Top 20 Intercultural Love Stories in Movies

Talk about relationship goals! Ian and Toula are one of the most well-known romantic comedy pairings due to their wacky love story. Throughout the film, they have to endure Toula’s overbearing Greek family - who are skeptical of her marrying Ian, a non-Greek WASP. Despite the meddling from her father, Toula and Ian are able to make it work. They’re two people that complement one another, and their chemistry is off-the-charts. Audiences found their story relatable and the small indie flick was a sleeper hit, going on to become the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time, even though it never topped the box office.

#19: Bruce Lee & Linda Lee Cadwell “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (1993)

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It’s no secret that Bruce Lee was a martial arts legend, but this biopic explores a lesser-known side of his life as well. The film provides a deep dive into the prejudice that the Chinese actor faced in western culture. Although this was a difficult time for Bruce, he also met the love of his life, a Caucasian American named Linda Cadwell. Linda would become Bruce’s martial arts student and much more. Seeing the struggles that Bruce has endured, Linda encourages him to reach for the stars, despite what others say. The film was based on a biography that Cadwell wrote around the same time that her husband died. So, you know that the relationship depicted on the silver screen is a personal one.

African-American Alex Hitchens is a different kind of ladies man. He’s an expert at setting couples up, earning the nickname of the “Date Doctor.” When it comes to his own love life, though, Alex isn’t always as smooth as you might think. Alex is attracted to a Latina woman named Sara, but their first couple of dates aren’t without some awkward hiccups. Even then, the chemistry between actors Will Smith and Eva Mendes is undeniable. A misunderstanding leads Sara to believe that Alex helped a pig, but she eventually finds that Hitch is in the business of true love. While Sara’s perception of romance has always been on the cynical side, Alex helps her to see that love is full of surprises.

Kenya is married to her work, but if she were to ever settle down, she always imagined herself with someone who understands the African-American experience. So, when her blind date Brian turns out to be white, she runs in the other direction. Fate brings them back together and to Kenya’s surprise, she falls for the chisel-jawed landscape architect. Yet, her friends, family, and personal hang-ups constantly steer Kenya away. Brain, meanwhile, doesn’t think about skin color, which Kenya sees as part of the problem. Even when she meets the perfect guy, however, Kenya can’t get Brian out of her head. “Something Great” isn’t afraid to tackle race relations and traditional family values head-on, which is what makes the central romance feel so honest.

#16: Jack Malik & Ellie Appleton “Yesterday” (2019)

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A Lowestoft songwriter of Indian descent, Jack is so obsessed with music that he can’t see what’s right in front of him. His white manager Ellie is beautiful, charming, and clearly in love with him, but Jack only has eyes for his guitar. Through a series of unusual events, Jack finds that he’s seemingly the only one who remembers the Beatles. Jack seizes this opportunity to become a music sensation. It isn’t until Jack hits it big that he realizes how much Ellie means to him. While Jack’s Indian heritage does play a role in shaping the movie’s identity, this is one intercultural love story where skin color isn’t the primary focus. As far as Jack and Ellie are concerned, all you need is love.

#15: Wai-Tung Gao & Simon “The Wedding Banquet” (1993)

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Top 10 Intercultural Love Stories in Movies

Released in 1993, “The Wedding Banquet” came out at a time when it was still rare to see a film explore intercultural romance and even rarer for LGBTQ+ relationships to be discussed. Progressive in more ways than one, the romantic comedy revolves around a complicated love triangle between a Taiwanese man, his white boyfriend, and a Chinese woman who needs a green card. To get his parents off his back, Wai-Tung decides to marry Wei-Wei with Simon’s encouragement. Wei-Wei is onboard with the sham marriage. The lie gets out of hand, taking the characters to unexpected places. The ending challenges the idea of tradition, showing that love and family come in many different forms.

#14: Jackie Brown & Max Cherry “Jackie Brown” (1997)

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“Jackie Brown” is Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to the blaxploitation genre, but he doesn’t consider it a straight-up blaxploitation film. While you can see how strong black women like Coffy and Foxy Brown inspired Jackie, Pam Grier’s Golden Globe-nominated performance makes the character feel more grounded. Something similar can be said about her understated romance with a white bondsman named Max. In a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination, the late Robert Forster masterfully plays Max with great subtlety. While Max doesn’t frequently speak his mind, it’s evident that he’s developing feelings for the resilient Jackie as they become unlikely partners. Although the two ultimately go their separate ways, their final scene together is a fitting and satisfying one nonetheless.

There are so many things about this couple that shouldn’t work on paper, but somehow they’re able to overcome their differences to fall in love on screen. At the start of the film, Hank undeniably has his prejudices, but he’s still drawn to Leticia and their similar experiences grieving loved ones. As their relationship deepens, their attraction to each other amplifies and culminates in a charged encounter where Leticia asks Hank to “make me feel good.” Together, they’re sensual, flawed, and feel very human – the latter being a quality that’s not always found in Hollywood romances. Halle Berry went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her raw portrayal of Leticia.

This ‘90s teen power couple feels like people you might know in real life, making them one of the most relatable on our list. They start off as rivals of sorts, but they come together after he promises to teach her how to dance hip-hop, so that she’ll fit in better at her predominantly black school. Dance lessons lead to more, and it’s a pleasure to watch this couple fight for their relationship despite the haters trying to keep them apart. Derek and Sara are great together because they push each other to strive for their dreams, even if those dreams seemed far out of reach.

“Love, Simon” was celebrated for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and all-around diverse cast. While we know that the titular Simon is white, we’re unable to put a face to the mysterious Blue for most of the runtime. Simon has a few suspects, including Bram, an African-American classmate, Cal, a Caucasian classmate, and Lyle, a Caucasian server, all of whom he finds attractive. Appearances aside, it’s Blue’s personality that won Simon over. In the climax, we learn that Simon’s digital pen pal is Bram. Upon revealing himself, it’s addressed that Bram is Jewish and black, but Simon isn’t at all disappointed. He’s just happy that he can finally kiss the boy he’s been thinking about for months, making for an unforgettable Ferris wheel ride.

While not this musical’s central romance, Penny’s relationship with Seaweed does tie into the overarching theme of acceptance - and their chemistry is adorable to boot. Taking place in 1962 Baltimore, integration is on the horizon, but many ignorant people wish to keep things segregated. This includes Penny’s mother, who ties her daughter up for helping the outspoken Tracy. Seaweed comes to Penny’s rescue, however, giving the damsel her first taste of “chocolate.” Penny is willing to defy her mother and the police in order to help Seaweed, as well as their black friends. What’s more, they’re ready to face the challenges of being in an interracial relationship during such a prejudiced time. On live television, Penny announces to the world that she’s a “checkerboard chick.”

Based on the life of actor Chazz Palminteri and adapted from his stage play of the same name, the movie introduces the audience to Calogero, a young Italian-American man, who falls in love with Jane, an African-American girl. Set in 1960s Brooklyn, the story is one in which race plays a huge factor in keeping this couple apart - despite their natural attraction to each other. Their respective friends and family try to keep them away from each other, especially after Calogero is accused of beating up Jane’s brother. Calogero and Jane are a great example of first love, and especially since the couple experiences hardships that move them from childhood to adulthood.

This romantic comedy established Vietnamese-born American actress Lana Condor as a certified leading lady. Condor shines as Lara Jean, an awkward high school girl whose unmailed love letters to her past crushes are suddenly sent out. One letter was for her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh, and another was for the hunky Peter. To prevent things from getting uncomfortable with Josh, Lara Jean and Peter engage in a fake relationship that just might be the real deal. The romance that ensues is at times sweet, at times steamy, and always spellbinding. Their relationship isn’t without hurdles, especially when Lara Jean is reunited with John Ambrose, who’s played by African-American Jordan Fisher in the sequel. In the end, however, Peter is the only boy for Lara Jean.

In a screenplay that scored them an Oscar nomination, real-life husband and wife Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon loosely based “The Big Sick” on their romance. Nanjiani essentially plays himself, a Pakistani-American comedian. Expected to commit to an arranged marriage, Kumail instead falls for a white student named Emily. The two break up shortly before Emily goes into a medically induced coma, putting Kumail in an unusual position. Taking care of Emily and getting to know her parents, Kumail only falls deeper in love. This makes things complicated when Emily finally wakes up, and with the added pressure from his family, Kumail isn’t sure how to make things work. By following his dreams of stand-up, though, Kumail eventually finds his way back to Emily.

It’s not that common to see a pairing of an African American man and an Indian woman on-screen, but that’s exactly what we get in this underrated romantic drama. The film tells the story of Mina, a young Indian woman who relocates from Uganda to the United States. In Mississippi she meets Demetrius, played by Denzel Washington, and the two fall in love despite the disapproval of their two families. What’s fascinating about this movie is the fact that it’s an intimate portrait of two marginalized groups that inflict that same racism they’ve experienced onto the couple. However, the lovebirds are able to overcome the prejudice and drama and choose each other, which makes them a stronger couple.

This interracial romance was originally conceived in the 1970s with Diana Ross and Steve McQueen in mind. The film was ultimately made in the ‘90s starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Even in 1992, there was some controversy about an onscreen romance between a black woman and a white man, but Houston and Costner defended the casting. Rachel’s a singer/actress/diva and Frank is her stone-faced bodyguard. Although they come from very different backgrounds, the two come to respect and care for one another. While multiple love scenes were cut from this finished film, it accumulates to one of the most iconic goodbye kisses in cinematic history. They may not fly off together, but as the theme song goes, they’ll always love each other.

#4: Richard Loving & Mildred Loving “Loving” (2016)

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A few couples on this list were based on real-life figures, but Richard and Mildred Loving may have the most profound love story. Prior to this movie’s release, it’s possible that you had never heard of the Loving v. Virginia civil rights case, making it all the more shocking to learn what they went through. Due to Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws in 1958, the white Richard and black Mildred got married in Washington, D.C. Even then, Virginia refused to recognize the marriage, forcing them to leave their other loved ones. After years of persecution and multiple arrests, the Lovings took their case to the Supreme Court. The court’s unanimous decision allowed the Lovings to build their dream home and for more interracial romances to flourish.

In this comedy-drama, soccer brings together Jesminder, a young British woman of Indian descent, and Joe, an English Caucasian bloke. Jesminder’s overprotective parents forbid the football-obsessed teen from playing the sport, since they deem it inappropriate. But Jesminder is headstrong and joins the team that Joe coaches, after which they ultimately fall in love. As a couple, they’re strong-willed, but it’s their love of soccer that really connects them, showing that a common bond is a strong foundation for a relationship. The twosome is also so relatable and cute together that it’s hard not to root for them.

#2: Tony & Maria “West Side Story” (1961)

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Perhaps one of the most tragic couples in pop culture, Tony and Maria are the 20th century version of Romeo and Juliet. They literally come from warring gangs, with Maria being from the Puerto Rican Sharks and Tony being aligned with the Caucasian American Jets. But like Romeo and Juliet before them, their love was fated when Tony first laid eyes on Maria at the local dance. From there, their relationship progresses at lightning pace with them symbolically marrying each other before Tony’s ultimate downfall. Their hope and love for each other are perfectly captured in their duets “Tonight” and “Somewhere,” which are two of the film’s most iconic songs.

Controversial from its inception, this film was produced at a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 US states. Caucasian and upper-class Joanna brings home John, a widowed black man, which makes her liberal parents question their prejudices and their beliefs on race. It’s hard to find faults with John however, since he’s a doctor who has done work in Africa and has refused to have sex with Joanna before they are married. This means that her parents’ only true objection to him is his race. Sidney Poitier’s character broke stereotypes, and the loving relationship he has with Joanna pushed audiences to examine their own views. The film also inspired a more comedic update in 2005 with “Guess Who”, which reverses the roles and sees a black woman bringing a white man home to her parents.