By Dr. Jesse David Sharpe
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 13 February 2026
If you’re anything like me, well, then, I’m sorry. But if you’re anything like you, that’s great! And you being you, you’re probably wondering what movie to watch to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day. And have I ever got some suggestions for you!
Now, when it comes to love, why not indulge in a little something old or something new or something borrowed or something blue? For something old, nothing beats a screwball comedy. It’s romance and laughs with quick, witty dialogue. You could start with My Man Godfrey, the film that gave the genre its name. William Powell is a butler that wins hearts, looks out for the downtrodden, and knows just how to maintain a bank account. His love interest is played by Carole Lombard, and Lombard’s wild performance was described by one critic as “screwy”. Thus, a genre was named.
But say you’re worried because you love love, but you also love murder. You’re afraid screwball has nothing for you. Well, fret not, screwball has murder too! This needn’t be a disaster, no St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The Thin Man will give you great screwball wit with a murder mystery to boot. William Powell is in this film too (what a guy!), but now as a detective. He’s recently married to a wealthy society gal (played by the perfect Myrna Low – she stole my heart in this role), and together they must solve a crime. They are possibly the greatest married duo ever portrayed on the silver screen, and nothing says love like seeing a married couple have such fun catching a murderer.
Then again, perhaps, you actually do want a screwball film with a killer plotline, well we’ve even got a film for that. Do you want to witness a murder, hide from the mob, and hobnob it with Marilyn Monroe? Then look no further than Some Like it Hot. Yes, Houghton’s outdoors may want to give you frostbite right now, but you can jazz it up on the Florida coast with a movie that has been called the greatest American comedy by the American Film Institute. Nobody’s perfect, but this film may just about be.
However, you might be someone looking for something new to watch. You may be saying, “Professor Sharpe, I need a new movie. Something in color. I can’t watch black and white films. I suffer from arrested development.” Then I say, “Grow up.” And since you’ve never watched black and white films, they’d all be new to you. May I suggest you watch one of the movies recommended in the previous paragraphs?
If you need something borrowed because you’re doing love on a budget, you could do worse than borrowing from Mr. William Shakespeare himself. I would not recommend reading Taming of the Shrew to the one you seek to woo, but I would recommend watching 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s got laughs, romance, dancing, people about your age, and none of Shrew’s torturing of women (seriously Billy-boy Shakespeare, why all the torturing of Kate?).
And then there are the blue ones. The people who want a side of sorrow with their joy. Who want the sweet and the bitter. Well, you know what to do. Look no further than the French. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is just the film for the melancholic lovers, whomever you may be. Nothing pierces the heart like a beautiful song with a tinge of sadness, and, in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, all the dialogue is sung. The music is perfect, the colors are vibrant, the cast is easy on the eyes, and the ending has just the right amount of sadness mixed with its romance. This movie really does prove that the heart is best preserved with the salt of your own tears.
Ah cinema. The love. The passion. And all available at your local Houghton University Library (um, except The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, oops. But it’s too good to leave off this list)! Always remember, the “L” in library is for love! To the library, you lovers! ★
