Movies for Juno

So the heavens are weeping, but it’s still the marry month of June. I’m not a bride-to-be, and if I were, I’d choose to get married in December. However, in honor of the month which, for some reason, brides choose to wed in, I’ve made a list of my favorite (newer) movies about weddings.

Actually, I do know why many couples choose to marry in June. It has something to do with Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. To the Greeks, she is known as Hera. What behooves me is why we Filipinos chose to follow this tradition, when, in our tropical shores, June ushers in the rainy season. Then again, we do have the belief that if it rains during your wedding, heaven is showering you with blessings.

In any case, in no particular order, here’s my list of films that should make you feel good about love and commitment.

The Wedding Singer. It’s 1985, and Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) is a wedding singer who’s engaged to his long-time girlfriend Linda. During one wedding, he meets Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore), who is also engaged to her fiancé Glenn Gulia. In the midst of 1980s fashion and music, Robbie and Julia find themselves compatible with each other, learn that marriage is not about settling, and go for the one they really see themselves growing old with.

Father of the Bride. In this 1990s classic comedy, Steve Martin is, well, the father of the bride who has to deal with everything that planning his daughter’s wedding and getting her married entail. This may be a comedy, but seeing everything from the point of view of the father never fails to leave me teary-eyed.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is a 30-year-old Greek-American woman who falls in love with WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) Ian Miller (John Corbett). Toula has a wacky Greek family, which makes for great comedy, but the takeaway here is the greatest love usually comes when you’re at your best self. Toula’s transformation from a “nobody” to a fabulous Greek woman is one of the best makeovers I’ve seen onscreen.

Love, Actually. Where do I begin? There are several love stories that unfold in this delightful film, but the message is really stated in the beginning, with David’s (Hugh Grant) voiceover: “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there—fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge—they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”

My Best Friend’s Wedding. Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) realizes she’s in love with her long-time friend Michael O’Neil (Dermot Mulroney) when he tells her he’s getting married to Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz). She devices a plan to sabotage Michael’s wedding—but discovers she cannot stand in the way of her friend’s happiness, no matter how much—or most especially because—she loves him.

A Walk to Remember. Pastor’s daughter Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan (Mandy Moore) meets popular rebel Landon Rollins Carter (Shane West). They’re like cats and dogs at first, but they soon fall in love. Unfortunately, Jamie has terminal leukemia. She has her own “bucket list,” and out of love, Landon tries to help her cross everything out—from being in two places at once (that state line scene really had me bawling my eyes out) to witnessing a miracle. I loved this film because of its simplicity and its faith.

The Notebook. This 2004 romantic drama is A Walk to Remember supersized. Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) play a young couple who fall in love in the early 1940s. They have an epic love story marked by silly fights, a long separation, a surprise reunion, and the kind of unparalleled devotion we all should hope for, and which we would all be blessed to get.

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