Five great teen romances

Be they tragic, funny or heartwarming, teen movie romances such as "The Fault in Our Stars" sometimes go far beyond the obvious targeted demographic. The genre is massive, though. With that in mind, we came up with five that not only cross generations but stand the test of time.

1. "Grease": Yes, the cast -- John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and Stockard Channing -- look like they haven't seen a cap and gown in years. So what? This infectious 1978 musical encouraged us to try out the "Hand Jive" on the dance floor -- for better, and for worse.

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in &quot;Grease.&quot;
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in "Grease." (Paramount Pictures)

2. "Say Anything": Filmmaker Cameron Crowe struck gold with this perceptive take on opposites finding a common bond. John Cusack and Ione Skye exude terrific chemistry together, and after watching this 1989 keeper, you can't hear Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" without going a bit soft and gooey inside.

3. "10 Things I Hate About You": For a while there, the high school served as the stage for a bunch of Shakespeare-influenced productions, including 2001's "O" -- an adaptation of "Othello" that took jump shots with the Bard's iambic pentameter. But one of our favorites remains this smart and entertaining 1999 version of "Taming of the Shrew," starring Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger.


4. "Valley Girl": Martha Coolidge taps into '80s SoCal kookiness in a saucy story about a girl (Deborah Foreman) choosing between two guys, the obvious jock (Michael Bowen) or the sexy punk (Nicolas Cage). Guess who wins out?

5. "West Side Story": The Oscar-winning 1961 film of the musical placed Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" into feuding New York gangs. With an iconic score, a sensational cast and tone-perfect direction from Robert Wise, the result was a classic movie musical.

-- Randy Myers