Choosing the perfect film for Valentine’s Day is more challenging than you would think. Here is a list of the perfect love stories to fulfill your inner romantic and those you should avoid.

Classic Romances

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

In “Sleepless in Seattle,” young Jonah calls a radio talk show on Christmas Eve in hopes of finding love for his father Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks). After Jonah manages to get his father on the air, Sam tells listeners about how much he misses his wife Maggie, who lost her battle with cancer. Sam then begins to receive mail from hundreds of women who were touched by his story and are eager to meet him. One of these women includes Baltimore Sun reporter Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), who proposes that they meet at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. A child’s sincere wish to find happiness for his father, as well as the build up to Sam and Annie’s meeting, will capture the heart of any viewer.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

A list of anything romantic wouldn’t be complete without Nicholas Sparks. His film “A Walk to Remember” brings the innocent reverend’s daughter Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore) and the rebellious Landon Carter (Shane West) together in an unexpected love story. Landon goes from making fun of Jamie in the school halls to setting out to prove he is worthy of her. Moore and West’s chemistry on screen will make even the strongest cynics believe in the genuine love between Jamie and Landon.

Best Animated Romances

Up (2009)

The Disney Pixar film “Up” opens with Carl (Edward Asner) and Ellie as kids with the same passion for exploring. In the film, the couple grows up and gets married set to a silent selection of clips with music. The touching sequence is so well animated that viewers will feel all the joy and hardship that come from married life without any dialogue. Once the sequence concludes, Carl is left without his wife and chooses to fulfill their dream of finding the famous Paradise Falls, with the help of a talking dog and a nerdy Wilderness Explorer.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

The classic Disney film is based on the book “Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog” by Ward Green. The tale revolves around a spoiled cocker spaniel named Lady, who runs away with a mutt from the streets known as the Tramp. When Lady has to share the spotlight at home with her wealthy owners’ new baby, she embarks on a wild journey with a street mutt. Audiences are still enjoying this popular animated romance 60 years later.

Love Stories to Avoid

Valentine’s Day (2010)

“Valentine’s Day” may look like a promising pick based on the presence of some of the most popular names in Hollywood (Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, George Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, etc.) However, no amount of big names can justify this confusing film with a million plot lines, which all take place on a Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles. Although this tactic proved to be effective in “Love Actually” (2003), the stories in “Valentine’s Day” are predictable and frantically attempt to intertwine at the end. The stories are underdeveloped due to the lack of time spent with each couple. In fact, Ashton Kutcher is the only actor whose minutes on screen hit double digits.

Twilight (2008)

Audiences flocked to see Twilight in 2008 after the success of the popular book series by Stephenie Meyer. We all know the story of teenage Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) who falls for the mysterious vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Although most “Twihards” are so mesmerized by the story that they fail to see any flaws, the poor acting and questionable character judgment are enough to make most viewers cringe. At one point in the film, Bella tells Edward she would die for him, proving to be overly dramatic for a teenage romance. Pattinson and Stewart also appear too uncomfortable and intense throughout their interactions in the film. The first conversation between Bella and Edward in biology class is so painfully awkward that the scene seems to last forever.