What do the stars say about love?

When do you know it’s love? We asked some friends and here are what they have to say.

Martin Nievera: “You know it’s love when it hurts so much you can’t live without it.”

Richard Poon: “It’s love when you want to commit even when the emotional highs are not there.”

Ai-Ai delas Alas: “You know it’s love when you experience incomparable joy and contentment with that person.”

K Brosas: “I know it’s love when it’s blind because I believe that love is blind. Hehehe. Seriously ‘pag mahalaga na ang kaligayahan nya kesa pangsarili kong kaligayahan. Lalim. Hehehehe.”

Bianca Gonzalez: “You know it’s love when it’s no longer just yourself that you think about and prioritize. When you start sharing your life with someone special to you then that’s love.”

Drew Arellano: “You know it’s love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if sometimes you’re not part of that happiness.”

Erik Santos: “It’s love when you sacrifice a lot of things, give up your pride and get out of your way just to show how much you love the person.”

February is considered the love month. And people around the world celebrate February 14 as Valentine’s Day. During the love month, business is heavy — concerts, movies, food festivals and other events are held — in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

My own list of greatest love stories

A few months ago, somebody gifted me with a book, The American Film Institute (AFI)’s 100 Years… 100 Movies. Landing No. 1 on the list was Citizen Kane, Orson Welles’ 1941 Classic, followed by Casablanca (No. 2), The Godfather (No. 3), Gone With the Wind (No. 4), Lawrence Of Arabia (No. 5), The Wizard Of Oz (No. 6), The Graduate (No. 7), On The Waterfront (No. 8), Schindler’s List (No. 9) and Singin’ In The Rain (No. 10).

One of my favorite listings in AFI 100 Years… 100 Movies is the greatest love stories list. From out of 100 listed, I personally picked the following: Read on.

Gone With the Wind is Victor Flemings’ opus set during the American Civil War. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh star as Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara, respectively. “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn,” the most famous line in the movie is a remark Rhett gave Scarlett despite her protestations to stay with him. A love story set in American Civil War, Gone With the Wind received 10 Academy Awards and is considered one of the greatest and most popular films of all time. I have seen this movie (made in 1939) a number of times and nothing can equal its magnificence.

An Affair to Remember. I was in elementary when I first watched this movie. I thought I would fall in love with Cary Grant. I specially remember that scene while Deborah and Cary were talking in that cruise ship promising to see each other at the Empire State Building. Of course, Deborah was not able to make it. An Affair to Remember inspired many a movie including Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Also unforgettable was the theme song Our Love Affair which was sung by Vic Damone.

As a book, Dr. Zhivago was a bestseller. As a movie, it was a blockbuster. Doctor Zhivago is one of David Lean’s epic movies. Omar Shariff played the title role Dr. Zhivago, a man torn between two women — Lara played by Julie Christie and Tonya played by Geraldine Chaplin. The film was commercially successful and won five Oscars. I love Maurice Jarre’s musical scoring titled Lara’s Theme.

A staff of mine said that she watched the movie Titanic seven times. She must have fallen hard for Leonardo di Caprio who played the poor but smart Jack Dawson. Titanic is a tragic/romantic drama about the sinking of RMS Titanic. Lead actor Leo meets and falls in love with a beautiful socialite Rose played by Kate Winslett while on board the Titanic. Top grossing movie of all time, until Avatar came.

In Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn is a princess disguised as an ordinary girl. In Rome on a tour as part of her royal duties, she meets a journalist who brings her around the city and they fall in love. Audrey Hepburn won the Oscar, Golden Globe, the New York Film Critics award for Best Actress, among others.

Pretty Woman catapulted Julia Roberts to an A-list Hollywood actor. Julia plays a prostitute who is hired by millionaire businessman Richard Gere to escort him on his business functions, and the two fall in love.

The English Patient is a story about a critically burned man, known as “the English patient,” being cared for by a nurse in a monastery. Ralph Fiennes is the English patient who had an affair with a married woman played by Kristin Scott Thomas. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards including Best Picture.

The Bridges of Madison County, a story about a housewife who falls in love with a photographer while her husband and children were away. The four days they spend together are a turning point in her life and she writes of her experience in a diary which is discovered by her children after her death.

Love Story is a romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well-known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute (No. 9 on the list), and was followed by a sequel, Oliver’s Story during 1978. Love Story starred Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw.

Casablanca is the story of a man who falls in love with a married woman whose husband is a revolutionary leader. He helps them escape from the Nazis. It stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Happy Valentine’s Day!