Single? Like art?






Valentine’s Day viewing: DVDs for love, actually

The American Film Institute chose “Casablanca” as the most romantic movie of all time.

WGN-TV (Chicago) viewers voted “Love, Actually” No. 1 and included “Sleepless in Seattle” and “An Affair to Remember” in their top five.

Clearly, it’s all in the heart of the beholder.

That said, here are a few other picks (“Love, Actually,” a charming interweaving of a handful of stories, with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy and others, would have been on my list, but why be redundant).

In no special order:

“Next Stop Wonderland”: Wintertime in Boston. Jilted nurse Hope Davis is mortified when her mother Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”) places personal ad for her without permission. Much more charming, and eccentric, than it sounds, with a unique Mr. Right (Alan Gelfant) lurking in the distance.

“Notting Hill”: Hugh Grant’s pretty. Julia Roberts is pretty. She’s a big star. He runs a little bookstore, but does that stammering, bumbling, charm thing that’s evidently irresistible. Cute stuff.

“Lady and the Tramp”: For the slurping-spaghetti scene, and much more. Plus, love those pups.

“Ulysses”: The James Joyce version (1967), only for the erotic Molly Bloom monologue near the end.

“Truly Madly Deeply”: Juliet Stevenson can’t stop mourning her late musician husband Alan Rickman, so he returns as a ghostly presence, with other late musicians, to accompany her until she lets go. Bittersweet. From director Anthony Minghella.

“Runaway Bride”: “Pretty Woman” (another decent pick) stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere reunite to court and spark in this guilty pleasure.

“Designing Woman”: Culture-clash romantic comedy with ace sportswriter Gregory Peck marrying fashion designer Lauren Bacall. A little dated but funny and cute.

“When Harry Met Sally…”: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan (with normal lips), the wonderful fake-orgasm scene and the debate over whether men and women can ever be friends. A perennial. and deservedly so.

“Brief Encounter”: A David Lean classic (1945) about the brief but passionate meeting between strangers (Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson) who meet on a train.

“Fido”: Multilayered zombie spoof shows you don’t have to be alive to be sexy. With Carrie-Anne Moss and Billy Connolly. Some gore, so be forewarned. Parodies the ’50s and “Lassie,” too.

“Annie Hall”: Woody Allen’s delightful Oscar-winning comedy explains why we keep getting involved, with wit, spirit and creativity.

“Pride and Prejudice”: I liked the Keira Knightley version (but not enough to include on my list) but almost every woman I’ve talked to mentioned the Colin Firth version.

“A Man and a Woman”: Emotionally wounded race-car driver and TV producer, both widowed, reluctantly become involved and help each other heal. Thickly romantic French film. (Don’t rent the sequel; it’s terrible.)

“Love and Basketball”: One of those movies I can’t forget and always watch parts of (it’s long) when it’s on TV. Two attractive, athletic kids, a brash boy and an observant girl, live next to each other, grow up (as Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan), play competitive basketball, and begin to notice each other as more than friends. Very well done.

“A Little Romance”: Two kids (one’s Diane Lane when she was about 9) run away from Paris to Venice so they can kiss under a certain bridge at a certain time, which, the mythology has it, will bind them forever. A codger played by Laurence Olivier helps them. Goes down easily.

“Two for the Road”: Different stages in a couple’s (Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn) alternative in the funny, edgy, insightful and innovative romantic comedy from Stanley Donen.

“Holiday”: The best Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn screwball comedy, with her a free spirit and him engaged to her stiff sister when they meet. Lively and fun.