Entertainment
Single On Valentine's Day? Watch These Movies
We've all been there: it's Valentine's Day. You're single and all day, you've seen people receive flowers, teddy bears, chocolates and balloons. Maybe you thought it was sweet for a bit, but after a couple hours, you're tired of the cuteness and hating on it all. Maybe you just want to curl up with a movie, a rom-com, perhaps, filled with people falling in love and exploring new romances that's bound to make you feel sorry for yourself. But this holiday, I, for one, am done with that. I'm ready to stop pitying myself and instead, celebrate my singleness by watching non-romance movies on Valentine's Day that let audiences know it's OK to be alone, especially during the holiday.
Considering the fact that I’ve been single for most Valentine’s Days of my life (don't judge me), it has been a yearly tradition to feel sorry for myself for being alone. But that won't cut it this holiday, because I'm learning how to be OK with the singleness that I'm in, and so should you. Everything comes in time, and for now, I'm gonna be perfectly content being independent and free — and these movies back up my new mindset perfectly.
1. The First Wives Club
This movie will make you feel so empowered, and it serves up valuable lessons on loneliness, vengeance and friendship. Elise (Goldie Hawn), Brenda (Bette Midler) and Annie (Diane Keaton) are all old college friends who end up apart due to life's circumstances, but are brought back together by the suicide of their friend, Cynthia (Stockard Channing). They reunite only to discover that they have all been left by their husbands, just like Cynthia, and they decide that it’s time for all of them to get payback on their exes.
2. Two Can Play That Game
Ever hear of the popular hashtag #WasteHisTime? Well, this movie embodies that to a whole new level. In it, Shante (Vivica A. Fox), a veteran of the dating game, thinks she's found the perfect man in Keith (Morris Chestnut), until she sees him at a restaurant dancing with another woman. That's when she decides that she will play games with their dating life since he was doing so well with playing games with her.
3. Romy And Michele's High School Reunion
Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are co-dependent best friends who decide the best way to prepare for their 10-year high school reunion is to lie about their current lives by saying how successful they have been since graduation. It's a great, funny movie that includes an interpretive dance that you cannot miss.
4. Eat, Pray, Love
If you are looking to embark the road of self-discovery, this movie is for you. Watch Julia Roberts travel to three countries to find out more about her self-awareness and identity— all while saying some great quotes along the way.
5. Waiting To Exhale
Waiting to Exhale is a refreshingly wise and hearty story of a friendship between four women Savannah (Whitney Houston), Bernadine (Angela Basset), Robin (Lela Rochon), and Gloria (Loretta Devine), who lean on each other while each is waiting for that one man who will take their breath away.
6. The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' stories about four friends going through personal pain and victory together has me thinking that singlehood really isn't that bad.
7. How Stella Got Her Groove Back
This movie is for the hopeful singles who want to get back out there soon and need some encouragement. Stella (Angela Bassett) makes a solo trip to Jamaica for some R&R, where she ends up meeting a fine young man named Winston Shakespeare (Taye Diggs) who is 20 years younger than her — heyyyyyyyyy. If Stella can get her groove back, so can you.
8. Fear
Listen, I loved me some Mark Wahlberg when I was a preteen, but this movie terrified me. Falling in love with a bad boy was always the thing in high school... just not a bad boy who would carve your name into his chest. This movie will remind you that you don't have to date just anybody who sweet talks you. Being single is perfectly fine.
9. Clueless
If you want your Valentine's Day to be funny, not romantic you should, like, totally watch this movie.
10. The Secret Life Of Bees
This movie is all about life lessons shaping the trajectory of one's personal emotional experience. After her mother is killed by her father, Lily (Dakota Fanning) leaves town to live with her caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). The two of them go on to live with the three Boatwright sisters, who teach them all about the secrets of bee-keeping. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo all give great performances.
11. Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood
This intergenerational story about best friends and the secrets they kept for each other and from each other is the ultimate movie for those who are honoring friendship on V-Day. Ellen Burstyn, Sandra Bullock, Maggie Smith, Ashley Judd, Shirley Knight, and Fionnula Flanagan make up the great ensemble.
12. Brown Sugar
Sometimes we single people think love is far away from us, but it can always be around the corner... in the shape of a best friend. Brown Sugar is one of my all time favorites because it shows that authentic love starts with friendship. This movie will reassure any single person that love can take time and often comes from the places that you least expect.
These movies will remind you to value the impact of friendship, singleness and some romance here and there. Just know that everything will happen in time, and right now (or however long you want), enjoy being single.
