Credit: PixarWith Valentine’s Day right around the corner, thousands of couples will likely be curling up together on the sofa with a cinematic love fest. While other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Peacock promote more modern romances, Disney+’s Valentine’s Day Collection offers a selection of classic love stories to grab us all by the heartstrings.
It’s no secret that Disney is responsible for some of the most romantic moments in film history, such as Lady and the Tramp sharing a plate of spaghetti, the heart-wrenching opening sequence from Pixar’s Up (2009), and the several princesses that are magically awakened by true love’s kiss. It’s only natural that the studio would want to remind audiences just how much it has influenced the genre.
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Disney+ is home to a wealth of romantic films, but sorting through the collection can quickly get overwhelming. However, this writer thinks that the following films might help narrow things down to a point where couples can stop debating what to watch and start nuzzling up for a romantic movie experience.
Which Classic Love Stories to Watch on Disney+
For the record, it should be immediately established that taste is highly subjective, especially in the romance genre. After all, one man’s Casablanca (1943) might be another’s Twilight Saga. Joking aside, Disney+ offers a wide variety of timeless love stories that many are already familiar with.
The question is, what makes these films “classic romances?” Apart from being outside of the modern contributions to the genre, these selected films have a timeless quality which sets them apart from some of the other contenders. As successful and popular as movies like Elemental (2023), Tangled (2010), and The Fault in Our Stars (2014) might be, they’re also slightly dated and primarily appeal to a more contemporary culture.
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One of the main reasons that the films in question are such icons is due to how recognizable and relatable they are. While we might not all be swashbuckling heroes or fair maidens waiting to be kissed awake, we’ve all been in a place of vulnerability with a desire to be loved, and that’s the kind of stories Disney+ subscribers will find in this collection.
While combing through Disney+’s avid collection of romcoms, love stories, and sentimental cinema, it is this writer’s opinion that many viewers will find that the following films cater to a wider variety of tastes. From marvelous musicals to animated masterpieces, Disney+ continues to offer a multitude of entertainment options for any couple looking for a bit of magic this Valentine’s Day.
Hello Dolly (1969)
Whether it’s on the Broadway stage or the silver screen, you could fill a book with the number of romantic musicals that are absolutely made for Valentine’s Day. While Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021) was easily a contender, Hello Dolly is the gold standard of musical rom-coms.
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, Hello Dolly introduced movie-goers to the eccentric Dolly Levi (played by Barbara Streisand) and the curmudgeonly Horace Vandergelder (played by Walter Matthau) as the masterful matchmaker “arranges things” so that romance blossoms around her.
Along with an iconic love story from the stage, the film also features a phenomenal, Oscar-winning soundtrack with outstanding performances from the cast. It’s no wonder that Pixar utilized many of its elements for Wall-E’s production.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Despite the holiday, only some people will be immediately drawn to watching romance-heavy features. That said, if there’s one rom-com that’s the most user-friendly, it’s The Princess Bride.
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Based on the fantasy novel of the same name by William Golding, this is far more than a stereotypical “kissing book” adaptation. With its witty dialogue, action sequences, and storybook elements, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this ’80s classic.
Even Forbes describes it as one of the best romantic movies when they write,
“This family-friendly film is a comedy and fantasy, but the romance comes through, even in some of its siller moments, because ‘Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.'”
With all the elements of a traditional fairytale, what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with “Wuv… twue wuv?” Anything else would simply be inconceivable.
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)
While we’re in the realm of fairytales and fantasy, an honorable mention has to go to this retelling of Cinderella. While it might lack the magic spells and singing mice of the Disney adaptation, this Renaissance-era romance doesn’t skip on the heartwarming elements of the classic story.
While the Disney+ collection features several reimagined stories, this emotional adaptation of the famous princess tries a more historically accurate approach to the story by Charles Perault. Trading in a fairytale kingdom for 1500s France, the film is ideal for those looking to graduate from the animated or the Rogers and Hammerstein adaptation.
Additionally, the film features a powerhouse of female leads, with a young Drew Barrymore as Danielle de Barbarac, the Cinderella stand-in, and Anjelica Huston as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, her wicked stepmother. Easily one of the most mature and interesting features in Disney+’s collection.
Cinderella (1950)
Of course, we can’t talk about Cinderella without discussing Disney’s adaptation. The 1950 classic is likely what most people imagine when they hear the name and for very good reason.
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Easily one of the most influential Disney movies and one of the most retold classic love stories, Cinderella was a huge step forward for both Walt Disney and his animation studio. Coming off the heels of the package films and projects made during WWII, the fairytale helped re-establish the studio in a big way.
“The movie restored Disney’s financial footing and gave his company a renewed sense of direction, paving the way for more imaginative animated tales of far-flung escapism, adventure, heroes and villains, with emotion and whimsy and heart—like Alice in Wonderland in 1951, and, in 1953, Peter Pan. Hailed at the time for its sleek look, its use of pop music in the soundtrack, and its colorfully expressive characters, Cinderella is now regarded as a crown jewel in the Disney crown, one of the greatest animated stories of all time.”
Yes, it’s a simplistic and stereotypical Disney fairytale, but sometimes that’s all one really needs. Amidst a sea of classic romances, it can be easy to forget just how much some of the most successful films in the genre owe to this timeless classic.
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Where Cinderella might be the springboard for Disney’s fairytales, Lady and the Tramp set the gold standard for the rest of the studio’s iconic romances. Honestly, what movie buff doesn’t think of that classic spaghetti sequence at Tony’s?
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While the Disney original was born of a mixed bag of Walt’s personal life, artwork by Disney artist Joe Grant, and a story from a magazine, few Disney movies have the same influential legacy as this adorable canine couple’s.
Lady and the Tramp works because it transcends a palate of elements that bring the film’s lead characters together. While it might go over a few viewers’ heads, the story deals with issues of class and prejudices and how true love can overcome them all. That’s not exactly an easy feat when your main players are all dogs.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
There are few romantic movies in or out of the Disney Studio that have reached the acclaim that Beauty and the Beast has. Along with being the only animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, the film redefined how audiences saw the traditional Disney animated fairytale.
Although it comes from a traditional place, the film broke down multiple barriers better than many films in the genre that followed. It’s the first Disney fairytale where the princess rescues the prince, the monster falls in love, and the handsome lead becomes the film’s villain.
The film’s success has been highly attributed to the contribution of the film’s composer, the late Howard Ashman, as he helped further establish the film’s identity and reshape Disney’s Renaissance with his own personal touch. Bill Condon, director of the live-action remake, shared the following with Vanity Fair.
“It was his idea, not only to make it into a musical but also to make Beast one of the two central characters. Until then, it had mostly been Belle’s story that they had been telling. Specifically for him, it was a metaphor for AIDS. He was cursed, and this curse had brought sorrow on all those people who loved him, and maybe there was a chance for a miracle—and a way for the curse to be lifted. It was a very concrete thing that he was doing.”
Naturally, this is only a small selection of the classic love stories Disney’s magical streaming service has made available for viewers, but they all come with something special in their pedigrees. Whether it’s a gripping script, brilliant acting, moving music, or the magic of Disney animation, these movies will be sure to set the romantic mood for your Valentine’s Day.
What’s your favorite romantic Disney movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!