Dating and relationship advice you can really believe in.

Most films might be 2 hours worth of escape from everyday life, but some have valuable love lessons to teach us. Here are 6 films we can all learn something from – some of the choices might surprise you!

1.    Four Weddings and a Funeral

Arguably Richard Curtis’ best film, this 1994 British rom-com was ostensibly about the tangled love lives of a group of friends, played out through social occasions. At the centre you have Hugh Grant as Charles, a lovable yet frustrating character lacking any guts when it comes to sorting out his love life. Right near the end of the film (SPOILER ALERT) he comes scarily close to marrying a woman he can’t stand, all because he didn’t have the guts to ask out Andie MacDowell in the first place. The message? When you see an opportunity, go for it – your own happiness is down to one person, you.

Lesson learned: Speak up before it’s too late

2.    Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

A film famous for creating one of the sexiest cartoons ever seen in Jessica Rabbit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? has a surprising love message. Jessica is a statuesque, auburn haired nightclub singer and her husband, Roger, is an accident prone rabbit. When Eddie Valiant asks her why she loves him, she simply says ‘He makes me laugh’.  She’s not joking either; he does make her laugh, and their devotion to each other underpins the whole film. When it comes down to long, happy relationships, stunning good looks will fade, but the ability to make someone laugh never goes away.

Lesson learnt: the ability to make someone laugh is very important

3.    Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason

The sequel to Bridget Jones’ Diary is, in places, completely ridiculous. But it teaches us one thing – over-thinking and over-analysis is bad. Bridget has a great (ish) job and the perfect man from the first film, and yet she almost ruins it all with her incessant over-analysis. Something which makes most of the women we know want to reach into the TV screen and slap her for. It’s important to be aware of all aspects of your relationship, but don’t look for problems when there aren’t any. All you’ll do is create more problems.

Lesson learned: don’t ruin a good thing with over-thinking

4.    American Beauty

Oscar winning five times over, American Beauty charts the realisation of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) that his life is barely worth living. His job is dull, his wife doesn’t love him and his daughter seems to hate him. Admittedly, there are lots of things about American Beauty that we wouldn’t suggest anyone learn from, but there’s one overriding theme: life is only what you make of it. Lester learns to seize the moment, and while some of his actions are pretty selfish, he shows what happens when you actually start taking control of your own life. Namely, you become happy.

Lesson learned: take control of your own life

5.    Pride and Prejudice

We’ve cheated a little here, including an adaptation of a classic novel, but stick with us for this perfect love lesson. Mr Darcy may epitomise everything Elizabeth Bennett hates, but she makes that decision before she even gets to know him. Over time, despite her best efforts, he proves himself to be a compassionate man by secretly saving her younger sister Lydia’s reputation and she slowly falls for him. What do we take away from this? Just because someone is too short, or doesn’t have the kind of job you’d expect doesn’t mean you should turn your nose up at them. Rule of thumb, give every match – unless completely disastrous – a second chance. You never know what it might lead to.

Lesson learned: don’t let your prejudices get in the way of love

6.    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Possibly the ultimate romance for people who don’t like romance, Eternal Sunshine presents the fascinating concept of a world where you can erase painful memories. The couple in question, Joel and Clementine (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet), erase each other after a painful breakup, and then slowly through the rest of the film find their way back to each other, piecing together broken memories. The message here is two-fold really. One is that while erasing painful memories may seem attractive, we need our memories to enable us to learn from them and move forward. The second is that love is about ups and downs. A bad patch doesn’t mean you should remove someone from your life, it’s often worth working on something. After all, things are usually only worth having if you’re had to work for them – relationships are no exception.

Lesson learnt:  don’t be too hasty, love is about ups and downs