Top 10 Most Romantic Callbacks in Movies
#10: You Think I’m Gorgeous “Miss Congeniality” (2000)
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Come on, you know the words. This cute little diddy gets its origins from 2000’s “Miss Congeniality.” The film follows FBI Special Agent Gracie Hart as she goes undercover investigating a bomb threat at the Miss United States beauty pageant. The first time Gracie sings this song, she’s teasing her partner (and love interest) Eric about her good looks and the makeover she received to compete. But, the song comes back around in a great way at the end of the film when Eric and Gracie realize they have feelings for each other. Gracie adds a “marry me” to the song’s list of things Eric wants to do, and it couldn’t be cuter.
#9: I Don’t Know, It’s a Mystery “Shakespeare in Love” (1998)
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A line can have different connotations depending who says it. So is the case with 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.” Philip Henslowe – the owner of The Rose Theatre – says the line, “I don’t know, it’s a mystery” multiple times in the film, usually to great comedic effect. But when Viola says it to William Shakespeare, her star-crossed lover, at the end of the film, it takes on an entirely different, tragically romantic meaning. At this point in the story, Viola has been ordered by the Queen to sail to America with her new husband, ending her relationship with Will. Viola tells Will that all will end well, and when he asks her how, she repeats the line on the brink of tears.
#8: Tic Tacs “Juno” (2007)
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“Juno” is chock full of funny references and one-liners that breeze by so fast you might miss them if you’re not paying attention. But you’ll probably remember this hilarious, yet heartfelt callback. Early on, the film makes it clear that Paulie has a never-ending love for Tic Tacs. It initially comes off as a throw-away quality, just a little quirk of his. But, after he and Juno fight about their relationship and her unplanned pregnancy, Juno comes up with a funny and unique way to apologize – Tic Tacs in the mail. She overflows Paulie’s mailbox with Tic Tacs right before she tells him she loves him. It’s specific to them, and if you ask us, a pretty romantic move.
#7: Vivaldi “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (2019)
Music is such a huge part of 2019’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” and plays a huge role in this entry’s callback. During their budding romance, Marianne learns that Héloïse loves music – despite only knowing the bleakness of choral music and having never heard an orchestra. Marianne plays the “Summer” section of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” for her, and Héloïse’s eyes light up. Years later, after their affair has ended, Marianne sees Héloïse one last time at an orchestra performance. The camera zooms in on Héloïse’s face as the orchestra begins to play the same Vivaldi song. Overcome with emotion, Héloïse begins to cry as she thinks of Marianne. It’s heartbreaking, and all together incredibly romantic.
#6: As You Wish “The Princess Bride” (1987)
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Say, “as you wish,” to a fan of “The Princess Bride,” and they’re sure to swoon right on the spot. The iconic phrase is important to the film right from the jump, but there’s also a pretty hilariously romantic callback associated with the phrase about halfway through the film. While in disguise, Westley finds Buttercup and rescues her from some kidnappers. Thinking Westley is dead, Buttercup is engaged to another man, causing Westley to think she had been unfaithful the whole time. He puts her through a series of tests before revealing his identity, enraging her so that she pushes him down a hill, at which point he lets out a rousing “Aaassssss youuuuuuu wiiiiiish!” Horrified, she does the logical thing – rolls down after him.
#5: Small Intimacy “Before” trilogy (1995-2013)
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For this entry, you’ll have to watch multiple movies. Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy is the peak of romantic cinema, and includes a small, but poignant, callback between the first and the second films. In 1995’s “Before Sunrise,” Jesse and Céline meet on a trip to Vienna, where they decide to spend the day together. During a conversation on a bus, Jesse moves to push Céline’s hair back from her face, but thinks better of it and pulls back. In “Before Sunrise,” which picks up with the couple nine years later, Céline moves to do the same exact thing during a moment of emotional vulnerability for Jesse. It’s tiny, but a perfect symbol of the walls between the two.
#4: So I Can Kiss You Anytime I Want “Sweet Home Alabama” (2002)
“Sweet Home Alabama” asks the age-old question – “Why would you want to marry me for, anyhow?” For Melanie and Jake, the answer is simple. At the beginning of the film, a young Melanie and Jake run through the sand during a storm, and Jake promises Melanie he will marry her. When she asks him why he wants to, he replies, with gusto, “So I can kiss you anytime I want.” Years later, after multiple divorce attempts and an-almost marriage to another man, Melanie finds herself back in that same patch of grass chasing after Jake. This time, he poses the question to her, and she can't help but smile and answer the same way he did all those years ago.
#3: Slow Dancing “The Notebook” (2004)
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It makes sense that one of the most romantic songs in history would play a prominent role in our next entry. In “The Notebook,” Noah and Allie have a first date that’s a little stranger than most, laying down in the middle of the street to watch the streetlights. It might not be “normal,” but Noah still finds a way to make it romantic, humming along to the tune of “I’ll Be Seeing You” while he and Allie dance in the street. Years later when Allie is suffering from dementia, Noah tells her their story so she remembers. When she does, he turns on that song and the two dance together once again. It may be short-lived, but it’s a beautiful moment.
#2: Here’s Looking At You, Kid “Casablanca” (1942)
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We couldn’t make a list about romantic callbacks in movies without including one of the most romantic movies in all of history, “Casablanca.” In this 1942 WWII classic, Rick is forced to make a choice: run off with Ilsa, his once lover from a pre-war tryst in Paris, or help her and her husband escape the Vichy France-controlled Casablanca so they can fight against the Germans. The film includes a flashback of Rick and Ilsa’s time in Paris, where he jokingly tells her, “Here’s looking at you, kid” as they’re falling in love. That famous line comes back at the end of the movie, when Rick makes the gallant choice to let Ilsa go, knowing she would regret leaving her husband behind.
#1: You Jump, I Jump “Titanic” (1997)
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Jack and Rose’s story is one of the most romantic stories of all time – and includes the most romantic movie callback we could think of. When they first meet each other, Rose is considering taking her own life, sure it’s her only option to get away from her terrible fiance Cal. Jack stops her from going through with it, telling her that if she were to jump, it would only mean that he would jump in after her. Later when the famous ship is sinking, Rose makes her way on a lifeboat – only to climb back on board the Titanic to be together with Jack. When he asks her why she gave up the opportunity to save herself, she simply says, “You jump, I jump, right?”
