25 Valentine's Day Films For a Variety of Viewers

The best movies for Valentine's Day may not be the same for everyone. If you're decidedly single, you'll probably be looking for a different experience than someone in a longtime relationship. People watching with kids want heartfelt, innocent love while couples may be seeking some heat. Here are some of our favorite movies for a variety of viewers.

For the Family

These films will deliver plenty of awww moments with your kids, from tots to teens. Bonus: All are based on books!

• Shrek: We're still in love with this laugh-out-loud tale about an ogre off to save a feisty princess. Inspired by the picture book by William Steig.
• The Princess and the Frog: An inspired twist on the classic fairy tale. A hardworking waitress in 1920s New Orleans dreams of owning her own restaurant.
• Howl's Moving Castle: Loosely based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, this gorgeous Miyazaki production espouses unconditional love and loyalty.
• The Princess Bride: It's inconceivable to imagine not loving the timeless story (based on William Goldman's novel) of farmhand Westley and his Buttercup.
• Love, Simon: This charming LGBT story about a closeted teenage boy falling for an anonymous online pen pal comes from the YA novel by Becky Albertalli.

For the Gal-entines

If you're spending the holiday celebrating friendship, here are some titles that may appeal to you.

• La La Land: Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, this Oscar-winning musical is an ode to Los Angeles and the dreamers who inhabit it.
• Magic Mike: Channing Tatum stars as the headliner in an all-male revue. Need we say more?
• Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson's whimsical coming-of-age story centers on twelve-year-olds who fall in love and run away together.
• The First Wives Club: Starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton, this tribute to besties is based on Olivia Goldsmith's bestselling novel.
• It Happened One Night: Based on a short story by Samuel Hopkins Adams, this screwball romantic comedy is widely considered one of the best films of all time.

For the Lovers

These steamy romances will stoke your fire and set the mood.

• The Notebook: Based on Nicholas Sparks's novel, this is the story of a passionate young couple who get a second chance at love after being separated by war.
• Love & Basketball: Starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan, this epic (and hot!) love story depicts two promising, young athletes who connect both on and off the court.
• Blue is the Warmest Color: Based on a graphic novel by Jul Maroh, this French film about the love affair between Emma and Adele is deeply sensual.
• Moonstruck: She's engaged to a perfectly nice man, but Loretta (Cher) feels the heat when she meets her fiancé's estranged younger brother (Nicolas Cage).
• 9 ½ Weeks: You may remember the buzz around this erotic 1986 film about a brief, intense affair between two New Yorkers.

For the Haters

If you hate Valentine's Day, you're not alone. These films offer some unusual perspectives on love and heartbreak.

• Better Off Dead: A high schooler (John Cusack) grapples with a disastrous breakup and some truly bizarre family dynamics. Ridiculous and fun!
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The concept of erasing heartbreak from our minds? Intriguing. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.
• Get Out: Going home to meet the parents of a new partner can be scary, right? But this Jordan Peele horror film takes it to a whole new level.
• Blue Valentine: This brooding ode to broken relationships stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in a doomed and miserable relationship.
• Her: Joaquin Phoenix plays a lonesome, middle-aged man who falls deeply in love . . . with his computer's operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

For Better or Worse

These movies offer a mix of humor and drama celebrating the kind of love that stands the test of time.

• Crazy Stupid Love: A middle-aged couple (Steve Carell and Julianne Moore) contemplate divorce as they chart the rough waters of infidelity and parenting.
• Loving: The real-life love story of an interracial couple, whose civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court.
• When Harry Met Sally: This gem about an extremely long courtship gives us two for one. The central characters often cite Casablanca as the best romance ever.
• Disobedience: Two childhood friends in an Orthodox Jewish community (Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams) discover a passionate reconnection. Based on a Naomi Alderman novel.
• Seems Like Old Times: You can't go wrong with this hilarious, oddball love triangle written by Neil Simon and starring Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Charles Grodin.

This holiday can be a tough one for people who aren't feeling the love, but connection and catharsis can come in many forms. Wherever you are this Valentine's Day, here's hoping one or two of these titles will help you find the feels you need.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon