come to India to fulfil her surrogate grandmother, Bebe's dying wish, to immerse her ashes in a river in India. Upon reaching India, Zaara's bus meets with an accident causing it to overturn and is rescues by Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, a rescue pilot with the Indian Air Force, who risks his own life to save the lives of others.

With his help, Zaara completes Bebe's final rites. Veer convinces Zaara to return with him to his village to spend one day together. Veer and Zaara are immensely attracted towards each other. He likes her vivacious nature and zest for life. And she in turn likes him for his chivalry, love and respect for his family and his good nature. Veer is just waiting for the right time to tell Zaara about his true feelings and when he does so in the Railway station when she is about to leave, she reveals that she is engaged to another man, Raaza. Now with nothing to lose, Veer sadly confesses to Zaara that he has fallen in love with her, leaving her speechless. Veer then watches sadly as Raaza and Zaara board the train going back to Pakistan. Both believe that this is the end of their story, and the last time they will ever see each other.

Zaaras marriage to Raaza is only a political affair, orchestrated by Zaara’s father Jahangir Hayaat Khan, also a politician. Sometime after her arrival home, Zaara confides in her mother, Mariam, and her best friend, the household maid Shabbo, that she has fallen in love with Veer and cannot go through with this marriage. Veer learns of Zaara’s misery, quits his job and goes to Pakistan to bring her back with him to India. Zaara's mother, however, begs him to leave Zaara alone as her father is a high-profile politician whose reputation will be ruined if news got out that his daughter is in love with a Hindu. Veer respects this request and decides to leave for India but Raaza, who is outraged by the shame Zaara has brought upon him, frames Veer and has him wrongly imprisoned on charges of being an Indian spy Rajesh Rathore. Twenty-two years later, Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer on her first case, finds herself face-to-face with an aging Veer Pratap Singh who has been languishing in a Pakistan jail cell for 22 years and has not spoken to anyone all these years - and no one knows why. Slowly he confides in her. Touched by this tale, Saamiya promises to Veer that she will do all she can in court to see that he goes free. Before the trial begins, Veer secures a promise from Saamiya that she can do anything for the case except mention Zaara's family as he assumes she will married and settled in life and did not want to tarnish her image. After a number of attempts which fail to prove Veer's innocence, Saamiya goes to Veer's village in India to gather evidence proving Veer's true identity. There, to her amazement, Saamiya meets Zaara- who had fled to India without marrying Raaza. But when she came to India with Shabbo she is told that Veer had died in an accident. Heartbroken, she had remained in India to run the school in memory of Veer. Saamiya quickly takes Zaara back to Pakistan and with her testimony, Veer is acquitted and Saamiya wins her first case. At the Indo-Pakistan border, Veer marries Zaara and, bidding Saamiya farewell, the two of them return to India. Romantic love and sacrifice wins over religious and national military differences.


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Directed by Yash Chopra
Written by Aditya Chopra                                                                           
Starring Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan
Copyright belongs to Yash Raj Films

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  • Official Website contains all the details of the movie and its making, awards, cast and the story.
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Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Rarely do we encounter instances of pure devotion in human relationships. Love is an ideal and that ideal is founded on a self-less delight in the happiness of one’s beloved. Self-giving is the highest form of human action, because it is to recognize something more important than one’s own egoistic personal satisfaction. Devotional love is beautifully depicted in an extraordinary movie about a woman who is prevented from marrying the man she loves, only to discover that the man she does marry is a living embodiment of selfless love.

 

Articles on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Vanraj and Nandini’s relationship is a fine example of the powerful bonds of Devotion - Level 8 in the Scale of Romance. See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

 Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) is the daughter of Pandit Darbar, renowned proponent of Indian classical music, living in the Rann of Kutch. Nandini has been brought up with more freedom and education than her siblings, as she is the most beloved of Pandit Darbar. In this carefree life enters Sameer (Salman Khan), a boy of Indo-Italian parentage who wants to learn Indian classical music from Pandit Darbar. Sameer stays with the Darbar family and Nandini is asked to vacate her room to give the guest the nicest room in the manor. Nandini takes a dislike to Sameer, and the two keep playing pranks on each other, but soon realise they are in love. Their love blossoms in the Darbar household around weddings, festivals and family get togethers.Nandini's cousin is unhappily married and comes back from her inlaws place defeated. She is in love with someone else. Nandini and sameer help her to run away with her lover unaware of the consequences. One day, the pair are caught rehearsing their wedding vows and dreaming of their future together. Pandit Darbar is distraught as he trusted Nandini above all. He has already planned Nandini's wedding. Sameer is kicked out of the house and asked never to contact Nandini again as fee for his education(Guru Dakshina). Sameer does not leave India, he stays in town, writes letters to Nandini asking her to join him, but his letters do not reach her in time.

Nandini's parents have arranged to get her married to Vanraj (Ajay Devgan) - who had fallen in love with Nandini during her cousin's wedding. He is a simple man, an advocate who blieves in running a truthful life. On the wedding night, Vanraj realises that Nandini is not herself, and tries to ask her why she is not responding to his love ? He asks her for the truth, promising he will help her no matter what. Nandini stays quiet, but is caught reading Sameer's letters when she is alone. He is very angry at first, but later accepts the reality that his wife is in love with another man. He shows the ultimate understanding by taking Nandini to Italy and help her search for Sameer, much to the dislike of his own parents. Nandini and Vanraj arrive Italy and start searching for Sameer but always come up against a dead end. During their search, they face many problems and dilemmas and slowly Nandini gets to see what Vanraj really is like. she sees Vanraj selflessly devoting himself to care for her during her stay in hospital after an incident. Eventually they get news about Sameer (through his mother - played by Helen), and Vanraj arranges for Nandini to meet Sameer, on the night of his debut concert. His job done, Vanraj says goodbye to Nandini and walks away. Nandini and Sameer meet, but Nandini's feelings for him have changed. She reflects on the unwavering love and devotion that Vanraj showed throughout her stay with him, and realises that she loves him. She tells sameer in what esteem she holds her husband and parts with him to go after Vanraj.

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Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Written by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring Ajay Devgan as Vanraj,Aishwarya Rai as Nandini, Salman Khan as Sameer Rafilini
Copyright belongs to Bhansali Films


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Jodhaa Akbar

Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century love story about a political marriage of convenience that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. King Barmal of Amer, who needed Akbar’s protection for his kingdom, offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Akbar and the great Emperor Akbar decided to marry a rather reluctant Jodhaa. Little did Akbar know that the young girl he agreed to marry in order to further strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, was a fiery Rajput princess and he would in turn be embarking upon a new journey-the journey of true love.

 

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Plot Summary

Emperor Akbar was a man of great political acumen combined with valour which helped him secure not only the Hindu Kush, but also extend his empire from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, and from the Himalayas to the Narmada River. Through a shrewd blend of diplomacy, intimidation and brute force, Akbar won the allegiance of the Rajputs. But this allegiance was not universal. There was a group of proud Rajput kings who held out and always considered Akbar as a foreign invader. In such circumstances, marriages between Rajputs and Mughals were frowned upon. Maharana Pratap led the group of rebel kings and banned inter marriages between Rajputs who had given their daughters to the Mughals and the ones who had not.

King Barmal of Amer, who needed Akbar’s protection for his kingdom, offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Akbar and the great Emperor Akbar decided to marry a rather reluctant Jodhaa. Jodhaa agreed to marry him on two conditions: that she would retain her Hindu faith and that she could worship her Lord Krishna in the Mughal palace.. Akbar not only accepted her conditions, but also appreciated her courage, simplicity and strength of character for openly expressing them. The marriage took place, and Jodhaa placed yet another condition on him: that she would only become intimate with him when she was ready, which the emperor also accepted. Even after Akbar’s acceptance, Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance. Akbar’s biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of Jodhaa - a love hidden below deep resentment and extreme prejudice.

Gradually as they started to live together, she came to feel an awe inspired by his bravery, his fair and just methods of ruling a vast empire, and his strong personality. At the same time, she was amazed by his kindness, goodness of character and respect for her. Akbar in turn was impressed by her beauty, poise and compassion towards others. He fell deeply in love with her but waited for her to reciprocate his love. He built a small temple for her inside her quarters and did not interfere in any of her activities. She learned his language, cooked for him in spite of being the Queen of Hindustan, and when he fell ill, she nursed him with true devotion. They fell deeply in love and their true union took place mentally and physically. They complemented one another and what started as a marriage for political and social obligation turned into a lifetime of eternal love and true devotion.


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Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Written by Haider Ali, Ashutosh Gowariker, K.P Saxena                                                                           
Starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan
Copyright belongs to AGPL and UTV Pictures

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  • Official Website contains all the details of the movie and its making, awards, cast and the story.
  • The Internet Movie Database, IMDb  has information related to the movie and its actors.
  • Wikipedia provides the plot summary, background, publication history and extensive links to sites on Jodhaa Akbar

 

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Chocolat

CHOCOLAT is a 2000 romance movie based on the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris, starring Juliette Binoche as Vianne Rocher, Johnny Depp as Roux,Judi Dench as Armande Voizin, Alfred Molina as Comte de Reynaud and Lena Olin as Josephine Muscat.The arrival of spirited, independent-minded Vianne into a small traditional French town inspires Josephine with the strength and courage to stand up against her violent, dominating husband Serge and cast off his oppressive domination. Serge repents and promises to reform, but Josephine is bent on freedom. Violence destroys harmony and undermines the very foundation of trust and security that is the bedrock of human relationship.

 

Articles on Chocolat
The movie is a fine example of Level 1-Opposition in the Scale of Romance where Relationships become strained to the breaking point when partners exhibit offensive or mean behavior that intentionally or unintentionally hurts the other person.See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

 Like her ancestors, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter are drifters who are met with skepticism and resistance when they move to a conservative town in the winter of 1959.The clever wind leads her to a tranquil French village in rural France and there she opens a chocolate shop across the street from the local church during the days of Lent.

As Vianne begins to work her magic and help those around her, the townspeople are soon attracted by her exuberance and her delicious chocolates - except for the mayor Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who sees Vianne as an immoral provocateur and quietly contests against her.He is determined to shut her down.Vianne is a determind lady who against the wishes of the mayor gives Josephine(Lena Olin) shelter and courage to stand up to her brute husband and cast off his oppressive domination. She helps the town people and brings happiness to their dull and monotonous life.When a group of river drifters(gypsies) visit the town they are looked upon like dirt and ignored.Vianne finds herself attracted to the Irish wanderer Roux (Johnny Depp) whose attraction to Vianne is mutual. Vianne teaches the townspeople that genuine goodwill and acceptance of the humanity in other people can be far more virtuous and divine than complying with social or religious conventions. In the process of helping others discover joy and value in themselves, Vianne finds love and end to her wanderings.

 

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Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Written by Joanne Harris
Starring Juliette Binoche as Vianne Rocher, Johnny Depp as Roux,
Judi Dench as Armande Voizin, Alfred Molina as Comte de Reynaud and
Lena Olin as Josephine Muscat
Copyright belongs to Miramax Films

 

 

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Hitch

HITCH is a 2005 romantic comedy film starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta about a professional matchmaker who makes a living teaching men tactics and techniques to woo the women they love. When Hitch himself falls in love, he discovers that love is a matter of emotional intention, not social rules and tactics.

 

Articles on Hitch
The movie is a fine example of Level 2-Physical Attraction in the Scale of Romance where relationships should not be based only on physical attraction. See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

 It is the story of Alex Hitchens aka “Hitch” who once failed in love miserably and decides to change his persona completely. He becomes very successful in relationships and decides to spread his knowledge. Alex Hitchins becomes a professional "date doctor", or consultant, who coaches other men in the art of having the perfect date with the woman of their dreams.Sara is a gossip columnist for a New York City tabloid.

Both are very guarded around the opposite sex. Despite their natures, Hitch and Sara begin a relationship. His latest project, Albert Brenneman, is a nerdy financial consultant who fell in love with the famous Allegra Cole.However, where Albert and Allegra's relationship continues to progress, Hitch finds that none of his tried and tested methods are working on himself, despite being a master of the art. Sara meanwhile develops hatred towards Hitch and is determined to unmask and ruin the so-called date doctor after one of his "clients" (with whom Hitch refused to work) had a one-night stand with her best friend. After she exposes Hitch, they break up, Albert and Allegra follow suit. Hitch is determined to set things right and convinces Sara of his love. He speaks to Allegra about Albert and in this process discovers that true love does not require any setup as most of his clients were able to win their love by just being themselves.

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Directed by Andy Tennant
Written by Kevin Bisch
Starring
Will Smith as Hitch,Eva Mendes as Sara,Kevin James as Albert and Amber Valletta as Allegra
Copyright belongs to Columbia Pictures

 

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The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil is a 2006 movie starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton based on a novel by Somerset Maugham. It portrays a beautiful London socialite's marriage of convenience to a shy bacteriologist and the gradual transformation of their relationship from indifference and dislike into deep and abiding love and affection.

 

Articles on The Painted Veil
When Marriage becomes Romance describes how a woman’s formal marriage compelled by social pressure evolves into a passionate psychological relationship as she discovers deeper human values of goodness and love in the man she married but never loved. See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

Shallow and lost, Kitty marries the intellectual and passionate Walter Fane, a bacteriologist on leave from the Far East shortly after meeting him at a party. They are so opposite to each other in nature, Walter being an earnest, socially awkward bacteriologist and Kitty, a vivacious and vain London socialite. Kitty enters into this loveless marriage with him at the urging of her domineering mother. Following a honeymoon in Venice, the couple goes to Shanghai, where the doctor is stationed in a government lab studying infectious diseases.

Kitty meets Charles Townsend, a married British vice consul, and the two engage in a clandestine affair. When Walter discovers his wife's infidelity, he seeks to punish her by threatening to divorce her on the grounds of adultery if she doesn't accompany him to a small village in a remote area of China, where he has volunteered to treat victims of an unchecked cholera epidemic sweeping through the area. Kitty begs to be allowed to divorce him quietly and he agrees, provided Townsend will leave his wife Dorothy and marry her. When she proposes this possibility to her lover, he declines to accept, and she is compelled to travel to the mountainous inland region with her husband. They embark upon an arduous, two-week-long overland journey that would be considerably faster and much easier if they traveled by river, but Walter is determined to make Kitty as unhappily uncomfortable as possible. Upon their arrival in Mei-tan-fu, she is distressed to discover they will be living in near squalor, far removed from everyone except their cheerful neighbor Waddington, a British deputy commissioner living with a young Chinese woman in relative opulence.

Walter and Kitty barely speak to each other and, except for a cook and a Chinese soldier assigned to guard her, she is alone for long hours. After visiting an orphanage run by a group of French nuns, Kitty volunteers her services, and she is assigned to work in the music room. She is surprised to learn her husband loves children from the Mother Superior, and in this setting she begins to see him in a new light as she learns what a selfless and caring person he can be. He in turn realizes she is not the shallow, selfish person he thought her to be when he sees her with the children. As Walter's anger and Kitty's unhappiness subside, their marriage begins to blossom. She soon learns she is pregnant, but is unsure who the father is. Walter – in love with Kitty again – assures her it doesn't matter. Just as the local cholera problem is coming under control, ailing refugees from elsewhere pour into the area, forcing Walter to set up a camp outside town. He contracts the disease and Kitty nurses him but he dies, devastating his expectant wife. Five years later, while shopping with her young son Walter in London, Kitty meets Townsend on the street. He suggests the two get together but she rejects his overtures and walks away, telling her son Townsend is "no one important" when he asks who he is.

 

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The Painted Veil
Directed by John Curran
Written by Somerset Maugham (novel), Ron Nyswaner (screenplay)
Starring Edward Norton as Walter Fane,Naomi Watts as Kitty Garstin Fane,      
Liev Schreiber as Charles Townsend
Copyright belongs to Warner Pictures

 

 

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When Marriage becomes Romance

 

More often than not love at first sight turns out to be infatuation with an illusion that quickly turns sour or ends in utter disillusionment, like Elizabeth Bennet's brief romance with the handsome, charming, and totally unscrupulous Mr. Wickham in Pride & Prejudice. More rarely an initial dislike or indifference is transformed by closer intimacy into a deep and abiding love and affection as Elizabeth eventually found with Mr. Darcy. A similar transformation is portrayed in The Painted Veil, a 2006 movie starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton based on a novel by Somerset Maugham.

Until recently marriage has been a physical and social necessity for most women and love, a luxury to be pursued in dreams or secret rendezvous away from public view. Kitty's wedding to Dr. Walter Fane was destined to be precisely such a marriage of necessity. Kitty was a pretty but aging socialite with an empty head and trivial interests under pressure to marry and leave the shelter and support of her parents. Resigned to an unfulfilling marriage to a stiff and awkward stranger, she accepted the proposal of Dr. Fane, who sought to marry quickly and carry his bride with him back to his assignment in Shanghai during the 1920s.

Kitty quickly became bored of a reclusive life with an introverted physician among the British upper class in China, until she met and began an elicit affair with Walter's friend Charilie Townsend, a handsome, married British diplomat responsible for governing the region. Inexperienced Kitty thought herself in love and believed Charlie was too, until Walter discovered their affair and threatened her with divorce. When Kitty asked Charlie to divorce his own wife and marry her, she quickly discovered that his affections were limited to the time they spent in bed together.

In order to escape the public disgrace of his wife's conduct and to punish her for her betrayal, Walter accepted a dangerous assignment as medical officer in a rural Chinese village stricken by cholera. Dragging Kitty along with him, he transported her to a land far from the modern world with even less outlet for her restlessness and her need for trivial amusement. Walter plunged himself into the midst of an unfolding medical tragedy, risking his life every day to nurse dying patients and discover means to stop the spread of the disease. In doing so he won the admiration of the local population, but became more and more estranged from his own wife.

Finally Kitty could bear the pain of isolation and boredom no more. She set forth into the disease-ridden town and offered her services at a local Catholic convent run by English missionaries. Encountering disease, danger and death for the first time in her life, she felt the total inadequacy and meaninglessness of her own existence. At the same time, she began to see her husband in a different light, as a man of strength, courage and innate goodness. Goodness was not a quality she had ever prized in a man before, but here in the face of life's most extreme challenges, she came to deeply admire and respect her husband and yearn for reconciliation with him. Fane noticed the change in her and admired her courage in venturing out among the sick.

Gradually the barriers of indifference, resentment, and distrust dissolved and they discovered a depth of mutual admiration and affection neither had believed possible for them. In spite of the horrible circumstances, they enjoyed a few moments of intense delight together. Then as the epidemic spread, Fane came down with cholera and eventually died in his wife's loving arms.

Kitty returned to London where she gave birth to a son. A few years later, walking in the city she encounters Charlie Townsend. For a moment Charlie's hopes are kindled of another romantic encounter, before he realizes his hope is futile. Kitty is no longer the silly, meaningless spoiled girl he had known in Shanghai. She has experienced life, discovered true goodness and felt what it is to truly love.

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The Family Man

The Family Man is a heart-warming, humorous story starring Nicolas Cage as a wealthy Wall Street deal maker who wakes up one morning to find himself living an alternate version of his own life in which he had chosen to marry his girl friend (Téa Leoni) 13 years ago and settled down to a quiet family life as a middle class tire salesman in suburbia. The story brings out the importance of the values that govern our choices in life, juxtaposing ego-driven, career success against the psychological fulfilment arising from deep and abiding love and affection. Leoni portrays to perfection the romantic ideal of the patient, affection, understanding wife.

 

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The tremendous power of non-reaction is wonderfully portrayed by the character of Kate Reynolds. Read more in the article ‘Harmony Strategies’. See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

Jack Campbell is a single, wealthy Wall Street investment banker living the high life in New York City. All that magically changes one morning when he wakes up in a suburban New Jersey bedroom with the wife he never married and two kids. Jack realizes that he is living the life he could have had if he had not gone to London and become an investment banker but had stayed in the States with his girlfriend. While he desperately wishes to return to his high life, Jack is stuck in a "permanent acid trip" because an angel wants to teach the overly confident man a lesson.

Jack struggles to fit into the role of a family man, making many serious blunders such as missing opening Christmas presents, flirting with a friend's wife and forgetting his anniversary. Very soon, Jack's young "daughter" realizes his secret and decides to assist him in surviving his new life. He begins to succeed in his life, bonding with his "children," falling in love with his wife and working hard at his dull job. He suddenly finds himself being offered a contract to work as a banker in New York. While his old businessman personality wants to accept the offer, his new family man personality realizes it would be a bad idea. He refuses the offer and happily settles into his life with his family. Just as Jack is finally realizing the true value of his new life, his epiphany jolts him back to his wealthy, yet as he now realizes,lonely, former life.

In desperation, he forgoes closing his $130 billion acquisition deal to intercept the real woman he fell in love with in his dream before she heads off to Paris. He tells her about the happy family that they could have together; met with complete incredulity, he relates in impossibly precise detail what he remembers of his dream life. Shocked but intrigued, she agrees to a cup of coffee at the airport, suggesting that they might have a future after all.

 

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The Family Man
Directed by Brett Ratner
Written by David Diamond & David Weissman
Starring Nicolas Cage as Jack Campbell, Téa Leoni as Kate Reynolds                                                                  
Copyright belongs to Universal Pictures

 

 

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Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a romance of love at first sight between two youngsters separated by powerful social barriers. The joyous intensity of their emotional attraction for one another brings them together in spite of the animosity between their families, but patient and impulsive, their love lacks the strength and maturity to prevail over the negative atmosphere.

 

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Romeo and Juliet’s deep love and care for each other is an excellent example of Affection, Level 5 in the Scale of Romance. See the article and videos.
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Plot Summary

 A long-standing feud between the Montagues and the Capulets flares up in a brawl on the streets of Verona, halted only by the arrival of Prince Escalus. Romeo, only son of the Montagues, is hopelessly in love with the unattainable Rosaline. In hope that meeting other girls will shake him out of his melancholy, his friends Mercutio and Benvolio persuade him to go to a party at Capulet's house. Romeo agrees, hoping to see Rosaline there. Instead he meets and falls instantly in love with Juliet, Capulet's only daughter. She returns his love. With the help of Juliet's Nurse, they are secretly married the next day by Friar Lawrence.

Juliet's cousin Tybalt quarrels with Romeo and in the fight which ensues, Mercutio is killed. Romeo avenges his friend's death and kills Tybalt, for which he is banished from Verona on pain of death. After spending a single night with his bride, he escapes to Mantua. Juliet learns that her parents plan to marry her to Count Paris in two days' time. Capulet then decides the wedding will take place the following day. Distraught, Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence who devises a plan. He gives her a drug which will make her appear to have died. The Friar hopes that her parents will place her in the family tomb and when she awakes from her drugged sleep, she will find Romeo waiting for her. The Friar writes to Romeo to tell him of the plan, but Romeo never receives the letter. Romeo hears of Juliet's death and returns to Verona, to see her in the Capulet tomb. There he finds Paris, whom he murders. Romeo enters the tomb, finds Juliet's 'corpse' and poisons himself. Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead. Unable to live without him, she stabs herself. The Capulets and Montagues, united in grief, vow to end their feud.

 

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Gone with the Wind
Directed by Franco Zeffirelli
Written by William Shakespeare (play), Franco Brusati, Masolino D'Amico,
Franco Zeffirelli (screenplay)
Starring Leonard Whiting as Romeo, Olivia Hussey as Juliet
Copyright belongs to Paramount pictures

 

 

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The Notebook

The Notebook An old man spends his idle time in a nursing home reading a love story to an old woman with Alzheimer's disease who has lost her memory and forgotten her family and her life, but listens with rapt attention to the old man's narrative. The story he relates exemplifies romantic love in its purest and most powerful form, a love born in youth and sustained for decades.

 

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Eternal romance is not mere fantasy. Attaining that intensity requires a purity of aspiration that is willing to give up everything else combined with a capacity to give oneself in joyous love and ask nothing in return. Read about it in details and watch the videos in the article Love that lasts
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Plot Summary

In a modern-day nursing home, an elderly man named Duke (James Garner) begins to read a love story from his notebook to a female fellow patient (Gena Rowlands). From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.

The story begins in 1940 when as teenagers, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) begin a whirlwind courtship that soon blossoms into tender intimacy. The young couple is quickly separated by Allie's upper-class parents who insist that Noah isn't right for her. Several years pass, and, when they meet again, their passion is rekindled, forcing Allie to choose between her soul mate and class order. The film goes back to the elderly couple, and Duke asks Allie, the old woman who she chose. She soon realizes the answer herself; young Allie appears at Noah's doorstep, having left Lon at the hotel and chosen Noah. They embrace in reunion.

The old woman was deeply moved by the old man's narrative. Suddenly she realized that the story was one she had heard before, it was her own story and the man who read it to her was Noah. For five minutes they enjoyed the intensity of emotional reunion before she lapsed back into self-forgetfulness once again. She herself had written it down when she realized she was losing her memory and had made Noah promise to read it in the hope of bringing her back. For months Noah had been reading her the story daily. She had forgotten her children and grandchildren and could not recognize them, but the story in the notebook brought back momentarily the most sacred emotions of her life. At first her recovery came every few days, then every few weeks. Now it had been months since she had last remembered. But for those few brief minutes they both relived freshly with the original intensity the love they had felt for each other the first summer they met. In one such moment of lucidity, she asked Noah whether they might die together and the next morning they were discovered lying motionless next to one another in bed.

 

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The Notebook Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Written by Nicholas Sparks (novel), Jan Sardi (adaptation), Jeremy Leven (screenplay)
Starring Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun, Rachel McAdams as Allie Hamilton,
James Garner as Duke, Gena Rowlands as Allie Calhoun

Copyright belongs to New Line Cinema

 

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